Driving Truck in the Wind! Need help!

I don’t want to say comfortable, but the longer you’re out here the more you’ll learn to adjust to the wind. You’ll learn what to look for and what to expect. Things like coming out from something that’s blocking the wind. Valleys that hit you from the side. Treeless hillsides.

 

As the miles fall behind you, you will learn what you can get away with and what you cannot. Aerodynamic add ons, tires, front axel location, lockers, and your skill to read the road conditions plays a part. It will come. Hang in there, your doing a job that requires constant concentration in order not to go catastrophic. Would like to see the rest of the younger generation follow your lead in this trade.

 

I would have probably done the same. Easy on the controls. I run icy roads often. When I start to slip I never over correct. If that means I slide over a little, so be it. Price of running on roads that are snow and ice. Before the newbie warriors start to get excited… some roads are ice and snow all winter and do not get salted.

 

I went thru Wyoming and Nebraska between yesterday and the day before along 80 with 43,600 pounds in the reefer (and full tractor tanks and reefer). Even when the truck was 78,920 pounds heavy the winds gusts sometimes can make it feel like the truck could get blown over. The day before yesterday there were high wind warnings along 80(60 mph winds) from Rock Springs to Cheyenne. Company had me shutdown asap,I ended up shutting down early in Laramie(my day had started barely 5 1/2 hours earlier in Fort Bridger).
Sometimes you have to observe the winds to determine how the truck might behave. Luckily along I-80 they put wind socks along the highway,those tell me what direction the winds are coming out of. Also observe the winds when you’re stopped for a break,that helps as well.

 

Another thing you can do is use your GPS and check several stop points maybe 10 to 20 miles apart along your route and then check the weather forecast. Use the updated forecast.
You’d be surprised how it can be 50 mph winds in one area and then 15 miles up the road it’s only 20 mph. Whenever it gets severely windy I usually pull over for a minute and do this.

 

I've noticed that too. If I'm in the flat top with no fairings/skirts I noticed the wind effects me less than in the mid roof with skirts and cab extenders

 

that is the reason why wind is the worst weather to drive in.. you never know when that big gust is going to come and how hard its going to be... in other weather conditions you can pretty much judge how hard it is and if its safe or not by reading the road and what you see out your windshield.. if conditions are to get worse they most likely happen gradually and not all at once.

 

My previous 3 trucks had the airtabs on them
They say they increase fuel mileage but I’m not sure about that
What I did notice is that they kept the truck and trailer much straighter in wind and passing others and it seemed they kept the spray down off the side of my trailer
I’ve seen videos on their site with two trailers. One with. One without them on the rear sides of the trailers in a snowstorm
The one with. Per the video kept the tail lights clear of snow as well

Not sure how a gust of wind plays into these but for other reasons they seem to help


Might be something worth looking into?

 

Stay out of the bzinger lane.I saw at least a dozen blown over last winter,most of them on their side in the median.4 one morning in Canada just south of Nanton.I was heading south,Stopped at the J in Nanton for the night cause it was windy.

 

All you can do is not drive. 55 mph direct crosswinds are enough to blow over a 53 foot trailer and tractor. I just can't remember if that is while stopped, max loaded, or driving. You are right, the slower you drive the less tippy is your vehicle. I have never noticed ANY difference by sliding trailer tandems, although that is usually the first advice someone posts. I don't see how that could work, but I won't argue over it. I think some of the owner-operators trying to buy every device ever made for a truck will install steering stabilizers, if that's the name of the device, and that is supposed to help somewhat. There's just no other way to apply steer left/right pressure to the wheel for hours other than muscles in your hand, arm, and shoulder. Crossing WY on crosswind days I would alternate holding the wheel with one hand, then the other hand, but that's a losing game. I would sometimes, hold the steering wheel with the hand on the opposite side of my body. Say I normally counter the crosswind on this day by pulling with my right arm and pushing with my left arm. After a while the pulling muscles on the right arm are sore along with the pushing muscles on the left arm. I would put my left hand on the right side of the steering wheel and pull with it for a while. It's best to use a 2 handed grip at the 3 and 9 position or the 4 and 8 position but them briefly you may want to use a one-handed grip and let the other side rest. There's nothing to it but to do it, all day, if it's safe. That's why they call it work.

 

I spent a lot of time crossing WY all last year. The high winds in WY and elsewhere did tire me out, But I've got the body of a computer nerd so maybe others don't have the problem as often. Either way, you have what you have and you've got to use the tools you have with you.