Run It Or Wait It Out?

Yikes Pack,that's dayyum cold brrrrrr! LOL Here, coldest it gets is,typically 69-70 nightly. They bundle up sleeping, like it's -0 and say " ooo I'm cold" hahaha I tell em ya'll dunno what REAL cold IS! I'm always in shorts n T's and no covers, usually have a fan on lol

You ALL stay safe out there on them roads, I sure don't miss winter driving !!! My very worst experience, 2nd winter driving in 2020, was with 2nd co driver up north on I-80. Was my night drive, we came in from Utah to Wyoming headed east. Just my luck I got caught in a late night blizzard, snow blowing across the highway out of the north. Visibility got down to barely able to see, we were a bit lite in the box, 15k or so.

I tried exiting every chance I got, but no luck, every place, it was packed with trucks & NO place to safely park. I was driving slowwww too 15-25 mph mostly, following in the tracks left in the snow by others. Had a few trucks fly by me like it was nothing!! I was white knuckled, and doing my best to TRY to get a spot to stop. It took 160 miles, til I could finally park!

My co driver slept like a baby the whole time.

Yikes Pack,that's dayyum cold brrrrrr! LOL Here, coldest it gets is,typically 69-70 nightly. They bundle up sleeping, like it's -0 and say " ooo I'm cold" hahaha I tell em ya'll dunno what REAL cold IS! I'm always in shorts n T's and no covers, usually have a fan on lol

You ALL stay safe out there on them roads, I sure don't miss winter driving !!! My very worst experience, 2nd winter driving in 2020, was with 2nd co driver up north on I-80. Was my night drive, we came in from Utah to Wyoming headed east. Just my luck I got caught in a late night blizzard, snow blowing across the highway out of the north. Visibility got down to barely able to see, we were a bit lite in the box, 15k or so.

I tried exiting every chance I got, but no luck, every place, it was packed with trucks & NO place to safely park. I was driving slowwww too 15-25 mph mostly, following in the tracks left in the snow by others. Had a few trucks fly by me like it was nothing!! I was white knuckled, and doing my best to TRY to get a spot to stop. It took 160 miles, til I could finally park!

My co driver slept like a baby the whole time.

Yeah, this season change from a nice Autumn to Winter has been like, "Winter kicks in the door and says 'I hear ya'll been talking schyt again?!?' "

2359 on 22 December was fine. 0001 on 23 December....BAM!

My kid lives in Great Falls Montana, and he is already sick of the negative temps! He misses the "Balmy" Hamilton MT where there was maybe 15 days a year sub zero!

My kid lives in Great Falls Montana, and he is already sick of the negative temps! He misses the "Balmy" Hamilton MT where there was maybe 15 days a year sub zero!

This is my ninth winter driving, and hands down being the coldest I can remember covering such a wide area over the previous two weeks.

Good for you, Rob. I'm glad you're willing to step up and speak up for what's right. I would do what you did and sit it out. No amount of money is worth the dangers associated with that. Fortunately, FedEx has no problem shutting down and sending everybody out the next day. On Friday, they shut down everything going west because of the weather Ohio was getting.

I've driven in quite a bit of crap I shouldn't have and I'm confident in my abilities. HOWEVER it's everyone else around me that worries me even on clear days. For me, a blizzard warning is an immediate no go. Any other conditions I'll go out or bump my time back depending on the situation. It really bothers me the way they handle inclement weather like this. Last winter it was the same. Yes, loads need to be delivered. Most of the messages include something about safety being a priority, leave when you feel safe etc. But when you're sending so many messages about loads needing to be covered and such its sending mixed messages in my opinion. Last winter we had several newer drivers shocked that I refused to run in those conditions and they felt like they had no choice but to go out. In fact I was told "how do you get your pants on with b***s that big." I will always give 100% when I'm working BUT I will not jeopardize safety to do so. As a CDL holder it's ultimately our responsibility since we're behind the wheel. If I go out and involved in a major accident most companies will wipe their hands clean and say "we told him leave when he feels safe we didn't force anyone to go out." Despite many messages trying to get guys to get out there. It's nothing personal towards management. It's about protecting my CDL and livelihood. Other than their mindset on this I'm quite happy where I'm at. I'm sure at some point I'll be met in the yard by someone from management wanting to discuss it. I really don't care. I'm still contemplating filing a complaint with the FMCSA because in my opinion it is harassment and coercion for not running in unsafe conditions, which the regulations in place protect the driver and make it the drivers call to go/no go. However, I also don't want to put a target on my back. Who knows, we'll see what transpires in the near future.

They were still trying to cover loads today so around 10am i called and said I'd take a short run since they were offering an additional $300 for anyone working extra and roads were almost normal. Battery in my truck was completely dead so I had to use another guy's truck. Worked 6 1/2 hours and made $600. They called me on my way back and asked if I was interested in working extra tomorrow for another $300 extra as they tried to cover 5 more loads but I have other commitments.

