strong winds question
 

When you're fighting strong side winds with empty or lightly loaded trailer will simply slowing the truck down prevent you from turning over?
Or is it better to just stop and park?
I'm not talking about hurricane force winds of course,but I heard like 30 or 40 mph gusts can turn a truck over.
And again I also heard lot of these turnovers are caused by over correction of the driver.

I have a lot of questions I'm trying to learn as much as I can about this job,thanx for y'alls great advice I've got on here so far.

I have been in some pretty heavy crosswinds. When you are driving out west, gusts can come up all of a sudden with no warning and broadside your truck. It can really rattle your cage, so to speak. If you are not paying attention it would be very easy to over correct or lose control of your truck. Some areas have wind socks alongside interstate highways to alert drivers to the unseen danger. Some states, such as Wyoming, will close roadways when winds become too fierce. Wyoming can have some very strong crosswinds.

I agree with GMan, they can and will sneak up on you. Slowing down will certainly help, but what's always the safest thing to do when in doubt is to park it.

GMAN said it, a good stiff cross wind gust can scare the crap out of you. It's like getting slapped with a concrete wall. The natural reaction is to over correct and I'm willing to bet more rollovers are caused by over reacting as opposed to the wind actually flipping the truck, although I'm not saying that doesn't happen.

Yeah, love that WY wind. It took me two days to get across there last week because of road closures and now I have to turn around and go back that way tomorrow.

Always slow down in heavy crosswinds and have a good grip on the steering wheel. Anticipate any changes that may happen and keep your distance away from other vehicles.

I will not drive in hurricane force winds at any time, regardless of weight. You just take to much of a chance of a screw up and ending up in the ditch.

Evertrucker, I too was stuck in that wind storm in Wyo last week, fierce winds and icy roads do not a good road make.

Be safe.

Watch the truck in front of you, in high winds if he makes a sudden movement left or right be ready for the same gust. So you don't over correct.

It's not just out west, just the other night on Hwy 17 in NY I was East bound coming down a small grade about 55MPH with a car coming up behind and to the left of me, when all of a sudden a gust of wind hit me on the right side like a ton o bricks. The road at that point had some snow on it and my trl slide over into the left lane a little, the car decided not to pass me and followed me for about an hour :lol: That was just kinda of a freak thing made possible by the shape of the hills so watch out the hills can funnel the wind and really knock you fo a loop

When You see a truck rolled over that was not even moving, it's not a matter of over-correcting. It's a matter of the wind is that strong. Around Los Angeles, when the "SANTA ANNA's are blowing, you may find "SUSTAINED WINDS of 80 to 90 mph, and gusts over 120 mph.

On a snow-covered road, you may see your trailer blown over into the other lane, or off onto the shoulder, but on a dry road, or a road that is just wet, it is possible to see one side of the trailer coming up off the ground. At that point, I would seriously recommend that you park it. A gust may lift the other five wheels (the tractor) off the ground and turn you over, over correct or not. YES, the winds CAN get that strong.

30 to 40 mph winds should keep you from falling asleep at the wheel, 60 to 70 should be more than you want to challenge. And it's not just WY. It's also CA, MT, NE, AZ, NM, IL, IN, OH, and TX. Pardon the pun, but UT can give you a pretty good "blow job" too.

I know with a bullrack, it will not take as much wind as a dry van, so if it tracks more than a foot, park.
Park nose into the wind, that is the way your rig was made to take wind.

Just come drive in West Texas for a while. Here on the plains "Lubbock" I have seen the winds gust up to 80 mph, just here recently we where a sustained 30-40 with 60 mph gust. So Come drive down here where there's nothing to block the winds, then drop down into the canyons on your way to Dallas, and tast those crosswinds.

Is it better to be heavy (loaded) or light in windy conditions?

I pulled doubles and the old hands swore it was better to loaded than empty in those conditions.

I never really figured it out - I was so psyched out by the question.

I do remember crossing Wyoming and getting thrown into the hammer lane by the wind. Just luck, no one was there - they would have been wiped into the grassy median. The entire truck 'scrubbed' into the opposite lane - the steering wheel never moved :shock:. Blue skies, middle of the afternoon, no noticeable wind, until that incident.

Some guys in a 4-wheeler that saw it happen passed me with dropped-jaws and eyes as big as pancakes. Crazy.

From My Experience, It is better to be Loaded. I drove a Dry Van, and like I stated befor, west Tx is the worst place I have driven when it comes to winds.. I have seen unloaded or light loaded trailers in the other lane, while the tractor in it's lane.

But to tell the truth I only have 2 years under my belt, would have more but was injured. So there are a many more qualified drivers on this board that can give better advice than I.

Figure, if you're pulling a dry van, the surface area of the rig is the same, loaded or empty.

So, a 32,000 lb empty tractor-trailer is affected by the wind with the EXACT SAME FORCE as an 80,000 lb fully loaded one is.

the difference is the loaded one has more weight to be acted upon by the wind, so it will react less and hold it's line better.

You want to be HEAVY in windy conditions!

Dumb question.....Are empty flatbeds or flatbeds with low center of gravity loads subject to the same abuse the wind dishes out as a regular van trailer?

I would THINK the flatbed would be better off in the wind. :?:

EDITED: UNLESS of course, the wind scoops up underneath the trailer, and lifts it straight up into the air/into the other lane. WHOA!! :shock:

I tick a lot of drivers off in high wind. Going through Montana about 2 months ago the cb weather band said winds of 40-is, with gusts much higher. Lot of crap talking on the CB. What they don't realize is my trailer (moving van) has a dop deck and belly boxes, so very little (if any) wind can pass underneath. Slowing down makes you havier, per se.

Always listen to the weather band and tough it out if its moderate or park if its dangerous. Oklahoma is a bad place for rogue winds that can sneak up on you. Like GMan said, the west is notorious for gusts that are sudden and unexpected. if you fight a gust too hard you are a recipe for a roll over.

The difference between loaded or empty? That's easy.

Look at the difference between a baloon and a rock in the wind. It's a bit more exagerated, but the same effect.

Okay this may be stupid question and Not to belittle the size of a rig ...but I guess it is much the same as handling A high center of gravity vehical ...like a Jeep or SUV ...too much compensations sets you up and cases a whiplash or fishtail effect ???

Shawn

Its kinda like being 200lbs and a 300lb guy is trying to push you over. Its better to go the opposite direction and get away or else the inevitable will happen.

Anyone know how an empty and a loaded tanker handle in high winds (30mph) and above do they handle better than a box??

I don't think you'll have issues in wind with a tanker cause the wind should go around the trailer. Atleast that is what I've heard from a tanker driver and thought it was interesting myself.

pulled a tank and never had a problem with the wind.... it may give a bit but all in all its good to pull in the wind. flats were generally the same unless it was a 13'6" load of insulation then it blew.