New Driver needs help..Is Winter really that bad?

Wow... I'm the exact opposite... going forward no problem... started about 2 weeks ago solo... drove in rain, snow, ice, sleet, hail and wind... and that was just the first day.
But somehow I missed the concept of backing, so I'm taking a few days to learn how to back. I understand the principles, but never did get the "how to set up" instruction. My mentor was overly helpful, I can park fine with someone pointing one way or the other, but that's not going to work in all cases.

Anyway... a few thots... for me...it's easier to drive out west rather than say Virginia or West Virginia. No snow out west when I drove with a mentor, just lots of wind and rain. Snow in the east, but they mostly cleaned off the roads, where they weren't clean, or it was freezing/slushy/snowing, I just drove friggin slow. As in s...l...o...w... really really slow.
First time I've driven a big rig in lousy weather, but I did grow up in NE Ohio, so lots of 4 wheels in snow.

Learned how to float gears when I got tired of shifting shifting shifting running up and down the Va/W Va mountains. And if I screwed up, I just dble-clutched for that gear. I still need to learn how to put on truck chains. and how to change windshied wipers.
Interesting driving alone. I'd really like to team mostly because I hate having to find a place to stop after X hours. I'll see if I can get the backing part sorted out well enuf to go back out.

Snow, wind, rain, etc, just slow down.
Ice freezing/frozen on the road, stop. Park.
Take care and be safe.
mary

 

That's is so NOT right!!! I had to deal with turning that A/C on High today. So frustrated!! NOTTTTTTT!!!! Sorry Driver

 

Hi. Mr sarcasm here.

Ummmmmm,

I just made it from Tucumcari to Parsons, Ks. The weather and roads blew goats.

Central was standing outside his truck with his trainer watching his truck getting stood up out of the ditch tonight. Glad he was OK.

I think he was mouthing the words . . .

"I should have waited till spring . . . " to me as I went by.

Just saying. It was a hell of a ride tonight kiddies, in a single screw wiggle wagon from hell.

PS - I apologize to Wichita for taking a dump on the side of the road, but fed ex was stuck trying to get out of the pickle park.

Yayyy for wet wipes!! Booooo for paralyzing colon cramps.

 

You can find plenty of it in the West too depending where your running, myself I kept western regional even during the summer months, I did a month of east and hated that area, at the time I was in team status so we mostly kept rolling but for those times trying to find parking it was a pain in the arse...
Parking can be a killer in some parts of the West too, some of the worst times I tried to find parking was in Or/WA. I love being dedicated now since I stay local and the farthest I travel away in a given day is 250ish miles each way and I bobtail out every single night unless they stack loads on me where I run out of time then I do a 10 normally at the store except the other night when I took a 10 in long beach and woke up with a parking ticket pfft.

 

the best advice I can give is take it slow, don't throw in the towel you have to learn to handle the truck in bad weather at some point , do it and get it under your belt. as far as driving and backing it all comes with time. I once stood outside in blowing snow and brutal cold helping a kid back into a spot next to me and my less than 5ooo mile kenworth. he was thrown out to the wolfs before he was ready. most drivers will help as long as you didn't do something completely STUPID first. Backing comes with practice, we all started the same way poorly lol. Oh and by the way even if Im dead tired I never nose in to a parking spot I feel it's unprofessional and it makes it harder for the next guy to back in next to you. when I see that I always hope they can't get out lol good luck

 

Do what these truckers did in Japan, get off the road.

 

How does it make it harder for the next guy? I will nose in, not because I can't back in, but because I don't want to have some raggity reefer with an ice cream load parked right next to my head!

 

Is a single pup trailer harder/easier/the same handling wise in bad weather?

 

It makes it harder because you stick out farther than the trucks next to you, unless you have your trailer tandems slid all the way back. Like you I also like to park nose in if the spot is located where it won't create a problem for other drivers to park. Usually for nose in parking I like to find a spot out in the corners, farthest from the store. However, I did that about two months ago, then got out to check whether the back of my trailer presented a problem. Sure enough, that truck stop had relatively shallow corner spots, so my trailer was blocking entry in the other corner spot AND would also make it REALLY difficult for truckers to get into two other spots around me. I immediately backed out and reparked facing out.