Extremely Bad/dangerous Weather

I know the past few days ive asked alot of odd questions but I am one who believes there is no such thing as stupid questions just stupid consequences. So have any experienced drivers ever been in driving or shut down for the day in a town or city that was in the path of a tornado or tornadic storm? If so what did you do? If havent what would you do in that situation? I'll hang up and listen to yalls response

Inclement Weather Driving

Not pushing through inclement weather will not make them think any differently of you. Its not worth it for the company to risk losing hundreds of thousands of dollars just to get a load in on time. They can always reschedule. Pushing through inclement weather is just about the worst thing you can do on the road in my opinion. Driving in conditions that are dangerous will eventually end your career and maybe even your life. Would you really risk your life for boxes of macaroni and cheese?

I sure as heck wouldn't. Those boxes can wait a day. At the end of the day my goal is to be alive to be able to support my family. And I won't risk my family losing me just to prove to some guy at a desk that I'm reliable. The company also doesn't want you to push through inclement weather. They have enough accidents each year and they want to avoid as much as possible.

So please, everyone reading this. Do not think that you're any less of a driver for stopping when conditions get ugly. If anything, you're a better driver than the guy going 60 mph who will get his load in on time but risk everything in exchange. The good drivers are the ones who use their head. I will drive through rain. I will drive through snow. I won't drive through a blizzard and I won't be driving if I'm required to put on chains. In all honesty, I don't think we get paid enough to put on chains and drive down a steep grade with 79,000 pounds behind our backs. I won't drive if I feel like I'm risking my life. I'm 22 and have a bright future with a wonderful wife, no way I'm going to risk losing what I am blessed with just so walmart can have their product.

The more strict you are when it comes to safety then the safer you'll be. In the end the person who makes the decision is you. You're the captain of the ship and what you say goes. Your DM has absolutely no say in whether or not you should or shouldn't drive. Drive when you feel comfortable. Go ahead and drive 15 mph with those chains on while they tear apart your tires. You'll be wasting your 70 driving and making no money in return. Ill be in the truck stop sipping my hot tea talking with my family and watching TV. Meanwhile you'll be holding onto the steering wheel with your life.

I want to go the extra mile here. I want you to know what you'll be getting paid with those chains on. Lets say my trucks maximum speed is 60mph and I get .30cpm. If you do the math, they means if I drive exactly 60mph nonstop for a full hour I will make 18$ per hour.

Now lets say you decided to drive with chains on. A safe speed is about 20 mph so lets use that with the same pay. So if you drive with chains on going exactly 20mph for a full hour nonstop. You will have made 6$ for that hour. Lets no forget those hours spent wrestling with those chains. You also wasted time off your 70 hour clock. You risked your life, wrestled with heavy chains, just so you can make 6$ per hour.

So I ask. Who is the fool and who is the wise one? The one who sat comfortably at the truck stop or the one who is so determined to get his load in on time so he can be viewed as dependable meanwhile risking his entire life and career.

Like Brett always says. If the weathers terrible today, chances are tomorrow morning it'll be clear and perfect for driving. So why not wait?

I hope I made my point. If you don't feel safe driving, then don't drive.

I was trying to get to a rest area in front of a tornado and didn't make it. I got blown in the ditch and totaled the truck. I should have parked it on the side of the road or something, so at least if I got blown over I could say it wasn't my fault. As it was they said I going too fast for the conditions.

A second time I was trying to outrun that tornado that hit last year near St Louis, forget the name of the town it hit, small town tore apart in Illinois, Washington or something like that. I knew when they started calling off the mile markers on the weather band as I was passing them that I wasn't being very smart, so I pulled into the next rest area and it went on by without incident.

Lesson learned. Don't try to out run it. Find a place to park until it passes. If the weather situation is such that a driver deems it unsafe to drive, they don't have to. We are NOT required to drive in those conditions.

I was trying to get to a rest area in front of a tornado and didn't make it. I got blown in the ditch and totaled the truck. I should have parked it on the side of the road or something, so at least if I got blown over I could say it wasn't my fault. As it was they said I going too fast for the conditions.

A second time I was trying to outrun that tornado that hit last year near St Louis, forget the name of the town it hit, small town tore apart in Illinois, Washington or something like that. I knew when they started calling off the mile markers on the weather band as I was passing them that I wasn't being very smart, so I pulled into the next rest area and it went on by without incident.

Lesson learned. Don't try to out run it. Find a place to park until it passes. If the weather situation is such that a driver deems it unsafe to drive, they don't have to. We are NOT required to drive in those conditions.

I've had one experience with tornadoes on I65 between Greenville and Montgomery, AL.

1st, as a rule I watch the weather (particular doppler) like a hawk during bad weather conditions so I'm more informed as to what routes to take and no take in extreme situations. This particular day I did not and it almost got ugly. Dark blueish skies, pouring rain and winds had picked up fairly strong. the next thing I know it got very dark and then baseball size hail was coming down (I slowed the truck to a crawl as did everyone else). About another mile up the road I see a funnel cloud way to my left ahead of me going N/NW. I'm thinking, GREAT, it's headed away from me!! Next thing I see is another one to the right and it was going to cross my path if I didn't stop. 4 Wheelers were freaking out doing stupid stuff and the truck in front of me was swaying side to side. I then noticed my truck rocking side to side.

