going fast in snow

The frozen ruts occurred when the temperature dropped and rain changed to freezing rain and there was slush that should have been plowed and cleared but wasn't . Then several inches of snow filled then covered the ruts .When the plows came all they did was clear the snow off the ice . Every storm gives different conditions .

 

That is what I mean. I drive all day on snow covered roads alot of the time. This year has been a bad one at that with the many snow storms we have had here up north. 2 inches of snow on the road is nothing. A few weeks ago I was hitting drifts that were over the top of the bumper on the Pete and I was pushing snow with the front pumper for about 400 miles.

Also you guys that drive on the unplowed lanes are doing nothing but packing the snow onto the road making it very hard to clear off. You tries actually melt the snow slightly only for it to refreeze to the road causing a build up of icy snow that throws the truck around.

I was born in North Dakota and no I may not have 30 years of driving a truck in snow, I still have more then 20 years of driving experience in snow because I live in it.

Running up north in the snow for a few days a week or month is no real experience for actually driving in this stuff. Try living in it for 41 years and driving in it every single day.

Having 30 years of driving experience means nothing unless you spend every single day of it in the northern states were snow actually sticks around for 5 months or more a year.

I spent the other day driving in actual Rain with 15 degree temps then spent the next day busting drifts for 400 miles. I much rather perfer driving on an icy road with out snow drifts then driving on an icy road with drifts that cause a truck to dart around even at a gross of 96,000.

 

I much prefer driving on dry pavement, on a nice sunny day. Temperature somewhere between 45 and 85.

But somehow, mother nature just doesn't seem to see it that way. I've put on my share of chains, and driven my share of miles feeling that I was going to be putting on chains at any time.

But I'm glad that is all behind me now. I can sit here in my heated/air conditioned office, at my lap top, and just let the weather do what it wants. I don't care.

But I do keep you guys in mind, and in prayer that are out there fighting the elements and the traffic, and the idiots and the. . .

 

If the state DOT's would do their jobs all the lanes would be clear . You can run down MO on dry roads then as soon as you hit AR you have snow covered roads . Then you get one cleared lane but non-drivers in big trucks still won't do over 35 m.p.h. . It's hard to describe conditions in each storm . A few years ago we had a major storm (8 inches) here . We rarely get snow that covers the road . The street department didn't call crews out until the police called the street department supervisor and told him the roads were bad . It was a lost battle then . Tht's in KY . I've lived in AR and it was 2 days before we saw a snowplow on a state highway after 6" of snow .

 

I'd rather drive in the ice and snow outside of CA, than to drive in CA on a clear, sunny day with all of the 4-wheelers and the ahem....drivers out there who drive a rig like it's a 4-wheeler.

Slow down or stop. Don't drive past your comfort zone in the ice and snow.

 

I believe it is not right to call a driver a non driver who is doing 35 on a snowy road.

You do not know their experience on the road.
You do not know the company policy.
You do not know the time they have.
You do not know how they are loaded.
You do not know what they may have on board.
You do not know if they have ever had an accident on snow.

You can see there are more things to consider than your own thoughts.

 

Exactly, but I will not chide an inexperienced driver who is driving "Too Slow" on the snow or the ice. I will however jump on a driver (on the CB of course) for yelling at a driver or calling them a "wuss" or worse when they slow down or pull over to wait out a storm.

 

I said a driver doing 35 on a clear lane . I saw a lot of that .

 

Clear lane and what temperature?

However, most do not know to watch for spray.

 

Temp was in the 20's . Weather was dry . The storm was past . Dot had plowed the right lane only . 4 inches of snow were on the center and left lanes .