What if it Snows?

However, my company trucks have the manual shift in case I don't want the auto shift.. So, at least I can start with manual and see how it goes.... Shall see...

 

Another time we were in Billings MT on 90. We were racing a major winter howler east. Two gasoline tankers took over the middle with me trailing. Hammer down and the blast of air from our bumpers at 90 blew off the snow cover exposing pretty black pavement. Since it was powder no big deal. So I stayed in the black pavement as all the cars behind me.

By the time we hit Billings though it started to get wet snow and we could not do 90 clearing the road anymore. Never mind the speed. I holed up in a 4 way stop intersection with a foot plus going to bed with a bunch of many other trucks around and woke up in 2 feet plus. Cozy.

Continental divide was next up and that was a epic battle. Glad I made that. As bad as Billings was it was something worth a nightmare or two even for me up there.

There are many stories of winter. Trucking is alot of fun in winter. Just be careful that when NOAA somewhere simon says blizzard warning where you want to go tonight, you find a nice truckstop and chow down on steaks, taters, salad and so on have a coffee a smoke and go to bed. Tomorrow will be a new day. Anyone NOT staying at that truckstop usually were found run off the highway as victims of the blizzard. Sometimes they close the highway. Just be sure you have fuel. It will be a while.

 

5 & a half inches this time. Seen 2 feet up here couple of times.

 

Awful.. yes.. I was kinda joking.. I remember one time there was a lot of snow on I-40... and so many accidents they had to close the road for hrs... I was near Tucumcari, NM... thought I was going to take my 10 there.. but started moving after almost 5 hrs..

 

Wind sure drifts it up. Lol

 

My webasto shuts off of the battery voltage drops below 12.0 volts... Happened a few times last winter on oldish batteries. Woke up freezing my ### off!!! Had to start the truck to charge batteries for a while before the bunk heater would work again.

 

Man, everyone had their heaters on and the wife has the AC set to 70 in my house...cold in here.

 

Does your auto have full manual shift ability??? Or has the company locked that out. I can lock mine into manual and tell it when I want it to shift up or down... If I couldnt control the shifts I wouldnt drive it.

 

They were closing 90 one time , so I stopped at the big timber truck stop. Next morning woke up & snow to the bottom or the doors on T 660.

 

My impression is that some of you are severy stressing those batteries. If they are lead/acid batteries, you can severly shorten the life of them by taking it to 10 volts. Oh and batteries life is measured in cycles. Deep cycle battery will allow batteries to be drained to 10 volts. Yet the normal battery doesnt allow for this. To me, this is another reason for wanting to be owner op. Not to be in a truck where the previous driver wanted to destroy batteries.

Personally I would go and get a 2kw generator from harbor freight to have it run power for an ac heater. Granted it uses gasoline, yet it will sip fuel.
2000 Watt Super Quiet Inverter Generator
You could even use it to keep the batteries warmed. As a warm battery will start a truck better than one with cold batteries. Granted if the engine is stone cold it too will resist starting.

Oh and here is the info on what happens to the battery at 10 volts.
Battery Basics - Progressive Dynamics