Texas TORNADO
 

First of all, how have the drivers that found themselves in the Great State of Texas fair yesterday?

The news media is full of video clips of 53' trailers being lifted hundreds of feet in the air. I suspect that's what happened in VA last year, but no videos. It's amazing to see the trailers airborn to that height, knowing how heavy they are. And, only a few injuries... Excellent survival, fantastic footage, but have any of our own suffered any damage in all that?

All I know is Schiender is going to be going to Wabash and going we will be needing about 500 new ones PLEASE.

I've seen a loaded tanker get taken off the road before (in Texas) and land upside-down. Driver was taken to the hospital with pretty serious injuries. I've ducked tornadoes dancing within a quarter mile of me, and my tarps torn to shreds. I have no doubt that whole rigs have been air-borne before, but this is the first time I've seen videos of it. It would make sense that the ones that went the highest were MT, but it's still amazing to see 15,000 pounds get taken a couple of hundred feet into the air.so easily. really awesome, with all the destruction, no one was killed and just a few injuries.

Somehow, I don't think Schneider will be the only company looking to replace trailers. Great Dane, Utility, and the rest will be working overtime to supply the demand.

What was amazing was to be watching the broadcast live and seeing the trailers popping into the air!!

And in the U.K drivers fret and fuss about running empty with a curtain sider. Bugger! Being blown over is one thing but blown in stratosphere is something else....**** that with a capital F, DON'T ever offer me no jobs in Texas :-)

It's not just Texas over here wot. :cool:

A year ago the Southeastern part of the US was destroyed by tornado after tornado all day and night long. There was no where to run and hide with it happening over such a large area. That was a long night for me, tornado warnings going off every 10-15 minutes all night here in Virginia.

Sod that for a game of soldiers! Squeezing low loaders around 16th century streets built for horse and cart was more my game. Bloody glad I am in academia now and trucks are thing of past for me. You boys over there have guts! Take my hat off to you all

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...10/tallyho.gif
Wot !!
(ouch... me bloody academia nuts) :)

That killer storm a month ago that brought those tornado's through the south, reached up here, and dumped 20" of wet snow on us overnight.
The weight of that snow brought down hundreds of trees all over the area, taking out power and cable lines, and smashing structures everywhere.
I lost a huge old Box Elder that busted up my deck and fence, fortunately missing my house. Power was out for days, but at least the temperatures didn't go below zero. Everywhere you went you saw trees torn and ripped up and the damage so wide spread. Things are now getting back to normal, but you still see the aftermath.

We've had a very mild winter outside of that storm. Mildest I can remember, and so we've been real fortunate this year. Sad to see the destruction so many in the south have had to face this year.

Where the hell do you find all those fantastic animations?
So funny

The weather makes our lives interesting here. In Dec, Jan, Feb, we have winter storms to face, is spring we get to see funnel clouds dancing anywhere in the country, and between July and Nov, we look forward to Hurricane season (and they're saying we should have fewer of them this year). I'd say we have the full year pretty well covered.

The CB in my truck had a weather alert in it. There were times that about the only thing you heard were all the warning from it. Problem was that they would tell you what counties were under a warning, but you had to stop and look at a map to see if you were in the path or behind it. There were times when I glanced at the map, threw it down, and mashed the peddle to get out of there.

Always bigger and better in Texas.... Those videos would make it look that way.....

The worst you could expect to face over here would be on the exposed sections of the M74(Running between Glasgow and Carlisle) where you could get hit by side winds of around 80-90 mph. Generally around two to three drivers killed each year by this(Quite often inexeperienced drivers who maintain their speed instead of slowing down). Whilst British drivers are very well qualified and amongst the best around, I doubt many would relish facing the weather conditions over there. Certainly not me, that's for sure.

And I shall tip my hat back at ya for that. Some of those roads are what we call goat paths that truckers here would not even attempt. They aren't wide enough for a Ford F-150 per Clarkson on Top Gear. Sheesh, look at your pic at the bottom of your posts, that's a super highway right there compared to some of your roads. ;)

I'm amazed that nobody was killed(last I heard) being that the Metroplex area was under the gun by those twisters.

Now, you know what he's being treated for..... TOO MUCH TIME ON HIS HANDS... He NEEDS to get back to work...

Laughter is still the best medicine. It does us all a bit of good as well.

Wait a minute... You've come up with some wild, off-the-wall stuff yourself. Nothing like these videos, but.....

Driving in Scotland, Wales or Ireland you have to be a master of single track roads(You would all adapt to it quickly enough I'm sure). That picture was taken on the only stretch of a road where there was sufficient room to open the door and get out of the cab. Road is near place called Llanedi in South West Wales and was an absolute bugger with anything longer than a tri-axle; unfortunately my boss's yard was at the end of it so it was a daily event for me :-(

On roads like that, THIS would seem far more appropriate..... (Don't know how well it would take the wind)
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kqTniVEhUac/Tbne48PzOMI/AAAAAAAABGM/e1KYpodwcvM/s1600/camper-bike.png

Full Time RV Road Warriors: Pedal Powered Trike Camper and Bicycle Camper

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(step-thunk swagger-swagger)
(wipes grease soaked chin)
(stinks of Easter honey-glazed Ham)

Gar Har HarRrrr... whar be the sail?? sez aye.
She'l take to the wind m8. Harrrh harrrrrrrer

And, in Texas, the ride would have been much higher and farther.....

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...and10/0268.jpg
(sheepishly looks both ways)
(takes a step back)
wimperrrr aye be waitin' for a slap aboot now... if aye were be to say that...
but nawt meee...

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...and10/0268.jpg
(leans in whispering)
(you can smell ...{snif-snif} .. fish...no...crabs)

aye wood say any Port in a storm ..Har Harrr
but that always gets me in trouble too..sez aye yar har

With something that narrow, having company would mean sleeping "one wide and two deep" like some of the old "match-box" sleepers in the old trucks. Would that get you in trouble too???????

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...and10/0268.jpg
(a breeze picks up... leans into the wind)

Garrh depends if they be stowaways... n' don't ask for Parrrlaaayyy sez aye! Garr Harr harrrrh