There have been times where I've pulled over, and checked myself. Thankfully, the times I've checked, the road was wet, but I've heard that you can be spraying and have slush on the road, meaning that it's trying to freeze.
Those trees in the fence line sometimes has a 'dry spot' on the road. That 'dry spot' is usually slicker than snot.

 

Our adoring public chimes in . .

Can't avoid jack-knifing? Don't be a truck driver - baltimoresun.com

"State police say there are a limited number of cases in which a tractor-trailer jackknifes while taking an emergency evasive action. But in most cases, they say, speed is the culprit."

"But at least we can enjoy the catharsis of sending a heartfelt statewide razzberry to those speeding, jackknifing truckers out there.

Phhhhhfffffffttttttt!"

 

The other day in Arkansas my trailer began going into the left lane....fortunately

it came back....I called safety dept and he said if I had of swatted a car it would have been

my Fault.

Its the same story every time...I get up at 0200 am to start my run....and I have no way of knowing if and where there is Ice on the road....

It always comes as a SUPRISE

 

you ARE kidding, yeah?

 

No, Kevin. My money would say he's not kidding in the least. At 2 AM, there is generally little traffic on the roads. Even if the salt shakers have gone through, traffic running over the road helps to work the salt in and through the snow and ice. Many times, the water you see on the road in daylight, will freeze at night when temps drop. And, at that time of the morning, if you are fortunate enough to have another vehicle in front of you, look at the road where those tires went over. If you can recognize tire tread marks in the surface, you'd better watch your P's and Q's very carefully. Those tread marks that stay there after the tires have passed, are a very sure sign that there is freezing on the road. It may be slush all the way to the blacktop, or it may be a layer of water and slush that has not yet frozen, on top of a layer of ice. Try walking on that, and you'll have a black and blue butt. But, with more than 2 wheels, you can't fall over... Right???

It actually depends on just how cold the weather has been the last few days. Below zero, and you have ice under you. Above freezing, and it's just slush. Don't know what the weather has been, DON'T TAKE ANY CHANCES. But, the guys that say: "We're putting up a spray, we're ok." are taking on a sucker's bet. (And, we do not have a smiley with large enough eyes to match yours when you realize you've lost the bet.)

 

No... I am very serious...

Thank heaven I wasn't hammering at 70 with the cruise set or it

could have been a bad deal.

These rigs spin out from under themselves in a very aggressive fashion if there is power

to the drive tires.

I cant wait for spring and summer :surrender:

PS:I am glad you guys mentioned 'Spray'...it apparently makes for nothing other than a very dangerous false sense of confidence in the road conditions.

 

To put it quite bluntly. There are quite a number of drivers that have found out just how much that spray really means. You don't hear them talk about on the CB, though. And, if they are on the road, it's in a 4-wheeler.

 

That plays a big part around here. Here lately, its been in the 40's/50's for a few days, and then we get more snow/rain/winter mix for a day or 2. Fortunately, the lows have only been in the low 30's. Since Christmas, we've had snow/rain/winter mix, atleast once a week. I cannot remember having a wet/snowy winter like this. Normally, we can get by with a long-sleeve shirt. As most everyone knows, I'm a local hand. I run linehaul to Lubbock and back. Thankfully, I've been able to get out there, and back on wet pavement. Out towards Lubbock, they've had more snow, but for the most part, the temps stay at, or a little above freezing.

 

I read the article and was shaking my head the whole time thinking they have no clue, when I got to the end and read about "scads of overtime paid " to truckers stuck in traffic I almost fell outta my frickin chair!

 

I finish my run about 0400 , that's just about the time the plow's and salters are getting serous about clearing the roads. Last winter I hit one spot where the snow was drifted on the road and was well past the bottom of my bumper. Many time's I've slowed to 20 on I90 and even then I'm passing others. It would be nice to drive days instead of nights!! Well time to go to work C-YA