First Snow, Frozen Rain, Sleet And Blowing Snow All In One

Also I've never received any push back from my dispatcher or the higher ups about calling off.

You did the right thing by shutting down if you felt the need to. There will always be drivers willing to risk it. The past few days have been crazy in this area. For anyone familiar with the area I live a few miles away from the I-35/U.S. 20 interchange in Iowa. The area got hit with freezing rain Thursday morning. Just south of here it was just rain. Froze up real quick and accidents started happening real quick, there were atleast 3 wrecks in a 10 mile stretch that blocked the interstate , even had some on the off ramps. Watch the video of this Pileup on ramp. Friday late afternoon it started again and had it for a good 8 hours or so. Had about an inch of snow that fell on top of that. Had a semi blow by me on my way into work 2am Saturday. A few miles down the road I see tire tracks indicating someone started fish tailing and sure enough a couple more miles down the road I end up passing that truck as he's just creeping along. Ended up working out great that I sat for nearly 4 hours waiting on our warehouse by the time i got rolling roads were treated and I was able to do the speed limit to Dubuque. Talked to my brother up in the Minneapolis area and he said they picked up over 18 inches of snow Thursday thru Saturday. It's a mess but I'd take that over freezing rain any day.

It's almost always more beneficial to wait it out. Not only is it safer but you're burning up your clock to earn less for much more stress. Many people like to look at things as an hourly rate, so if you make 50 CPM and are able to do 65 you'll have made $32.50 for an hour of driving. If you're out there in crap weather only managing to do 30 mph you'll have only managed to earn $15 for an hour. Driving in inclement weather is indeed part of the job but you need to be smart about it. If you're shutting down for an inch of snow is far different than high winds and freezing rain. Often times, like the example I mentioned above with waiting 4 hours, you'll be able to make better time and ultimately turn more miles by the end of the week by being smart about it.

Don't worry about shutting down. You'll likely encounter situations where you company will require all drivers in a certain area to shutdown. Also, take a look at this thread about Shutting down

I'll also throw this out there because it's about winter weather. When you get into the really cold weather you'll find your 5th wheel grease starting to get thick and not work as well. I hit the kingpin harder and physically push the release arm in even harder AND climb underneath to visually inspect the jaws are fully closed which we should all be doing anyways. Also, pay attention to where you're fueling and if it's treated. You may fuel down south with fuel that isn't treated, take a load north and have your fuel gel up. When you shut down for the night do not set your trailer brakes. You'll get ready to start your day and your brakes could be frozen requiring you to climb down there in the snow (and God knows what else in the truck stop) and beat them with a hammer.

What thermometer were you using for the 34 reading? If it was the thermometer in your truck, it could be off. Become familiar with your truck thermometer. I know the thermometer inside my Cascadia usually reads 3-4 degrees above actual temp. So, a 34 degree reading would actually be below freezing. Even weather apps temperatures might be from weather stations 10-20 miles away, and might have a few degrees difference. If you were driving in the late afternoon or early evening, or night, with a 34 degree reading, the temp would most likely drop to below freezing quickly. If you will be driving in mountainous regions, elevation gain can quickly lower temperatures, sometimes 3-5 degrees per thousand feet. If the current temp is 34 degrees, it means that the previous night probably had below freezing conditions, and there might be ice on the roads that didn't completely melt, even if daytime temps rose into the forties. There is a general rule of thumb, that if the roads look wet, but you don't see spray coming from car and truck tires, it is probably ice. Even spray from tires might be water on top of ice. I have seen it snow in 36-38 degrees weather. Remember, it might be above freezing on the ground, but below freezing in the clouds where the precipitation started, and didn't have enough time to melt before falling to the ground. This wet snow can be especially slippery. I know that I have said much. But I guess what I really am just trying to say is that temps don't have to be below freezing for you to air on the side of precaution in anticipation of snow and ice.

You did the right thing. If you don't feel safe, shut it down. Remember that you always want to make it to your last stop (home). You did the right thing on trip planning, and planning on potential spots to shut it down, with contingent spots to shut down. Stay safe.