winter driving

they are available on some CB's I find them to be very inaccruate though

 

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yeah we have like 3 or 4 i think. very worthless. all we hear on them is static.

 

Too funny, Striker, because the Big D is exactly where I had one of my most heart-stopping experiences. Some local decided to zoom past me in his high dollar Mercedes on ice, spun it doing his best IceCapades impression, caused others to spin and all right in front of me!!! I saw it coming and backed out of it a little. I think my pucker factor was about 11 on your scale as my guardian angel guided me through the mess.

 

I think we've all been there! More times than we care to be. I can say one thing though, it breaks up the monotany of the day, as long as you can keep yourself safe.

 

On the satellite radio you get pre-tuned stations that pick up the local NOAA weather stations. Helpful, although they tend to err on the side of "impending doom!"

 

For weather radio, try NOAA on satellite radio if it's still available. NOAA is our national weather service, pretty good and the source that other news organizations use. If you have a laptop in the truck, NOAA and Accuweather are both pretty good. The weather channel on the truck stop TV will work in a pinch but don't waste too much time staring at it.

Without trying to sound like a wise-### or know-it-all, I can't figure out why some drivers don't keep on top of weather. Storms can come from any direction but generally they'll move from west to east because of the earth's rotation. Yes, the jet stream and areas of high/low pressure will generally push the storm south but they'll also move in an easterly direction.

That hints to me that if I keep on top of it, I can run ahead of it if I'm running generally eastbound, and I'll probably run through it if I'm generally westbound. If I'm running through it westbound, I can usually adjust my driving periods so I'm on the road during daylight and when they been scraped and salted.

My truck will run eastbound faster than the storm behind me so if I don't spend hours goofing off, I'll probably outrun it. Running through it westbound at a safe pace it is a different story but if I keep at it, again without goofing off, I'll lessen my exposure to it. When I'm running north/south I'm more restricted to just picking the time period I'm actually on the road.

I know we have HOS restrictions and we don't always have a choice, but I don't get it when I see drivers lounging around truck stops when they could be running. Fuel, grab a to go snack and hit the road. The buffet will still be there later at another truck stop. I've been known to disregard my log if I have the chance to put a hundred or two miles between me and an approaching storm. A few hours and a couple of hundred miles can make all the difference inthe world. Sorry DOT, but I'd rather watch it on TV.

I think the best thing a newb can do is to watch weather conditions and their path, do some serious trip planning, maybe adjust eat/sleep time and lessen the impact of the storm. Sometimes we get loaded and feel compelled to run some serious miles right away. It might be better to camp out, especially if things are horrible, get some sleep and run refreshed after the storm or when the roads are better.

Just an opinion and no system is perfect.

 

When my hubby's on the road, I keep an eye on the weather for him, and check the road condition websites for him. Especially before he had a laptop with him. There are road conditions sites for each state.

 

I know with the laptop in the truck I keep an eye on the mountain passes. Those buggers will change in the blink of an eye no matter what. At least if you know going in that the roads are bad you can adjust. Rather than get caught in a surprise because it was sunny in the valley.

 

After having Spent 11 hours parked on Thursday in CUBA MO, DUE to a 3 truck accident, and listening to so many people talk about down south they do now know what Weather is, I can seriously say Many Drivers Underestimate some hills, and Black ICE. This Accident involved an O/O ( Who was the unfortunate victim of the other two careless drivers) A Conway wiggle wagon, and A US Express, The Owner Op and I were heading East on 44 we were about 1 mile apart going 35mph with 4 ways on trying to make it 4 miles to a truck stop to get off the road when The other two decided at 225 mm they would pass us at the same time, they both cleared me at a faster click, I would guess they were both flat footed, when they got up to the o/o US lost it Rolled his truck all the way over, rubber shooting for the sky, and the Conway jack knifed trying to avoid the US Express, in the process Wiping out the o/o totaling his truck, Luckily NO one Was seriously Hurt, I got Stopped about 1/4 mile behind them and Crawled up to the scene, I was now blocking East Bound I 44 So No one would run through the mess, The O/O and the Conway driver had already pulled the US Express driver and His Co Driver out of the Truck, The Conway truck was totaled, The O/O His truck is gone, The US Express Trailer Broke in the Middle after being Uprighted, They All Sat in my truck until other arrangements could be made for them, after they did all the paperwork with the Law, I took the O/O to the Flying Hook and he was making arrangements to get home, He said he was happy no one got hurt bad, But regrets that His Just paid off Truck was trash, all for a Load.
At 35mph we were safe to ourselves, But when you decide to be wreckless and careless you RISK all the others on the road with you.

 

try bob-tailing through DFW in an ice storm, back in '98 I took an empty liquid nitrogen tanker from Denver to the Port of Houston for shipment to Saudi. Had to bobtail back to Denver, when I left Houston it was beautiful, when I hit Dallas it turned to ice, heading across 35 to US287 was an amusing drive, one I will never forget. Listening to all these drivers complaining about being empty, at least they had 2,000 lbs on their drives, all I had was full tanks and brass balls.