Sorry you're having to deal with them being like that. While my DM and TM are good, they will push but not like they are you.

One game they play consistently is to dispatch me on loads into a storm without consulting me or preplaning it. Then they don't respond to messages and calls, sort of an ostrich head in the sand technique.

As is the case with a load they just put on me, Denver to rapid city SD. We have another round of snow n wind coming in tomorrow am. The load itself is doable, it's usually 44k, heavy. But the back haul is usually a 5k load back down through Wyoming.

I won't do the back haul. And I figured they'd try to run me into a storm again, as they need the loads covered, so I played chess with it. I have to have my truck looked at for a sensor, I also could use a 34, this way I'll skip the bad load, get the repair done and get paid for the 34. If they had been wise, they would have not dispatched me on a load, as a result, they will be paying for me to relax since I'm under load and the repairs are mandatory.

I planned for this a few days ago, it allowed me to get two more runs in on the week by postponing the repair til i got to denver. Now I may run the rapid city anyway if they give me a heavy load out to AL again as way out of there. It gives me options.

Rather than head on confrontation, I prefer to negotiate and orchestrate ways around turning down a load if possible.

There's an unspoken narrative that they will consistently push the high producing safe drivers into the storms. I've had a dm tell me that we're the only ones that will get the loads done safely in those times, so there's a give and a take with it. Unfortunately from the sounds of it, your company seems a bit more dictatorial whereas mine prefers manipulation and subterfuge.

Senior you may keep that weather. I’ve done my share and won’t unless there is a really big green carrot attached.

Like last week I took a load to Staten Island NY. They made it very well worth my while to do so. Weather there wasn’t bad at all.

I’m the first to admit I’m spoiled, lol.

There's enough Case law on this topic for Rob to be ok. I'm sure his employer knows this and that's why that backed off. While they can't force him to go out, once an employee decides to go out that decision lives and dies with them.

FMCSA says

Under this section, the driver is clearly responsible for the safe operation of the vehicle and the decision to cease operation because of hazardous conditions.

I was in KS driving 200 miles to Omaha on Friday. I got 60 miles and shut it down. The next day i tried again... wind knocked me too close to a bridge. I shut it down. Yesterday I parked in Percival 40 miles away.

Here is what happened this weekend:

Wind scared the crap out of me.

My truck wouldnt go into reverse from the cold.

When snow stopped falling, the blown wind cause zero visibility.

My truck stopped idling when i was sleeping and refused to regen.

The cat's water froze solid in her bowl

After 3 hours of keeping the engine on and hitting the override switch, i finally got the truck warm enough to regen.

The reefer died and refused to start. I jumped it from the truck battery

Within 5 miles of the pickup, the reefer started coding "vapor start error". I got it cleared.. got loaded and then it coded again.

I stopped at 2 truck stops that werent even open.

My hot chocolate nearly froze before I got back to the truck.

I said "I am not moving. I am safely parked. Will update you later."

There's enough Case law on this topic for Rob to be ok. I'm sure his employer knows this and that's why that backed off. While they can't force him to go out, once an employee decides to go out that decision lives and dies with them.

FMCSA says

Under this section, the driver is clearly responsible for the safe operation of the vehicle and the decision to cease operation because of hazardous conditions.

I have no regrets over my decision my any means. I did quite a bit of research into this after last years storm and even sought advice from our DOT Enforcement, the state OSHA office, and FMCSA. By the time I realized I was disciplined (points) for refusing to run it was past the time anybody could do anything. After looking over my previous correspondence with said agencies I can't claim STAA as I called in before the first snow flake fell. If I called in after it began I'd have a case. Even though other states that were getting it were in rough shape and southern IA was terrible, where our yard is along with my destination the storm hadnt started yet. The storm was expected to start in Des Moines between 10 and 11pm and quickly move across the state. My depart time was 2am so I called in about 8pm and went to bed. Even though the storm and conditions were forecast for nearly a week, because the conditions weren't currently present STAA doesn't provide protections in my situation.

However, regs protect a driver from refusing to run in dangerous conditions. When all the texts started coming about wanting drivers to cover routes while travel was not advised for much of the state, even though they included at the end to leave when comfortable the frequency and volume of messages comes across as harassment or coercion.

I'm glad you were able to manage Kearsey. That sounds like an absolutely terrible experience. Up until this past week we haven't experienced winter. Is it spring yet?

Kearseys experience brings me to something worth mentioning. When you're in a daycab you have far less options to stop and stay safe in inclement weather. Sure you can stop at a hotel but often times those right off the highway are places that appear to be so dirty I wouldn't want to be anywhere around it. For the route I would have driven across I80 there's only 3 motels in the first 100, with only 1 being something I'd be ok with (exit 201 Brookyln next to Pilot) There's quite a few in a Coralville/Iowa City that would be decent then nothing for another 50 miles until Walcott/Davenport. It's far more difficult to weather a storm in a daycab by shutting down early.