Measuring wind speed?

When it is windy, you should slow down. When you get hit with a good side wind, you will understand, especially if running out west. I have seen more than a few rigs blown off the road with some yahoo piloting the truck. Even flat beds, that thing is a wing in the right conditions.

 

Stick your arm out the open window. If you don't feel any wind at 70 you are in a wind field pushing 70 in a storm frontal situation.

If you are leaning too much this way or that way fighting the trailer wanting to flop over you have too much wind.

Anything else might be related to what will happen to the weather later on when you get there. Sometimes you fight rain, storm, wind and more wind all day pull into truckstop get up and find yourself back into the same front for day two....

With that out of my system, there is no problem sticking a vane on the tractor somewhere to get wind speed and possibly direction.

Hurricanes are the ultimate monsters with wind. Might as well find a hotel with concrete and second story construction and have yourself a few drinks while it passes.

 

You can look at the trees or tell by the way the truck is being pushed as to which way the wind is blowing. It's pretty easy. The wind in my main running area is usually coming from west to east as most weather moves, and I am always running north and south so it hits me in the side. What really sucks is pulling those skirted trailers in sidewind scenarios, it's like a big sail.

 

You can look at the leaves blowing across the median in Virginia or NC and see the squirls before you reach it.

There is one set of winds happening now fairly frequently is called Santa Anna. They flow like rivers of water rapids between the hills and across I-5 north of LA. You hold on to that steering wheel tight. Pass a canyon mouth and there is a river of 90 plus mph wind flow blasting across I-5 to scare the bejesus out of you. You can see the grass leaning over in the median before you get there.

 

I like numbers and some tech too. But keep in mind being a child of the 60's you absolutely turn on to nature around you as you go. Not a speck of tech anything back then... except maybe a nice radio. And a decent fuzzbuster.

 

The problem is that unlike boats and planes, you can't adjust your course to counter the wind. Your best bet is to run two lane highways with trees close by to slow the wind down since most interstates are wide and flat with the land cleared away. However any cost savings running two lanes to avoid wind will be absorbed by the out of route miles, and it's not practical. You can't make wings for the equipment to be deployed because then you are overwidth. Probably you're best bet is a live weather app.

 

In the past, NOAA will issue high wind warnings. I find safe haven in the truckstop or legal lawful parking which will take a few hours or overnight as the wind situation passes through. Somerset PA 76 comes to mind when fronts travel across the mountains in that part of the Country and makes for dangerous period of time for those of us in high profile vehicles and empty and so on.

It only takes about 10,000 pounds of force against a empty Van trailer with skirts to overthrow a 18 wheeler running at 65 mph on a road versus a high wind of say 50 mph with higher gusts. My personal limit is 54 mph with gusts no greater than 65 because I can to use a nautical term "Pay off" before a strong gusts by slightly loosening my hands on the steering wheel and allowing the rig to sort of give way and go with the wind onto the shoulder a little bit and then sort of gather her up a bit and gently apply strength to hold her back to the travel lane while reducing speed a minumum of 10 mph and downshifting two gears to stay in the high horse power range.