High Wind Driving

Slow down. When you are light and the wind is that bad wait it out. Expect sudden slams of wind as you come out from overpasses. Also when your passing a tree line and it ends you'll get hit with that first blast of wind pretty hard. Wind coming off open fields is usually the worst.

 

Stay alert, relaxed and keep your hands on the wheel.

Went through that area yesterday with about the same weight. There were some really strong winds but nothing that should have caused that to happen.

 

This is the worst time of year for high winds along the east shore of Lake Superior. It was gale force winds that sank the lake freighter, the Edmond Fitzgerald. There is a line in the song about the lake freighter, referring to the gale force winds of November.
It's not quite November yet, but it's getting closer.

 

Strong winds WILL flip over a light loaded tractor/trailer. I pull a flatbed with a roll-tight tarp system, and those are worse than vans. Yesterday I hit those strong winds going southbound on I75 through Ohio, and it was moving me around pretty good and I had 45,000lbs on the deck.

Earlier this year we had a similar strong wind and after I emptied in Welland I parked it at the FJ on the QEW. I'll second the advice you were already given, .....park it.

 

WHAT THESE TWO SAID! It is even more fun when the high wind is accompanied by black ice.

SLOW DOWN and learn when to park it. Along the line of what old Tom said, I saw a hay truck combo where the empty flat bed pup was just picked up by the wind and layed down on it's top in the opposite lane. The truck itself stayed upright. But this was "wind shear" at its finest!

 

Last winter taking an MT to pt Hawksbury as I was crossing the small causway and bridge after Havre Boucher I got blasted from the right side by winds coming off the ice rear bumper of the trailer ended up almost clipping the guardrail and the tractor was on the wrong side of the road fun part was when frozen bridge ended and traction came back.. I had it almost in line but it still tried to flip over. Was definetly a "puckering" event....

 

I heard some "cowboy" advice about this. i had some high-wind driving today and was telling my boss about my white knuckle ride. He said to ride it out. He said don't slam on the brakes but try to speed up or slow down to get by another semi and have them block the wind for you (this is when your wheels are already up in the air). He said if you hit the brakes that it will like just continue the roll because some how (which I didn't understand) the wind will catch up under it more if your slowing down. He told me on a few occasions he just "rode it out". Also, what I'm talking about is a pup on the back of a rocky set if that makes a difference to you guys and your opinions. Any thoughts? I think it's crtazy! My natural instinct is to hit the brakes or at least the trailer brakes.

 

Slow down. If the wind is high enough to be a problem, slowing will help maintain tire contact with the road. If you are in a high profile vehicle or pulling a trailer, best to stop.

 

I always go slower whenever I am hauling empties, especially when I haul wiggle wagon all the time...