I had a friend tell me today, that he called dispatch to tell them he was shutting down due to black ice. It was an NLM run. The dispatcher said , "take all the time you need- as long as you are there by 0700".
Question
- Thread starter OntarioVanMan
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DannyD
Veteran Expediter
Third time trying to reply to this thread. Last nite I did & it didn't post & just now I tried & it didn't take.
Good thread here. I obviously wanna reply to it.
Basically yes I run in bad weather. As for the why I'm not so sure. Guess I'd rather move than sit, even if it's at a snails pace.
The thing I need to make sure I do though is like the first response to this thread is make sure I get my rest. Yesterday I took a run from Chicago to San Antonio.. 6PM pickup when I'd been up all day already... on 1 1/2 hours sleep. I'm ok that I took the run. I'm kicking myself for not getting more rest in there.
Good thread here. I obviously wanna reply to it.
Basically yes I run in bad weather. As for the why I'm not so sure. Guess I'd rather move than sit, even if it's at a snails pace.
The thing I need to make sure I do though is like the first response to this thread is make sure I get my rest. Yesterday I took a run from Chicago to San Antonio.. 6PM pickup when I'd been up all day already... on 1 1/2 hours sleep. I'm ok that I took the run. I'm kicking myself for not getting more rest in there.
Seems a good answer to me. We all want the freedom, good pay, ability to call our own shots, vacation when we want, etc. And that is the key to good management.
Keep the monkey on THEIR backs.
nightcreacher
Veteran Expediter
Let me chime in with this macho I can run in bad weather and if you cant stay home.Cheri and Greg said it,as I will now,It's not my ability that stops me from running in bad weather conditions,but the ability of the ones that only think they do.
If I'm on my way to delivery and someoone runs over me ,or causes me to wreck,a couple things could happen.That load that needs delivered becomes junk,my truck gets damaged and God forbid,someone gets killed.
I loaded in New Oeleans the other night,going to Abilene Texas.We ran into the snow storm going north on I 49.From snow turning to Ice,we made the phone call to dispatch,told them our plan of stopping for couple hours to see if conditions would improve,and we were told that what ever we had to do to stay safe would be ok with them,just keep them informed what was going on.About 4 hours went by when we got a critical check out time over the qual com,snow had quit,so I decided I would try and see how the roads were,oh and by the way,before we stopped,I 49 had been shut down for ice and we were put on a long detour.
When i got back on interstate,road wasn't great,but since I was only dumb person on the road,was safe enough for me
We finally made it to Shreveport,truck was overheating,turned out ice had formed over the front of the truck ,and was blocking the air flow,so we stopped again for couple hours.
Now whaen we left truck stop,our delivery time was bumped to the next day,although the salt trucks now had the I 20 looking very good,we hit the texas line,and rest of trip was just on wet roads.
1430 eturday afernoon we checked into motel,Abilene Tx,as consignee, isnt going to be available for delivery til Saturday morning.
No one in dispatch,gave us a hard time for stopping,or even wanted us to rush to get the load off on the scheduled time.As long as I've been driving truck,Ive never had a dispatcher think the load was more important than my safety.
THere is one more thing about being wrecked by one of those cowboys we have all seen driving,My average weekly revenue is fsr greater than anyone insurance company wants to pay me,and sitting home for 5 or 6 weeks,getting repaired,at the 150 dollars a day they want to pay doesnt satisfy my income from working.
your the captain of your ship,what you say goes,just like you can turn freight down,you can also stop when the roads become unsafe to drive on.
If I'm on my way to delivery and someoone runs over me ,or causes me to wreck,a couple things could happen.That load that needs delivered becomes junk,my truck gets damaged and God forbid,someone gets killed.
I loaded in New Oeleans the other night,going to Abilene Texas.We ran into the snow storm going north on I 49.From snow turning to Ice,we made the phone call to dispatch,told them our plan of stopping for couple hours to see if conditions would improve,and we were told that what ever we had to do to stay safe would be ok with them,just keep them informed what was going on.About 4 hours went by when we got a critical check out time over the qual com,snow had quit,so I decided I would try and see how the roads were,oh and by the way,before we stopped,I 49 had been shut down for ice and we were put on a long detour.
