Spring is something that everyone looks foward to after driving in the winter. The snow and ice and cold just wear a person out. Dealing with coats and boots and frozen brakes has worn out its welcome. Driving in the winter is not "easy" like it is in the spring and summer months.
Youeagerly look forward to not wearing coats, boots and gloves. Your thoughts turn to all the things we do in the spring---outdoor sports, lawn care, gardening, grilling out, and the list goes on.
With this change of seasons comes another area of concern for all travelers of the highways - storms with hail, high winds and tornadoes. This affects all OTR truck drivers - just like the snowstorms and blizzards we deal with. Most of the semis have the weather radio and you can also get it with your CB radio. And withmany truck stops having the weather channel on and drivers talking to one another, you havethe capability of knowing what is coming or what you are heading into.
Sometimes these storms pop up suddenly and you do the best you can. Nature is awesome and scary at the same time. You will be driving in blue, black, green, pinkish sky and rain and wind while still maybe wearing sun glasses, which is really weird. You are watching nature and hoping you can reach the nearest town before you get hit with this storm. The local station is talking about seeking shelter now, even though you are in the same area asthe person speaking to you. You do not recognize any of the town names being mentioned in the path of the storm, but you do catch a couple of county names and know you are next to that county. But that does not help you knowing where you are in relationship to the tornado that's on the ground. You never know how that tornado is movingor growing. If you do not like storms, which I do not, this does not help the situation you are in.
As a professional driver, you should be aware ofyour location, but after all, you are human. You do know you are near a major city but the announcements are talking about Small Town USA and its just impossible to know the name of every Small Town USA. Its at this time you wish more info would be given, like if you are on Interstate Highwayand approaching this mile marker then "get off the highway now and find shelter!" sort of thing.
Once you make it thru this weather and make your delivery, local drivers normally you might return home the same day on the same roads. Butyour hours are up and you reach a truck stop about 11pmwith some rain and a thunderstorm and 30 mph winds.You are tired, and while in the sleeper, the winds rock the truck gently and you are listening to the rain come down and finally drift off to sleep.
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Commercial trade, business, movement of goods or money, or transportation from one state to another, regulated by the Federal Department Of Transportation (DOT).
Operating While Intoxicated
by Farmer Bob
I live in the desert. Blowing sand is common, and we have days when roads are closed due to blowing sand, but not snow! Oh man, here comes a blizzard!
by Farmer Bob
Just when I thought it was spring time and there would be no more truckin in the snow, man was I wrong! Tire chains, tow trucks, and more adventures!
by TruckerMike
Wow, it's been two months since I hit the road with my trainer. I'll share a few of my thoughts on how to survive your trucking company trainer.
by TruckerMike
Previously I spoke about what truck drivers do on the road that irritates 4-wheelers. This post will help people understand what irritates truckers.
by Brett Aquila
Trucking driving safety is the most important aspect of life on the road, and safety can be boiled down to one golden rule - lets' see what it is.
by TruckerMike
Before I became a truck driver, there was nothing better than a good snow storm, sliding around in my 4-wheeler. But that was then, and this is now!
by Brett Aquila
For rookie truck drivers, time management skills are critically important to making good money and being safe out there. Here are some important tips.
by TruckerMike
Being a professional driver means far more than simply driving for a living. It means maintaining a certain outlook and certain priorities at all times
by TruckerMike
Being a safe truck driver is never easy. Predicting what might happen next on the highway takes years to learn and is very hard to teach a new driver.
by Becky Prestwich
After a month of travelling with my husband who is an OTR trucker we're learning to live and work well together. Life on the road takes some getting used to.
Click Anywhere To Close
Did you know you can fill out one quick form here on TruckingTruth and apply to several companies at once for paid CDL training? Seriously! The application only takes one minute. You will speak with recruiters today. There is no obligation whatsoever. Learn more and apply here:
TruckingTruth was founded by Brett Aquila (that's me!), a 15 year truck driving veteran, in January 2007. After 15 years on the road I wanted to help people understand the trucking industry and everything that came with the career and lifestyle of an over the road trucker. We'll help you make the right choices and prepare for a great start to your trucking career.
Becoming A Truck Driver is a dream we've all pondered at some point in our lives. We've all wondered if the adventure and challenges of life on the open road would suit us better than the ordinary day to day lives we've always known. At TruckingTruth we'll help you decide if trucking is right for you and help you get your career off to a great start.
TT On Facebook