Closed Interstates

A couple of times I've slept in the truck while sitting on the interstate. Nothing moves and miles of trucks just sitting there waiting for the interstate to open again.

 

Seen i35 shutdown a few times between Dallas and Waco. Every truck pretty much that could squeeze on to the shoulder did so and dissapeared into their sleepers.

 

If they slam the interstate shut in your face in some areas they lower gates, There you are where you are. You aint getting on until gates come up.

If you know of a winter storm in progress with sufficient severity such as a NOAA warned blizzard etc, you find the best place possible for you because you could be there a few days. BEFORE you get to that area.

I remember one evening I spent in a field with a trailer pointed into the lake effect gale not far from 3 truckstops near Erie at the NY line. That took a while. But after a day of resting, eating and hydrating it was long past time to get going.

Sometimes I am not on the interstate, US 322 near State College comes to mind. It's a mountain road if you can get over it in that snow. Generally once you get down into the lowlands past Harrisburg things improve. Sorta.

If any place it's either fort bridger or Wyoming east side before heading west on that stormy 80. Ive spent many a day waiting for the worst of the winter weather to blow by. The carnage of trucks wrecked all over the interstate the following day usually confirms that I did good by waiting rather than be part of that mess.

 

I've seen I80 in Wyoming closed for 3 days for winter storm... The town of Rawlins was literally inundated with trucks... Truck stops full to include the fuel islands, on and off ramps full, shoulders of roads full, parking lots that a truck could get into full. There were probably almost as many truck drivers in that town as there were locals. It was crazy!!!

 

Wyoming is one state where I've slept on the interstate during a blizzard and the interstate closed.

 

Back in 2006 or 2007 (don't remember) I was stuck out west on one of the state roads coming from the interstate to a shipper. I was stuck with four other trucks and five cars there for three days until they got the plows out there. We shared the trucks with the people in the cars because they would have froze in their cars. Thankfully we had condo sleepers and good amount of room. We had plenty of fuel and food, one driver and myself just filled our food supplies before the snow was announced, so we shared what we had.

 

Bad weather shutdown

1. As soon as you hear about when and where the big road is shut down, go top off your fuel tanks before you find a place to park.

2. Find a safe haven. A motel with restaurants close to the exit of the interstate. You don’t want to go faraway from the big road. The big road will be cleared first and then the US highways. If you’re in a daycab, you need that motel. I would also grab some canned goods and a couple gallons of water.

1993, they shut the big road down in Alabama on the south side of the 459 loop for 3 day’s. Traffic was backed up 40 miles to Tuscaloosa. I grabbed a motel, and got $700 cash, some food and junk food and a couple cases of beer. The motel filled up and I shared room with another driver. There was a Huddle House across the street. It’s employees couldn’t make it in and the ones that were there stayed in the motel room. Well, we worked in the Huddle House for free food until they ran out of food and locked the doors. Good times.

3. Do not come to a complete stop on an incline. If you do, I hope you know how to throw on tire chains. Do not come to a complete stop to engage your power divider. Be rolling along, let off the throttle, flip the switch to engage the power divider and get back on the throttle. You need momentum to get over inclines. Come to a stop, and you’re stuck. If that’s the case, for your sake and everyone else’s know how to put on tire chains on your drive axles.

4. Do not stop in a rest area. That’s where the snow plows pile up the snow. If you’re in there when they do, you’re part of the food chain and SOL.

5. If you’re parked in a truck stop in a makeshift parking spot, or on the side of the highway or an on ramp or wherever, BE PREPARED TO MOVE. Don’t be trying to do a 34 or doing laundry or whatever. Keep an eye on traffic and the weather. Some times, the biggest crashes come when all the morons run out in force to be the first on the insterstate when it gets reopened. And some times, winter storms come in waves about a day and a half apart.

 

Ha big snowstorm hit 80 in Wy in August. Yeah it's Wy. Every vehicle disappeared, something about closing the Interstate. Well this hick from Oregon just kept trucking had the whole road to himself. There were trucks in every pull off. Only 2 feet on the ground, just another day in the Oregon woods. I don't need no stinking chains. It was awesome! Never did see any gates and drove out of it at Rock Springs. Hammered down at 65 for the West coast