Is it rare for high wind to blow a truck over?

That happens a couple times per year, that video was on I-15 north of Salt Lake heading towards Idaho. It also happens quite often heading west from Salt Lake City on I-80 across the salt flats toward Nevada.
I don't believe you'll be cited unless you disregard the huge blinking signage telling all high profile vehicles to park or exit.

 

Adivise for the rookie driver. Think twice about pulling over when you are already in the wind. When there are high wind warnings up you should check your route for wind advisories and check the speed. If your checking these forums you probly have internet access so just do a google search for the location and windspeed and you can easily find. And think about anything over 40mph. In many cases winds pick up around sunrise and sunset so avoid high wind area's during these times.

So your best defense is to know when an area is windy and avoid it before you get into it. However if you find yourself in a situation that is windy becareful about pulling over. If its windy enough to blow you over staying in it and pulling over to the side is not going to help matter much. And what is worse is you will usualy find a lip to the side of the road and that little dip might be all that is needed to send you over on your side.

4 years ago on new years eve I was coming out of ontario up to las vegas. Right outside of ontario before barstow on I-15. I forget the name of the pass but it regulary gets windy there. I saw the high profile vehicle warnings but I wanted to get to vegas that night so I continued on. And then the wind hit. It was some nasty wind, the kind that make you pucker up and white knuckles. I wanted to pull over so bad as I felt I was going to get blown over. And many other trucks did do this. However what many failed to realize was the wind was blowing left to right. and pulling onto the side there was a couple inch dip off the pavement.

I dont remember how many trucks I saw get blown over that night. I want to say in the double digets, but that might be a trucker story.

 

A lot of the bad spots for wind are where the roadway is elevated above surrounding terrain; the wind actually hits the trailer with a slight upward angle. Combined with terrain funneling, it makes it fairly treacherous to empty Prime trucks headed to the meat patch.

Not really. The railroad choose it's route because that's the water grade route. Trains are much more sensitive to grade than trucks, and follow the rivers wherever practicable, as that tends to be the shallowest grades. It would have taken more track miles to tackle the grades by winding up the hills than it did to follow the northerly arch of the river. Ever notice that some of the PA pike winds much more than most interstate with a shallower grade? That's because that part of the pike is old railroad right-of-way.

A little tidbit for y'all. Elk Mountain was named such because the elk congregated there in winter because the high winds exposed the grass. Sounds like the perfect place for a highway, no?

 

The area in the video is the same place I was blown over in 1997.

 

I pretty much live on I-70 & I-80 pulling a 53' refer. My average deadhead is about 250 miles. I guess being the new kid on the block they don't want me to get bored out there.

 

Rare? Wrong place at the worst time is common. Wyoming does seem like its always windy and a ton of truck traffic on I-80 always. Glad I don't have to go thru there anymore.I-70 out to western Ks and 35 down thru Emporia,Eldorado down to Wichita can give you chest pains also. Drove thru there with wind gusts up to 60 mph empty going back to KC. Get out at the TS and can barely walk into the store.We had a good Owner Op that used to take 2 53ft dry vans from KC Kansas to Wichita.He was going about 15 mph exiting into the Topeka Ts and the wind flipped him on his side (long nose Pete) trashed his tractor. 2 53footers are illegal in Mo so he had to pick the 2nd one up in KC K. Another driver blew over 100 yards behind him slowing down to exit also. Cop told him he was the 2nd driver he had personally seen blown over in that exact same spot. Just saying theres a lot of dangerous spots in Kansas.

 

I pull 57 ft trailers for Frito Lay and so we are always "Light" after leaving Laramie I took 287 south to fort Collins "staying off I-80 were they advise no light trailers" I almost blew over I seen my left trailer tires smoking when tailer lifted. Thank God it came down I had to check my pants after that one. The key is to stay off of Highways/Interstates that say "No Light Trailers" that way I wouldn't get a ticket and the company cant blame me.

 

Last trip through Wyoming, had 22,000 pounds in the trailer, No LIght Trailers sign up. Needed to get through, so slid tandems all the way back and powered thru no problems.

 

A buddy of mine got blown over near Ft. Wayne, IN on U.S. 27, I believe. I think he said he was going North and got smacked so hard by a gust on the left side he was over on his right side before he knew what happened.