LTL in freezing rain conditions?

i'll put it to you this way....i applied for a job with a long gone now LTL company.

i was told, NO MATTER WHAT, you show up for work, cuz we run.

there are companies like a former LTL company i DID work for, that have next day guaranteed delivery or it's free.

who do you think gets the brunt end of that?

rain, sleet, snow, fog, you run, but run carefully and lower than the posted speed limits.

freezing rain is nuffin, wait till you drive in icy fog.....or a snow squall, or any other type of weather.

it's the job YOU WANTED to do.....

you just drive slower, take it easy on the steering wheel, the brakes, etc.

and if it really gets bad, you pull over, call your company and tell them how bad it is.

each company is different. best to show up for work like i was told, and either stay at the terminal, or venture out, or they tell you to go home.

but frankly, if one is going to be a "Mary" ( a person never wanting to drive in bad weather), then trucking is not for him or her.

 

Fed Ex just hammers down regardless.

I'd be real careful, and pay attention to icing on your mirrors and antenna.

Will you be pulling doubles?

 

At FedEx Freight they normally shutdown road runs if it gets bad. But that doesn't mean that there aren't days where ive left the center and then it got bad. If it gets to where i dont feel comfortable driving. Call central dispatch and find a hotel to hunker down in.

At the end of the day no company wants a driver hurt, to have there equipment damaged in a accident and/or have there equipment pilled up in a ditch.

I guess ive had a different LTL experience than the other posters. At the end of the day Im the driver and if i say its not safe im shutting down. Thats it. And ive never had any problems shutting down in unsafe conditions.

 

one employer told me (decades ago), if you can't run, clean out your truck

another told me...show up for work, we'll let you know what to do

my last employer (the one i retired from) would call me at home and say,,,,STAY HOME.......

once one is on the road, and bad weather comes up.......call the company, tell them you feel unsafe and have to stop.

otherwise, it's the job one is going to school to learn.

or else, go to plumbing school.

 

I don’t give a rat’s arse about your freezing rain. I better get my new bass fishing lures on time (tomorrow), or else!

Seriously, slow down, maintain extra following distance and watch the tires of vehicles around you. If they’re spraying, the road isn’t frozen. If no spray, assume you’re on ice.

 

I have driven in ice and snow all over this country. It's not fun but there is still a job to do. Things are a little easier on my end being an O/O. That said, take your time. Leave yourself plenty of stopping distance. Like @Frank Speak said, pay attention to the vehicles around you and see what is coming up from their tires. See if they are fishtailing while turning or tires sliding while stopping.

Make slow turns and slow reactions with the steering wheel and that will help you keep the truck pointed in the right direction. Only you can make the decision to operate the truck. You are the captain of the ship. If you feel uncomfortable about the road conditions then by all means shut it down.

Good luck with your new endeavor and be safe.

 

Good advice so far. Also remember, Thursday is a long way off. A lot can change between now and then. Good your being proactive. But don’t stress yourself out too much. Focus on Monday foremost! Almost every stupid mistake I’ve made trucking, I was focused on something else instead of the task at hand….

 

I haul LTL,,,never stop due to road conditions,,never have however last storm I was only 1 of 5 who did not bail due to conditions so I guessing thats acceptable these days. I started out over 40 years ago on night shift mail haul and again never shut down. I would pace myself behind the LTL(experienced) guys as hauling long steep grades and heavy snow/ice was new to me..

 

I currently work for LTL and I can tell you this. If it’s too bad to drive I call off and tell them that Im calling off due weather conditions and I don’t care what they say.

I drive to Indiana almost everyday and the last place you wanna be at is I-65 during snow or blizzard at 2am wishing you stayed in bed. Lol

You will see plenty of accidents on I-65,I-70 or Indiana toll road…even on nice days. Stay safe.