Fortunately I had a clear spot to pull over, so I did. Set my brakes, had my flashers on and just waited it out. It did head over I65 and headed N/NW as well.

That was close, but pulling over was all I could think of at the time....so that's what I did!! Not sure if it was right or wrong...but it worked.

Inclement Weather Driving

Not pushing through inclement weather will not make them think any differently of you. Its not worth it for the company to risk losing hundreds of thousands of dollars just to get a load in on time. They can always reschedule. Pushing through inclement weather is just about the worst thing you can do on the road in my opinion. Driving in conditions that are dangerous will eventually end your career and maybe even your life. Would you really risk your life for boxes of macaroni and cheese?

I sure as heck wouldn't. Those boxes can wait a day. At the end of the day my goal is to be alive to be able to support my family. And I won't risk my family losing me just to prove to some guy at a desk that I'm reliable. The company also doesn't want you to push through inclement weather. They have enough accidents each year and they want to avoid as much as possible.

So please, everyone reading this. Do not think that you're any less of a driver for stopping when conditions get ugly. If anything, you're a better driver than the guy going 60 mph who will get his load in on time but risk everything in exchange. The good drivers are the ones who use their head. I will drive through rain. I will drive through snow. I won't drive through a blizzard and I won't be driving if I'm required to put on chains. In all honesty, I don't think we get paid enough to put on chains and drive down a steep grade with 79,000 pounds behind our backs. I won't drive if I feel like I'm risking my life. I'm 22 and have a bright future with a wonderful wife, no way I'm going to risk losing what I am blessed with just so walmart can have their product.

The more strict you are when it comes to safety then the safer you'll be. In the end the person who makes the decision is you. You're the captain of the ship and what you say goes. Your DM has absolutely no say in whether or not you should or shouldn't drive. Drive when you feel comfortable. Go ahead and drive 15 mph with those chains on while they tear apart your tires. You'll be wasting your 70 driving and making no money in return. Ill be in the truck stop sipping my hot tea talking with my family and watching TV. Meanwhile you'll be holding onto the steering wheel with your life.

I want to go the extra mile here. I want you to know what you'll be getting paid with those chains on. Lets say my trucks maximum speed is 60mph and I get .30cpm. If you do the math, they means if I drive exactly 60mph nonstop for a full hour I will make 18$ per hour.

Now lets say you decided to drive with chains on. A safe speed is about 20 mph so lets use that with the same pay. So if you drive with chains on going exactly 20mph for a full hour nonstop. You will have made 6$ for that hour. Lets no forget those hours spent wrestling with those chains. You also wasted time off your 70 hour clock. You risked your life, wrestled with heavy chains, just so you can make 6$ per hour.

So I ask. Who is the fool and who is the wise one? The one who sat comfortably at the truck stop or the one who is so determined to get his load in on time so he can be viewed as dependable meanwhile risking his entire life and career.

Like Brett always says. If the weathers terrible today, chances are tomorrow morning it'll be clear and perfect for driving. So why not wait?

I hope I made my point. If you don't feel safe driving, then don't drive.

Daniel B. are you sure you're only 22 years old. I know people three times your age that aren't that smart.

Daniel B. are you sure you're only 22 years old. I know people three times your age that aren't that smart.

Haha, yeah I really am. Well I'm turning 23 in 4 days but currently I'm 22. Ive met most of our active members in person and they can assure you I'm a kid, to them at least!

Daniel B. are you sure you're only 22 years old. I know people three times your age that aren't that smart.

That is what I was thinking. Someone trained you well. I'm 47 and I didn't start to think like that till I was in my thirties. That is when I DID get a captains license but that was my last career... on to a new one. As for in inclement weather it will be nice to have choices. Off shore you either avoid it (first choice) or deal with it and hope everyone comes out alive even if you don't... That's your job! I'm sure of one thing in this endeavor I will be a safe driver. Drive a small bus right now with close to 100k safe miles. Towed a million tag along trailers during my time in the marine industry without incident. I do wonder... will I have to unlearn those backing skills

Oh believe me, I had an awful trainer when I got into trucking. The things he did are just stunning. He didn't teach me anything. I learned by making mistakes, luckily I didn't kill anyone.

My wife is the reason I grew up. I was a knucklehead before I met her.

I was trying to get to a rest area in front of a tornado and didn't make it. I got blown in the ditch and totaled the truck. I should have parked it on the side of the road or something, so at least if I got blown over I could say it wasn't my fault. As it was they said I going too fast for the conditions.

A second time I was trying to outrun that tornado that hit last year near St Louis, forget the name of the town it hit, small town tore apart in Illinois, Washington or something like that. I knew when they started calling off the mile markers on the weather band as I was passing them that I wasn't being very smart, so I pulled into the next rest area and it went on by without incident.

Lesson learned. Don't try to out run it. Find a place to park until it passes. If the weather situation is such that a driver deems it unsafe to drive, they don't have to. We are NOT required to drive in those conditions.

I'm just glad you're alive and unscathed!

I gues this topic made in time. We had a bunch of tornado warnings in Arkansas tonight. I didnt know that was going to happen. I hope all the drivers out there are ok.