What to do in a dust storm?

Find a ramp and get off the interstate if you can, if not get as far off the shoulder as you can and turn your lights off...someone might see your trailer lights and try to follow you realizing too late that you are stopped.

 

A number of years ago we used to do Hotshot deliveries with a std 4 wheeler truck to a diamond mine being constructed in Namibia.About 500 miles in to the desert.It was a good paved road but even with out a sand storm the paint , lights and the whole of the bottom half of the front end would be totaly sand blasted to bare metal or whitened glass.
When there was a sand storm you just stopped as there was a risk of a dune developing over the road.
You had to wait for the storm to clear then drive slow enough to look out for a dune over the road.

 

The dust storm did not cause the wreck. The driver caused the wreck by driving to fast for conditions or driving on conditions he shouldn't have been in. In any reduced visibility, I turn on my hazards and slow way down. I then park at the next safe place. I also keep my eye on my mirror to see if anyone is about to hit me in which case i will jump in the shoulder (if it is clear they are not going to jump in the shoulder) If its so bad u cant see the back of your trailer, keep blaring your air horn so other drivers know your there. You shoud be going slow enough you can stop in your visible distance. If its so bad that you can only go 10 mph, then go that slow. Yes you increase the risk of being rear ended, but if you go faster your more likely to rear end someone else. Just keep hitting your air horn like a fog horn on ships so others know your there.

 

If your going to pull over ont he interstate, (not a good idea) use your hazards, not lights. You want them to see flashing or they might hit you. Its easier to see lights then just your truck.

 

Then pull over and stop. When you pull over, get off the travel lanes as far as you can. You're still going to have idiots who think they have the x-ray vision to see through dust, so you need to distance yourself from them and let them kill eachother.

 

You don't pull over on the Interstate you hit the shoulder and get as far off of it you can given terrain and your weight. The Southwestern states reccomend turning all your lights off even flashers i could see someone scared and struggling to stay on the road with their flashers on see another pair and think its a good idea to follow the truck realizing too late that youre stopped.

You dont want anyone to see you parked off the road.

 

Off topic, but don't leave the windows in your house open during a dust storm. I made that mistake once when I left the house before one and forgot to check my windows first.