Dangerous Weather
Topic 14591 | Page 1
One night I had tornado watches and warnings all around the area I was in. When I went to bed I strapped the safety net across the bunk before I went to sleep. It made me feel more safe in case a tornado came along and threw the truck around in the middle of the night.
Well it looks like we are taking our 10 here. There are too many storms in the way to risk driving any more tonight.
I have plenty of time on this trip and I will still be early. So we are playing it safe because there have been high winds associated with these storms.
What is unsafe wind speed for empty trailer?
In the above situation, I realize there are other factors- rain, hail, etc. I would think 15 mph would be OK.
I would say an unsafe cross-wind is one that causes your truck to get a mind if it's own as to which lane it wants to be in. Don't worry about "15 mph" or such - you don't have time for numbers. It's seat of the pants time.
Watch how the bushes & trees move. They are your anemometer on the interstate.
Interstate:
Commercial trade, business, movement of goods or money, or transportation from one state to another, regulated by the Federal Department Of Transportation (DOT).
Watch how the bushes & trees move. They are your anemometer on the interstate
.
Also flags and windsox, when available. I've been told that when a standard flag flies straight out, you've got about a 45mph wind...enough to topple a fully loaded trailer. Especially when coming out from, or traveling over bridges, between hills and/or mountains, etc.. Whenever and wherever the wind is broken and then suddenly gusts when you clear the cover.
An interesting tidbit...on one side of a storm the wind will push on one side of you and at the other side of the storm, it will push on the other side of you.
I'm an information junkie, sue me.
Interstate:
Commercial trade, business, movement of goods or money, or transportation from one state to another, regulated by the Federal Department Of Transportation (DOT).
. Also flags and windsox, when available. I've been told that when a standard flag flies straight out, you've got about a 45mph wind...enough to topple a fully loaded trailer
Phoenix- I just drove thru NE I80- a handful of wind sox along the way. Now I understand their purpose. Mainly for truckers, but for any tall vehicles- especially with a high center of balance.
That's one thing I miss about flatbed. Heavy low profile load and I wouldn't worry about the wind. Of course I'm not talking about tornadoes or hurricane wind.
Phoenix- I just drove thru NE I80- a handful of wind sox along the way. Now I understand their purpose. Mainly for truckers, but for any tall vehicles- especially with a high center of balance.
Scott, I'm so glad I was able to contribute something of value to someone.
Okay, y'all may think this is B.S. but I swear on my Grannie's grave that it is 100% truth. I used to pull for a heating and supply warehouse and mfg. company. I would haul all kinds of boxed formed ducting components, furnaces, bulk sheet metal (4X8 sheets), etc. to HVAC shops and then come home empty. I ran a few times between Casper and Cheyenne, WY and had only one side of the trailer duals on the ground!! Didn't know any better back then, but what I did figure out right away was that the height off the ground of the duals was directly correlated to how fast I was going. The first time it happened, I started slowing down reflexively and my duals started going higher. Speed back up and it would pull out from under it (I guess) and they would start to come back down, but not all the way! I could only try to manage how high they flew until I got out of that area. Talk about a tightly puckered rear orifice!!! Like I say, I just didn't know any better back then. That's one of the best things about the High Road Training stuff here. I may have had a class A license back then, but I didn't know half of what I do now after working through the traing modules here!!
Would not care to experience that again under any circumstances! 
DSTURBD
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
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Dealing With The Weather Life On The Road Safe Driving Tips Truck Stops
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Y'all know how much I weigh. I am virtually empty. There are tornado watches and warnings all along our path.
What did I do? SHUT DOWN!!!
We've been watching the radar and knew it was going to get bad so I found a Petro in Kingdom City MO and pulled in. I sent a message to dispatch saying that I am shutting down until the worst of the storms pass due to how light I am. It hasn't started storming but it keeps getting windier and the radar looks worse and worse.
We are watching the weather channel and have a couple of storm shelter options lined up just in case.
Everyone stay safe out there. When in doubt about the weather, the safest bet is always to stop!! No freight is worth your life and even the most horrible dispatcher will force you to drive if it isn't safe. YOU are the one driving the truck, and YOU are the one who makes this decision!
Dispatcher:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.