Well, I had quite the thrill ride on Friday the 13th. I left Burlington, CO around noon headed for the other side of the Rockies. I checked weather & road conditions before I left and on the way to the front range, roads were clear with no restrictions but there was heavy traffic going over I-70. I had over 6 hours to get up and over and it wasn't enough. Traffic was really bad going up the east side and the weather was turning but nothing but a few flurries, roads were clear and wet all the way to the Eisenhower Tunnel. I went through the tunnel and emerged into a winter wonderland, heavy snow beginning to cover the roads, I-70 eastbound was a sh*tshow of cars & trucks stuck & blocking the lanes of travel, it was closed. Westbound was still moving so I hit the traction control & eased her down the road. When you come out of the tunnel going west, you go downhill dropping from over 11000' to under 9000' and I thought I was out of the woods, roads improved, snowfall lightened up, I could see the lanes again, but then, it climbs again to over 10000' I was really nervous & the snow was worse now. I was only moving about 15-18 mph and could no longer see lanes or lines, just snow covering the road and nowhere to pull over or stop. The snow was deep on the sides of the road so I just stayed the course, slow & steady. I was praying out loud & watching my trailer hoping it would pull true and not start sliding with the slight bank of the turns. Everything held man, that truck never lost traction going up or downhill & that trailer never slid an inch. I was creeping along at about 20ish and I saw the plows come behind me so I eased over to the right enough to let them pass single file & then they spread out once they were clear of me. I stayed behind them the rest of the way down. My 11 and 14 ran out completely but I kept on truckin' until I was off that mountain and could find a safe place to stop which ended up being Parachute, CO. To leave the roadway was to almost guarantee getting stuck in the deeper snow. There's no truck stops, no rest areas that I found that could accommodate a truck, and every town I pulled into had no overnight parking signs and/or no idling signs. I ended up on the side of the road across from a convenience store off I-70, not a patch of snow to be found. Slept good and hit the road around 8am & now I'm soaking up some layover time in Price, UT until Monday morning. I deliver at 0900 & will hopefully be headed home with a fresh 70. I know one thing for sure, I'm taking the southern route home! I don't care to see the Rockies again until summertime.
Superior Carriers
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by SurfBaker, Jun 29, 2019.
Page 22 of 32
-
Bud A., BigDog Trucker, MYSTYKRACER and 4 others Thank this.
-
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
-
If I could back to 22 year old me I would have told that kid, go tanking and go to Superior. The company is the best way to truck period. It is the best company I ever pulled for by far and tanking is the best way to roll. Flatbed is cool, but has tons of delays and gets old, especially in winter. Good luck to you!BigDog Trucker, EuropeanTrucker, Just passing by and 2 others Thank this. -
Thanks,
Problem I’ve had so far, is location. I’ve talked to a few companies, but they all want me closer to San Antonio or Houston. I’m 1.5 and 3.5 hours respectively. Hopefully Superior will be good with that! -
VIDEODROME Thanks this.
-
-
I worked for Pasadena, never had a problem.
-
-
Just out of curiosity do you have chains on your truck? Is it worth it to chain up on tankers? Also what kind of load were you on? Was it hazmat and how heavy?
Thanks for posting the pics of your truck! I can see what you mean about it being "cozy". Not a lot of room to spare but I suppose that forces you to travel efficiently.SurfBaker Thanks this. -
Bud A. and BigDog Trucker Thank this.
-
At that elevation it snows whenever it wants to snow. That's why it's the law that you carry chains from Sept 1 through May 31 on I 70 I-70 between mile marker 133 and mile marker 259. Fine can be $500 even if you don't screw up.
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
Page 22 of 32