Rookie Driver Here 3 Wks In Alone..wind And Bobtail
Topic 25086 | Page 1
Hi Joni, and welcome.
If it's enough to make you nervous, it's enough to make you pull over. As a new driver you have enough to worry about without throwing high wind into it.
30mph wind won't likely be a problem for a bobtail , but if you are focusing on that instead of safe driving you can be distracted, creating a dangerous situation.
With time and experience you'll gain a much better feel of your truck, and how much you can handle. Don't sweat this. Pulling over when you feel unsafe is far better than wrecking.
Bobtail:
"Bobtailing" means you are driving a tractor without a trailer attached.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
We've had discussions about the wind. You could search for those discussions.
Serious issue. You know if you have an empty trailer (MT), 20 mph is a potential danger
30 mph crosswinds are a danger.
You did the right thing. Good for you.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
The long and short of it is, if you feel unsafe: pull over. At the very least so that you can assess the risk in more detail by looking at forecasts, wind speeds, or whatever other circumstances are causing the feeling. It's also a good time, if you have access to them, to consult more experienced drivers. Never let /anyone/ push you into driving when you feel unsafe though because if something does happen there is no passing the buck.
I have never had to Bobtail very often but I have driven empty trailers through high winds and it scares the hell out of you. Let your dispatcher know what's going on. If they are worth their salt they will understand. They want you safe also. So does your company.
Bobtail:
"Bobtailing" means you are driving a tractor without a trailer attached.
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.
See the wind chart G-town shared a couple of months ago.
Re posting this windspeed chart courtesy of G Town.
Hi Joni...Shut it down!!!! You did great. just always message dispatch in writing that you are doing it.
I often get messages "Better to shutdown too soon than too late".
I started a thread with all.of.us putting messages or confirming their companies say the same.
This is true for ANY weather not just winter.
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So I'm on I 80 a storm is supposed to roll in, I have go drive 150 miles to pick up my load I started got about 10 miles out was fighting the wind but then got hit by a big gusts scared the bejesus out of me thought I was gonna flip over drove another 5 miles got hit again same thing swore I was gonna flip and pulled over.
My question for you ...is it safe to drive a bobtail in 30mph gusts? I pulled over but feel like I look like an idiot to my dispatcher.
Bobtail:
"Bobtailing" means you are driving a tractor without a trailer attached.
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.