Wind Blows in Our Favor

[ATeam]

How Did You Fare in the Historic Winds?

Meteorologists are calling it "record breaking mid-latitude cyclone," "massive windstorm," "historic band of storms" and other such names. Whatever the name, Diane and I were happy to find ourselves on the right side of it.

We drove yesterday and today east on I-90, through Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and Minnesota, and enjoyed a howling tailwind the whole way with a noticeable bump in fuel economy. At some stops, the wind was so strong that we had to lean hard into it just to walk.

As glad as we were to see it, we felt bad for the truckers driving the other way. The fuel costs of headwinds exceed the benefits of tailwinds. It could not have been fun driving west against the wind.

 

[moose]

No it ws not !

 

[danthewolf00]

was not fun coming up i-75 thru ga,tn,and ky to ohio

 

[Dakota]

I was going south from Findlay, Ohio to Wapakoneta, Ohio and experienced an E1 Tornado in Cridersville, Ohio. Very scary. I felt my truck lifting off the ground slightly while sitting on the shoulder. I had nowhere to go

came to find out it knocked down a half dozen houses within a mile from where I sat, I thank God I am still here and alive.

 

[cheri1122]

It was pretty blustery [as Winnie the Pooh said, from the tree he got blown into] when I fueled in Beaverdam yesterday, and the tornado siren was screaming - but the tv didn't interrupt the commercials to explain the 'tornado warning' banner crawling across it!

 

[Dakota]

It was pretty blustery [as Winnie the Pooh said, from the tree he got blown into] when I fueled in Beaverdam yesterday, and the tornado siren was screaming - but the tv didn't interrupt the commercials to explain the 'tornado warning' banner crawling across it!

was that Beaverdam, Oh? I was in that area before the storm hit

 

[cheri1122]

Yep, Ohio - is there another one?
Drove east from Indy, was wondering how much worse it would have been without AirTabs....
Then I went to lunch and the bookstore with my daughter in Cleveland, where it was just a torrential downpour, lol.

 

[Dakota]

Yep, Ohio - is there another one?
Drove east from Indy, was wondering how much worse it would have been without AirTabs....
Then I went to lunch and the bookstore with my daughter in Cleveland, where it was just a torrential downpour, lol.

I didn't know if there was another Beaverdam or not LOL

 

[shrek120]

drove through it from south of chicago to neenah wisconsin then back to bolt term in toledo today just missed the racine tornado. it was hell trying to stay on the road. Also missed by a few miles tornado reports near dallas TX this past weekend. Now headed home on a bus because my wife had a miscarriage wed morning.

 

[bluejaybee]

Re: How Did You Fare in the Historic Winds?

We drove yesterday and today east on I-90, through Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and Minnesota, and enjoyed a howling tailwind the whole way with a noticeable bump in fuel economy. At some stops, the wind was so strong that we had to lean hard into it just to walk.

I just knew you were going to say you had to stop and remove all the fuel you were saving!

 

[nightcreacher]

Re: How Did You Fare in the Historic Winds?

Meteorologists are calling it "record breaking mid-latitude cyclone," "massive windstorm," "historic band of storms" and other such names. Whatever the name, Diane and I were happy to find ourselves on the right side of it.

We drove yesterday and today east on I-90, through Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and Minnesota, and enjoyed a howling tailwind the whole way with a noticeable bump in fuel economy. At some stops, the wind was so strong that we had to lean hard into it just to walk.

As glad as we were to see it, we felt bad for the truckers driving the other way. The fuel costs of headwinds exceed the benefits of tailwinds. It could not have been fun driving west against the wind.

on 27th I was one of those poor people going west to Washington,35000 lbs and 4 mpg,much better co back up to 7 mpgming back east

 

[Steady Eddie]

I didn't know if there was another Beaverdam or not LOL

Beverdam, WI

 

[highway star]

Beaverdam, Ky.

 

[WestSide]

"And neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, nor the winds of change...."

I just wonder if the USPS creed applies to expediters, or if weather is ever an acceptable reason for late deliveries...

 

[ATeam]

"And neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, nor the winds of change...."

I just wonder if the USPS creed applies to expediters, or if weather is ever an acceptable reason for late deliveries...

In expediting, bad weather that puts you, your truck and/or your cargo in danger is ALWAYS an acceptable reason for late deliveries. If you feel that you cannot safely proceed because of bad weather, the right thing to do is stop and notify dispatch of your situation. If you feel you can safely proceed but at a slower pace, the thing to do is slow down and notify dispatch.

Diane and I have been in bad weather many times but have never once felt pressured to proceed beyond a pace that we deemed safe. We usually make it through OK but when we have had to stop, dispatch has always backed us up.

Delivery, schmelivery. Safety takes priority. ALWAYS.

 

[greg334]

Yea Phil maybe in your world but in many other FedEx worlds it is a bit different. One LG load it was snowing so frickn' bad that I had to pull over and called Dispatch to tell them I am going to wait for a few hours. I got a dispatcher who said "you have to deliver it regardless how bad it is snowing or we will terminate your contract for a non-delivery".

That one was proceeded by the incident where I stopped to rest on a distressed load and was dinged with a late delivery which I had to argue with the CC over it because she was too dense who said that I should have refused the load if I was going to need to take a rest.

Oh yep safety first.

 

[davekc]

The driver has to make that first decision not the carrier or the customer. There is no load worth crashing over.
A carrier or customer that would make that insistence on one of my trucks in unsafe conditions would find their freight sitting in the parking lot.
Any comment after that, they would not have to worry about cancelling a contract. I am surprised that the Fed would insist on something like that.