Bad weather and trip planning. Impassable roads. What to do?

If you work for a good company. They are going to send you weather updates all the time. In fact today I've had so many it is annoying. lol That said, they also will want you to shut down for weather related issues. Right now the PFJ I am parked at is full. So people are being smart and getting off the road. Any good company would rather have the shipment arrive late due to weather. Than not at all because you are in the ditch.

 

what i did was, when at home (and having a regular route at nearly any job i had, once i got off the OTR BS), is that i'd watch the Weather Channel, the local news/weather reports, and i have a portable weather alert radio. all of these were in my arsenal of keeping up to date.

frankly, i hated the BIG MOUTH truckers on the cb radio that would say, turn around, go back, only to have someone with MY company say, it was still GOOD to go..!!!!!!

so you have to decipher between the BS, and the good information.

not too many companies tell you of bad weather at least not back in my day.

if anything at all, they want you to RUN...RUN...RUN with that HOT LOAD....!!!!!!

you have to be the deciding factor in what YOU DO.

LISTEN and WATCH the weather reports at the truck stop you are at. or LISTEN to YOUR weather radio. of course too, you NEED TO KNOW, where you are, otherwise, warnings for one county may be several dozen miles away, and you're heading the opposite direction..!!!

what i always was told, "make the attempt at least, before you call and say "i can't go, it's snowing"

many times, FAILING to make the attempt to get going, is cause for firing.

at least, 2 times i was threatened with a job action, if i did not at least MAKE THE ATTEMPT.

so tell you what i did, i started up the truck, pulled away from its spot at the loading dock, then backed up to the dock, and shut it down.

called the boss and said, "snow's too high, up to the hubs, i cannot get out of the yard"

"go home", the boss would say........

YOU BE THE BOSS OF YOU< in adverse conditions.

and finally, many roads are well.....located with in the same area as a road that is unpassable.....chances are, they ALL ARE....

 

try being me, and in Portland, ME, on the Old Rte 1, making my delivery several times, one winter.

the snow plow contractor DID NOT show up, BEFORE i got there like about midnight..

KNEE DEEP SNOW, or shall i say snow up to the top lug nuts on the steers!

what do i do,,,,what do i do...turn around and leave..??...well NO WAY TO TURN AROUND...!!!!!

hell no.....put that power divider on, and play like imma big truck in the sand dunes...!!!!!!!

and GET THE JOB DONE......then, if i had gotten stuck, and I NEVER DID, i know how to work the snow, i'd have to call the boss for a tow........BUT...the job WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE...!!!!!!

by the way, the "normal" docking time at the Portland dock was like 6 minutes....those winter nights..?? playing in the snow..???

almost 2 hours......."Never give up...never give in".....

 

Depends..
If it's a whopper of a storm coming I head to the back side of town, by the old road, cause all the motels by the interstate will be full.
Grab a room and find the nearest steakhouse and bar and enjoy your time off.
Try to park downhill if applicable.

 

that's riiiight...

after the effects of the booze wears off, the roads will be cleared..>!!!!!!

 

As was said before. You are the captain of that Truck. So you make the call. If you are going to shut down for weather. Yes, call and let dispatch/safety know. They won't call you. But they will send qualcomm messages saying. "If in this area, shut down due to weather." If you ignore it and get in a wreck. Then it is all on you for being the idiot.