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That? Eh...

Three things I rely on in trucking out west.

330 gallons of fuel, fill at half tanks or better always. Its good for 4 days if caught barefoot in a proper winter storm.

Food and fluids in the truck. The kind you can get protein from that is not perishable. A lot of the fluid is actually water believe it or not, your metabolism (Furnace for heating) depends on it. You are dead in three days without water.

A large hurricane lamp from the sea. No matter the cold you have enough oil in a sealed flame to withstand any cold for a while. And can heat the cab without burning the whole thing down.

Finally but not last. Paying attention to the weather situation wherever you might end up. If need be aware of all weather in all USA plus that in the Pacific and Alaska looking forward 10 days. You would already know I-84 Portland east to cabbage in the river valley is ice palace, you aint moving through there if they throw up a ice storm alert or warning etc. Being able to see 36 or more hours ahead keeps you ready and not get caught.

Let's say you were and wanted out? You look for high ground, if Memory serves that is US93 until you could get east or west however you got out of that Dalles Ice Palace.

I am not one to say I told you so, Ive gotten caught a few times, the last storm in 2001 at St Georges that dumped a foot to two feet into my lap southbound out of blue skies that day was classic. So I gambled on Mesquite and Las Vegas being dry if I kept the damn thing moving long enough as it got deeper fast by the quarter hour. It worked out. But I did not see it coming that day and it almost became a real problem with that load JIT to LA and no time to sit around stuck somewhere in Utah.
 
Picked up too many on Monday and swamped the system according to Ron E.
Pickups have been dialed back! Still not back to normal
 
1984Sideways said:
That? Eh...

Three things I rely on in trucking out west.

330 gallons of fuel, fill at half tanks or better always. Its good for 4 days if caught barefoot in a proper winter storm.

Food and fluids in the truck. The kind you can get protein from that is not perishable. A lot of the fluid is actually water believe it or not, your metabolism (Furnace for heating) depends on it. You are dead in three days without water.

A large hurricane lamp from the sea. No matter the cold you have enough oil in a sealed flame to withstand any cold for a while. And can heat the cab without burning the whole thing down.

Finally but not last. Paying attention to the weather situation wherever you might end up. If need be aware of all weather in all USA plus that in the Pacific and Alaska looking forward 10 days. You would already know I-84 Portland east to cabbage in the river valley is ice palace, you aint moving through there if they throw up a ice storm alert or warning etc. Being able to see 36 or more hours ahead keeps you ready and not get caught.

Let's say you were and wanted out? You look for high ground, if Memory serves that is US93 until you could get east or west however you got out of that Dalles Ice Palace.

I am not one to say I told you so, Ive gotten caught a few times, the last storm in 2001 at St Georges that dumped a foot to two feet into my lap southbound out of blue skies that day was classic. So I gambled on Mesquite and Las Vegas being dry if I kept the damn thing moving long enough as it got deeper fast by the quarter hour. It worked out. But I did not see it coming that day and it almost became a real problem with that load JIT to LA and no time to sit around stuck somewhere in Utah.
Click to expand...
Your post reminds me of training in military...
3 minutes without oxygen, 3 hours without warmth, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food. I think that is how it went... 30 plus years ago if I remember correctly.
 
truckdriver said:
Your post reminds me of training in military...
3 minutes without oxygen, 3 hours without warmth, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food. I think that is how it went... 30 plus years ago if I remember correctly.
Click to expand...
Some of my family were military and they brought home that kind of information for me to learn. Trucking instructors taught the rest.

My outlook in trip planning includes what if. So the Sherman Hill in Wyoming is going to get 10 feet overnight. What can I do about it with a load that has to be in salt lake? What do I do?

I sometimes sit near Wyoming until next day tracking the storm status up there. Then moved with a new appointment date and time for SLC. OR... if I-70 is just rain being south of that major storm I'll run that. If I had the fuel and the hours to do so (And stamina etc) I'll dip all the way down Raton and around Tucumcari and up until SLC. I might need a day or so to rest after delivery.

Today's drivers up there who are new to trucking just drive straight into the land of winter ice at 60 mph giving a F all about what might happen and really badly. No one is training any of them. The old truckers know to park or do another way like I do., but damn few.

And then I sit here and read about 10 miles worth of trucks wrecked on a Wyoming freeway?

Preventable. What a waste.

I have always been able to see a problem and work out a battle solution to it and then make it happen in spite of the problem. This past month in Arkansas is all about ice and deep snow along with man killing historical cold. I worked with my ex the whole time with her car and her situation as a caregiver trying to make it so that she can give some clients caregiving here in town rather than try to go somewhere and then wreck the car and lose it all at minimum wage (11.00 hourly here) The car required two new tires, additional oil and so on. Alignment as well. All of that shop work is lined up and pending next month with a rental car already signed for that time period.

There is no more problems for me to solve right now with her. Until something else comes up. We are fixing to get rain soon for 4 to 5 days and our roof is already damaged by the heavy snow loading above us. Its being checked asap. If it breaks oh well. I am insured anyway.
 
1984Sideways said:
Some of my family were military and they brought home that kind of information for me to learn. Trucking instructors taught the rest.

My outlook in trip planning includes what if. So the Sherman Hill in Wyoming is going to get 10 feet overnight. What can I do about it with a load that has to be in salt lake? What do I do?

I sometimes sit near Wyoming until next day tracking the storm status up there. Then moved with a new appointment date and time for SLC. OR... if I-70 is just rain being south of that major storm I'll run that. If I had the fuel and the hours to do so (And stamina etc) I'll dip all the way down Raton and around Tucumcari and up until SLC. I might need a day or so to rest after delivery.

Today's drivers up there who are new to trucking just drive straight into the land of winter ice at 60 mph giving a F all about what might happen and really badly. No one is training any of them. The old truckers know to park or do another way like I do., but damn few.

And then I sit here and read about 10 miles worth of trucks wrecked on a Wyoming freeway?

Preventable. What a waste.

I have always been able to see a problem and work out a battle solution to it and then make it happen in spite of the problem. This past month in Arkansas is all about ice and deep snow along with man killing historical cold. I worked with my ex the whole time with her car and her situation as a caregiver trying to make it so that she can give some clients caregiving here in town rather than try to go somewhere and then wreck the car and lose it all at minimum wage (11.00 hourly here) The car required two new tires, additional oil and so on. Alignment as well. All of that shop work is lined up and pending next month with a rental car already signed for that time period.

There is no more problems for me to solve right now with her. Until something else comes up. We are fixing to get rain soon for 4 to 5 days and our roof is already damaged by the heavy snow loading above us. Its being checked asap. If it breaks oh well. I am insured anyway.
Click to expand...
grow up man
 
nobodysboy said:
grow up man
Click to expand...
Who are you to tell me to grow up, you are probably young enough to be one of my children if I had a few.

Weather awareness is the number one risk management any trucker can do, you are not one if you choose to use insults or otherwise diss that lesson I am trying to teach by example.

This is our last interaction, there will be no more of that.
 
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