Closed Interstates

Forgot to mention, some times, there is no warnings. Out west, they have gates and signs that will close the big road right past the last safe haven exit. They will also have a gate drop down and block the on ramp. This is usually the case in areas that get lots and lots of snow. If you catch bad weather in the South, there may be no warning. And thus, HUGE backups with thousands upon thousands stranded.

When that big ice storm sacked Atlanta and all the school kids got stranded on their buses, I was going through Alabama. The roads were slick, but I’ve driven in northern Canada for years. I was trying to make it to the Queens City truckstop in Meridian MS. But eastbound told me via CB the big road was blocked because a multi car/truck crash on 20/59. So, I decided to stop at that crap hole TA to the east of Meridian. Hit the exit ramp, looked left, looked right and ran the stop sign and pulled into the lot (remember what I said about coming to a complete stop on an incline). The truck behind me stopped at the stop sign and no one else was able to get off the westbound ramp. Same thing happened on the eastbound ramp. Traffic was backed up and sitting on both shoulders for miles. I topped off the fuel tanks and parked.

Remember what I said about being ready to move? I monitored the CB until the road reopened. Eastbound was giving me details on their drive from Jackson. They said it was clear west of Jackson. However, not one truck came in from 59 from Laurel. Not one truck came up 55 from Hammond to Jackson. I was heading to Houston. So, I decided to run 20 across to Shreveport. Sure enough, the road was clear at Jackson. But 55 was blocked. So, I ran 20 to Shreveport and then US 79 to 59 to Houston. Yes, it was out of my way, BUT, I got thru.

Let me re-emphasize how important it is to top your tanks off as soon as you hear about road closures. If you are driving into an area that was shut down for 4 hours, the odds are, there won’t be any fuel in that town. Or the power is knocked out. If you are a company driver and the company has your card working only at certain designated stops, call your travel agent and have him/her open your fuel card. They can and will do this.

Don’t let your travel agent go home with your fuel card locked in company schmuck mode. The night and weekend dispatcher is stupid and useless. They’re the office equivalent of a steeringwheelholder.

 

I always travel with a good 5 to 7 days worth of canned food, and packaged stuff.

The most anyone usually goes is 3 days buried alive, but there might be some hungry folks around you as well.

Always have a case of water.

Always have better than half tanks or half tanks.

They DOT from bad weather states have very good Web pages in real time that show closures and restrictions.

BUT #### still happens.

They close 80 all the time for wind for trucks that have loads under 25K pounds.

Truck stops run out of food in about 36 hours if no resupply. Sometimes less.

 

The I-5 on the west coast frequently closes due to bad accidents or fires. The longest I've had to sit was 8 hours. Last year that train derailed south of Seattle and caused a mess for days. I had to go 200 miles around it on some not so friendly roads where trucks didn't belong.

 

That stretch is horrible, especially from the North side of Temple to about Lorena. It's like playing Russian roulette every time you go through there.

 

No arguments.

They will also argue and debate tire chains, stupid company policies, what is safe and what isn’t...etc. All of that stuff and just about every other thing that so many want to argue and debate about is irrelevant. Let’s simplify things:

A driver (local and OTR, rookie and veteran) should have TWO agendas:
1. Get PAID
2. Get Home Safely

How you get paid is entirely up to you. How you GET HOME SAFELY is entirely your responsibility. Bad weather got the roads shut down? What’s the goal? Get home safely. How do you do that?
1. Fuel. Without it, you’re dead
2. Food and water. Without it you’re dead.
3. Pre plan. It is mandatory that you monitor the weather in order to plan, right? How you monitor the weather and road conditions is up to you.

Arguments about CBsand atlases and GPS and are foolish. Remember the driver’s agenda? Get paid, get home safely. How you do that is entirely up to you.

And some may ask, “But Six, what do you use? How do you do it? What are your thoughts on
CB radios, GPS, road atlases, tire chains...etc?”

Remember “the Warrior in the Garden.” It’s not if or when SHTF, but whether or not I am ready for SHTF.

 

I have the MyRadar app on my phone. My phone is on the dash, on a magnetic mount. MyRadar is a "go to" app when weather can be sketchy. It is a route planning tool, especially during blizzard or tornado season.

Trucker's Path is another useful app. If you have to find parking it lets me know if there is available parking at rest area or truck stops, or whether scales are open or closed.

Google Maps is also running on my phone, with the route plugged in, along with my Rand McNally GPS. GM gives current traffic conditions.

Above all that it did help that I consulted this forum before setting out from Denver to Reno in the Spring a few years ago. That's how I heard that I-80 was shut down just west of Laramie and rerouted westbound over the Rockies on I-70 and worked my way up to I-80 in Salt Lake City.

 

sometimes your delivery is the type needed for areas so you drive up to closures and wait, sometimes quick, sometimes hours. Always be prepared to camp, plenty of fuel, water, hit the shoulder in good spot then wait till the second opening so you at back of pack and see the carnage of the first opening.

 

I must be sick, I miss them days chaining, drive 30 miles and take them off only to stick them back on again then turn around after run and gotta do it again. And then those breezes that wake you up.

 

Just dont get caught in Alabama in a snowstorm I got stuck over there during the blizzard of 93 when they shut I-20 down. After about two days, I asked the trooper when they were going to open it back up? He smiled and said the man upstairs put it down there, Im sure he will take it up when he gets ready It was a lot of snow for Alabama though- about 20". They dont hardly get 20" in a whole winter, that year they got it in one day. I slept on the interstate for two days there because the motels were full.