When i got back on interstate,road wasn't great,but since I was only dumb person on the road,was safe enough for me
We finally made it to Shreveport,truck was overheating,turned out ice had formed over the front of the truck ,and was blocking the air flow,so we stopped again for couple hours.
Now whaen we left truck stop,our delivery time was bumped to the next day,although the salt trucks now had the I 20 looking very good,we hit the texas line,and rest of trip was just on wet roads.
1430 eturday afernoon we checked into motel,Abilene Tx,as consignee, isnt going to be available for delivery til Saturday morning.
No one in dispatch,gave us a hard time for stopping,or even wanted us to rush to get the load off on the scheduled time.As long as I've been driving truck,Ive never had a dispatcher think the load was more important than my safety.
THere is one more thing about being wrecked by one of those cowboys we have all seen driving,My average weekly revenue is fsr greater than anyone insurance company wants to pay me,and sitting home for 5 or 6 weeks,getting repaired,at the 150 dollars a day they want to pay doesnt satisfy my income from working.
your the captain of your ship,what you say goes,just like you can turn freight down,you can also stop when the roads become unsafe to drive on.
bubblehead
Veteran Expediter
This government website gives you the stats on weather related accidents...I thought they were amazingly high given that many people won't drive in bad weather...I wonder if you removed the mindless machos from these figures would the fatality rate be less then 1%? I think so...Forest Gump's famous lines "Stupid is as stupid does" certainly applies. His moma was right and I don't think she even drove a commercial vehicle.
Weather-Related * 1,561,400 crashes 24% of vehicle crashes
673,200 persons injured 22% of crash injuries
7,400 persons killed 17% of crash fatalities
How Do Weather Events Impact Roads? - FHWA Road Weather Management
Weather-Related * 1,561,400 crashes 24% of vehicle crashes
673,200 persons injured 22% of crash injuries
7,400 persons killed 17% of crash fatalities
How Do Weather Events Impact Roads? - FHWA Road Weather Management
Jack_Berry
Moderator Emeritus
went from warren mi to goshen ny last wed. i 75 was bad and traffic actually moving cautiously if you can believe that. we were an hour late for the p-u due to weather. left at 1700 and got to ny at 0700. guy was flabbergasted that we were there so early. gps computer said 14 hrs at 49 mph. slow and steady was the phrase that paid.
left ny for a pa pu before their storm came in going to detroit. slow and steady again down i 81 and until the 242mm then 80 was clear. we both had a couple mini slides due to black ice but traveling slow was a saver.
week before we came out of miami when the storm came thru the mid atlantic states. we had time and called in to say we were gonna take a rest for 5 hrs and let the storm pass. dispatch said that sounded like a good idea. slow and steady again. arrived in woodhaven at 0230 sunday morn. slept until 8 and gave tst their frt.
you don't have to be a super trucker to go thru the snow, just a smart trucker. if you have problems call in and tell them it is not safe. what is dispatch gonna do transfer the load in bfe?
left ny for a pa pu before their storm came in going to detroit. slow and steady again down i 81 and until the 242mm then 80 was clear. we both had a couple mini slides due to black ice but traveling slow was a saver.
week before we came out of miami when the storm came thru the mid atlantic states. we had time and called in to say we were gonna take a rest for 5 hrs and let the storm pass. dispatch said that sounded like a good idea. slow and steady again. arrived in woodhaven at 0230 sunday morn. slept until 8 and gave tst their frt.
you don't have to be a super trucker to go thru the snow, just a smart trucker. if you have problems call in and tell them it is not safe. what is dispatch gonna do transfer the load in bfe?
arrbsthw
Expert Expediter
Here is a good reason to shut down in snow and sleet.
One of the trucks that work where I do took this load.
It wasn't their fault, but a car that skidded out of control and hit them broadsided.
Now they are out of work, truck screwed up, $40,000+ damage
3 good reasons.
YouTube - ABC 36 News Morning
One of the trucks that work where I do took this load.
It wasn't their fault, but a car that skidded out of control and hit them broadsided.
Now they are out of work, truck screwed up, $40,000+ damage
3 good reasons.
YouTube - ABC 36 News Morning