Discretion Is The Better Part Of Valor

Longtime friends here know I teach people to learn to be productive. It's how you make money in this business.

There's a caveat that I want to point out today. Your safety has to be part of your calculations. Reducing risk while being as productive as possible is very important for your longevity in this business.

Trucking can be, and is dangerous at times. The gambler, or risk taker, knows when to hold 'em, and when to fold 'em. I folded my hand this morning. I was slowly moving east on I-70 at Effingham, IL. Twice my truck acted like it wanted to jack knife. This was at 25 mph. I was able to bring it back in line by letting off the throttle and begging God to help me get off the interstate.

I'm parked and stress free at the T/A - exit 160. I told my dispatcher it was just too risky. He simply said, "Dale, I trust your judgement. In ten years I can't recall you ever doing this. I know it's really bad if you're parking your truck. Take it easy, and call me tomorrow. I'm really proud of you for making this choice."

You don't have to force yourself to do stupid things out here. Being safe is not being lazy. I'm wanting to move so bad it's like a fire in me. But the conditions on the interstate are not conducive to productivity. Things can change in just a day or two. This time, I decided to wait it out.

Glad you made it safe. I know we share similar backgrounds in construction, and staying put is something that wasn't done in that industry. It's one of the hardest things for me to do as well. I spent most of Sunday parked due to high winds.

A Friend of mine sent me a picture of one of our trucks on its side a while back. I always keep that picture in my mind.

29 from the Iowa / Missouri line to Kansas city looked like a junkyard with all the trucks and cars in the ditches. I ran through there yesterday on my way to Joplin for a delivery in a few hours and really don't understand why it happens. This winter event didn't sneak up on anyone, it was predicted for a few days out, yet drivers still want to risk it, rather than park and give the road crews the chance to do their job. It's every winter though so I can't say that I'm surprised.

I pulled out this morning and the roads were in great shape. Sometimes the smartest thing to do in really bad weather is to just give it 24 hours. During the time I was parked, moisture quit falling, and the road crews had time to catch up with the work that needed to be done.

Robert, you made me chuckle. Each winter we see these apocalyptic looking stranded vehicles in the median and the ditches. It's almost always following a storm they've been warning about for a week. Wake up everybody - pay attention!

I hope you all stayed safe during this latest winter blast.

I'm from Buffalo, the heart of the snowbelt, and I always took great pride in handling terrible roads in the winter. I mean, what choice did I have most of my life, right?

So, I didn't pull off the Interstate for bad weather all that often, but I didn't hesitate when I knew it was time. Here's why.

One of the fondest memories I have from childhood is the bright, sunny, cold days following big snowstorms. Man, did we have a blast! We knew after every storm, there would be days of cold but beautiful weather to build forts, go sledding, play hockey, and throw snowballs.

After a big storm, it almost always clears and produces beautiful weather. When I pulled off the road because the conditions were too tough, it was the coming sunshine that I was counting on to make up for lost time. It almost never failed me.

I pulled out this morning and the roads were in great shape. Sometimes the smartest thing to do in really bad weather is to just give it 24 hours.

Exactly.

So it wasn't about whether or not I could push through the bad weather because I almost certainly could. But was it worth it? It made no sense to risk pushing through the storm, knowing I would be flying along on dry roads with sunny skies soon enough.