Caution in bad weather

Winter Driving w/o the platitudes.

 

Complete with punctuation and paragraphs. Thanks Hammer.

 

Don't know how I missed the original post but I concur that my years of winter driving it is about feel/experience and type.
Thanks for the request and repost

 

Ok
Back to the basics....
Turn your radio off. ..
Listen to your engine..
And ride On...

 

There is a simple answer to driving in bad conditions..... "slow down and give yourself double the distance" for cripe sakes.

Just because you have 18 wheels, 10 sets of brakes and a bit of weight doesnt mean you can stop faster in bad traction conditions...quite the contrary....takes about 255 feet to stop a loaded truck from 60mph in good traction conditions and it climbs exponencially from there....put in bad traction conditions.....you get the point.

 

Well, I'm a desert rat with little experience in snow and ice and a fairly low tolerance for such conditions in a truck. I'm really good so far at keeping track of the weather and parking somewhere safe to avoid getting myself in over my head. Ain't no load I'm gonna pull that is worth that risk to me. And, I don't need the money that badly either! You want to call me a lightweight panzy because of it, go right ahead. I'll be sitting at a PFJ somewhere with my Denny's breakfast Slam in my warm cozy truck reading a good book until the weather passes and the roads clear.

BTW, I do not mean this as trite or disrespectful in any way. I enjoyed reading the post the OP had written and linked to and I learned some from it. Although I was unable to finish college, at one time I was a physics major. So, the OP focusing on forces was quite educational for me. Also, I do, occasionally, get out of my comfort zone and that usually helps me become a more competent driver, which is my goal. I'm a West coast driver and commonly drive Snoqualmie, Donner, Cabbage, The Grape vine, etc while my average gross, as a reefer jockey, is between 75 and 79K. At first steep grades scared the bejeezus out of me. The feeling of being pushed down a hill like that, especially when there is a curve at the bottom as there usually is, quite frightened me. However, with experience it became less scary and now it is simply routine. I still respect any grade and pay proper attention. But, it is no longer a fear. Perhaps someday my winter driving skills will improve to a similar place. That said, at this point, I pay attention to the weather and simply avoid it if I can.

 

Knowing one's limits is a good thing. Better to be sitting warm, full, and happy vs a statistic or video on the internet. If your not comfortable with conditions, park til you are. Seems the wise move.

As others said tho...only way you get the experience is by doing it. Doesn't mean go find a blizzard and start training. If you never have to drive in snow and your cool with that...great for you! If you have to drive in snow and hate it...I suggest finding a good shrink, or a new job. Or both.

I like snow. I hate ice.







Be safe in your travels...no matter the weather.

Sirscrapntruckalot -

 

Not a thing wrong with that, that is how it should be. Knowing your limits is how everyone should operate.

Speaking for myself, and likely echoing the thoughts of many who have no choice but to deal with the snow/ice, I'd much rather have someone parked than uncomfortable. The annoyance are those whose egos insist that anyone who continues when they stop, or are comfortable at a higher speed, are unsafe fools wishing for death. You know, the ones who tell me I'm risking life and limb when I chain up, when they've never chained and have no clue how much traction chains give you. You know, the "see you in the ditch" guys. Dude, I slowed down to pass you!

I've spent the majority of my career running in the snow belt and mountains, and have many miles of running on trashy roads. Most guys don't get the exposure to the conditions needed to get more comfortable running on bad roads. Frankly, there's no shame in realizing it's time to stop. Everyone is better off.

Now, if we could just get the fools running I-80 in Wyoming to grasp some of this...

 

You guys I always making things complicated
Basically with driving in snow you will have to do 3 things.
If you can see road, and its snowing, slow down to 10-15 mph below speed limit and keep driving
If you started to see that road is dissappear and you can't see white and yellow lines:
Turn 4 ways and let someone pass you to follow them at reasonable distance to stop if the guy ahead picked wrong side and ended up in a ditch.
Take nearest exit wait for snow plow to pass and enjoy 35mph drive.
End of story