{"id":1226,"date":"2020-11-11T22:03:04","date_gmt":"2020-11-11T22:03:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hiremaster.com\/trucking-news\/?p=1226"},"modified":"2020-11-11T22:03:05","modified_gmt":"2020-11-11T22:03:05","slug":"driving-in-winter-weather-sno-fun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hiremaster.com\/trucking-news\/other-news\/2020\/11\/11\/driving-in-winter-weather-sno-fun\/1226\/","title":{"rendered":"Driving in Winter Weather S’no Fun"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Veteran TLD driver makes it through his first snowfall of season, expects more to come<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

By Al Muskewitz<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first snow of the year usually gets those who don\u2019t have to be in it pretty excited. It certainly is something nice to look at when it first blankets the landscape and signals the upcoming holiday season is right around the corner.

But for over-the-road truck drivers like Buddy White, driving into the first falling snow of the year \u2013 well, any snow, really \u2013 is \u201ca dread.\u201d

White, an owner-operator contracted to TLD Logistics, ran through his first snow of the season earlier this week just south and east of Seattle. He likes to tell people he spends October to May in snow up to his knees as he drives a run between Omaha and Seattle.

In fact, he ran through an area just the day before that had gotten a heavy dose of the white stuff and had snow all over the ground. So, while he may be used to it, it doesn\u2019t mean he\u2019s a big fan, especially while he\u2019s driving as it\u2019s coming down.

\u201cI\u2019m in snow every year and it\u2019s so nice when there isn\u2019t any, but when there is, it\u2019s dangerous,\u201d White said as he was waiting to be loaded. \u201cI worry about people who are, one, not afraid of the snow and, two, people who are too afraid of the snow. Either way is dangerous.\u201d

On this particular trip he was making his way east on I-90. Seattle was in his rearview mirror and Snoqualmie Pass was just outside the windshield. He knew snow was coming, but was hoping to get through the pass before sundown. It was still daylight when he got there, but it didn\u2019t matter. The snow came anyway.

Higher and higher he climbed the mountain and harder and harder the snow fell. Eventually, the road conditions forced him to call it a day some 300 miles sooner than where he wanted to stop. Fortunately, it was only a 15-mile turnaround to get back to the TA Travel Center to shelter for the night.

\u201cWhen I left North Bend the roads were wet and as I started to climb it started to snow harder and harder,\u201d White said. \u201cFinally the road was covered and I called my dispatcher and said that\u2019s it. I still had 2,000 more feet to go up and it\u2019s snowing like crazy; I\u2019m going to call it.\u201d

He knew it was right call because as soon as he did he reached an area where local chain laws were in effect. Trucks were lined up on the shoulder chaining up and White didn\u2019t want to be part of that scene.

\u201cI try to avoid that if I can,\u201d he said. \u201cIf it\u2019s bad enough I need to chain up, I need to stop.\u201d

Amazingly, and typical for the state, 16 hours later the roads were like it never even happened.
\u00a0
White lives by four basic rules for trucking success \u2013 don\u2019t bend anything, don\u2019t get written up for anything, be on time, do your paperwork. His philosophy on the bad weather is a lot like it is on rush-hour traffic: You\u2019d like to avoid it if possible, but if you\u2019re going to drive a truck, it\u2019s inevitable and you just have to get through it.

He admitted being caught a little off-guard on this latest ice-road trucker episode, but he does have a few tips for drivers to handle bad weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n