Providing warnings that a Texas Coastal port will be closing its gates due to severe weather

70s Trucking and Wasted Thyme.

Thank you very much for pointing back to Bzinger's answer as the best. I appreciate the time you and other TruckReport members took to read these posts and respond. I have ridden in an 18-wheeler, but I know I will never drive one, nor will I ever have to make decisions while on the road driving a truck what I need to do or not do. I do appreciate the different perspectives that have been presented.

I was once part of a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) crash investigation team that was studying the factors involved in a 7 fatality bus crash on IH 35 south of Waco. At the time of the crash there was heavy rain, low visibility and the roadway at that location is a series of crest and sag curves which further limit long range visibility of what's happening ahead on the road. That day, a fatality crash had already occurred on IH 35 that created a queue of traffic almost 2 miles long due to the time delay from the work that was happening at the crash site. The bus driver came over a crest curve, saw the long queue of vehicles and made the decision to change to the inside lane which had a shorter queue length ---- just as he did the last car in the longer, outside lane queue made the same decision to move to the inside lane ---- by that time the bus driver didn't have enough distance to stop, slammed on his brakes, skidded across the median and hit a Ford Explorer head on coming in the opposite direction.

As we studied this crash - lots of factors were considered and we collected large amounts of data on the roadway to provide to the NTSB investigators, law enforcement and TXDOT - but the one thing that has stuck in my mind over time is that if the bus driver could have been alerted that there was a fatality crash and a queue of cars on the road ahead soon enough - he would had the option to exit the IH 35 main lanes and traveled on the frontage road - likely avoiding the crash. However, he didn't have that information.

The idea behind this post is to learn what what type of information you need and how soon you need it? Are you already receiving all of the information you need to make your best decision? It sounds like, as experienced drivers, you are receiving the information you need to make the right decision - and I definitely agree with you ----- you and you alone should be the one to make the decision, because you are the one responsible for your safety, the safety of your truck and cargo and to some extent the safety of those driving near your truck.

Mike

 

Skallagrime -

Thank you for clarifying that I should search for 'trucking qualcomm' and learn more about this technology - this is not simply 5G communications technology for truckers. This is helpful and the kind of information and insights I appreciate.

What is the Qualcomm (Omnitracs) For Truckers? | TruckingTruth Blog

I will study this information.

Thanks again,

Mike

 

MOBEE -

When the Amber Alert system was suggested, it was only meant as an example. The Texas Department of Public Safety (Texas Highway Patrol, Texas Rangers, Vehicle Inspections, Driver License, Human Trafficking, Border Security etc.) originally developed Amber Alert in 2002 as a way to broadcast information about child abductions as you pointed out. Amber Alert has now been implemented in all 50 states.

However, what we intended to suggest was a separate system (that operated like Amber Alert) - perhaps starting in Texas - and called something else, perhaps Green Alert - which would broadcast emergency messages to truckers and other travellers who sign up for the system. I only know of the Amber, and Silver alert systems so adding one more for the trucking industry, Green Alert, should not create a large increase in Alert messages. I'm not suggesting it would be simple to get legislation passed for a 'Green Alert' system but do you think this could work?

Mike