Guess now is a good time to ask. Blizzards.

If road conditions or visibility do not allow me to maintain 40-45 mph, I'm getting the heck off ASAP.

 

I wonder if anyone has ever been pushed by their DM to wade into the great white yonder..and then the driver actually takes pictures of where they are at and email them (provided you had a decent phone to do it, like an iphone). Just so they could actually see what you are looking at.

Seems like it would be a tough situation. I mean, you don't know truly how bad it is until you ACTUALLY drive into it a little. I imagine a lot of shoulders of highways get occupied if you can't make it to a rest stop huh?

 

You don't stop on the shoulders unless the cops stop you there. Being stopped on a shoulder during a blizzard will kill someone. They might not see your truck until they hit it OR if they see your lights they may try to "follow" you and end up in your bumper.

No the best thing to do is to get off the road asap in those conditions,even if it isn't a truck stop most store managers will let you park there if you ask them nicely and buy something. Granted not all will but you have to get OFF the road for safety reasons.

And if you have your dm's cell by all means send them a pic they usually have no clue anyway

 

hey you know, even a scanner from radio shack, police, fire, rescue, weather......i got one....you an always hear about an accident and re-route yourself.....or SHUT DOWN....

 

I keep my tanks full of fuel, even if that means fueling once or twice a day. I keep them full.

A large candle and/or some sterno cans can save your life if it gets down to that point...

It drives me insane when I see these ### hats get out of their 4 wheelers wearing shorts when there is a blizzard going on. Yeah, they're only going to the grocery store for a load of bread and milk three miles from the house. But, what happens if and when the unthinkable happens and they lose their vehicle in a ditch. I can dang well guarantee you they dont have a coat, long pants or gloves as emergency backup. We truly are a spoiled people.

 

IMHO..Last thing I want to be is part of an accident statistics...if you have to slow down to 30/40 mph on a interstate...its time to find safe heaven and re-access.

 

I had the same rule as another poster, if I can't maintain 40-45 then I usually get off the road. I'm from Minnesota so I'm well used to driving in snow and blizzards so it doesn't bother me. What does bother me is the ice, if it's icing out you won't catch me on the road at all. I hunker down and idle the storm away.

 

Read the article. The guy was hauling bark, that means he's loaded heavy and in Maine (where it happened) that means you are not permitted on the interstate (80,000 lb limit). He was travelling State roads, narrow,twisting,hilly 2 lane, no shoulder, through towns and there's noplace to pull off and park.

The chains are for woods roads, get caught using them on the highway and the troopers will go nuts on you. The article says 5 mph and the truck wouldn't turn, so that suggests to me that he was moving away from a stop sign or light in town.

Really, you guys should try running Hwy 9 between Bangor and Calais Me in winter. Often hit snowstorms thru there and there's exactly 2 places to pull off, each hold about 3 trucks if everybody parks right and there's some real beach grades in there.

Yes, I've done it. More times than I care to remember.

 

I read the whole article and then actually read the posts after it....and someone put on there that this driver "tears around on all the back roads where he lives" the driver was from Maine and probably figured like many of us have done ..." I can handle this it's not so bad, done it a million times....etc..etc..."

Personally I think this driver lost respect for the road and the elements....and now he's paying for it......I've heard many an old hand out there say " when you lose respect for the road is when it's time to hang up the keys"