[GMAN]

Driving on icy roads is not for the faint of heart. You really take a chance. I usually stay off the roads when there is a lot of ice. Once you start sliding on ice in an 18 wheeler, it is difficult to recover. I am glad you made it through, Steve.

[tootie04]

Glad you are OK steve!! that looks worse than MO and OK....Pure ice is the worst. MO and OK had alot of sleet in it when we came through.

steve, when you loaded the copper did you go out AZ us 60?? We just came through there to load in Whiteriver AZ and it was just beautiful!! The canyon you have to drive through is breathtaking!!

tootie

[RostyC]

Steve, those pics are a little off kilt, next time use both hands, look through the viewfinder and steer with your knee. :lol:

Rev, nice a**, you been working out? :lol: :lol:

Yes, I'm pretty sure I came though 60. It was unbelievable and the road was perfect. I stopped so many times I think it took me 3 times longer to get there. The copper mine was a real trip also. Injecting acid into the ground and watching copper boil to the surface. What an operation.

Had a good day today and no problems with weather. I was in Arkansas not too long ago and they must have had tons of rain or something. Many places were flooded. It was weird to look into the woods and everything was covered in water like the trees just grew out of a lake. I'm about 40 miles outside Memphis right now shut down for the night.

Is 500 miles a day good or should I be doing more?

I was tooling along today and all of a sudden it sounded like my truck was falling apart and I could here all the nuts and bolts coming off my truck and hitting the undercarriage. I pulled off quick and checked it out and couldn't find anything. A driver asked if I was OK and I told him. He said it was ice coming off. I just got my truck washed and it froze. I started out again and heard it but this time I saw the ice flying off.

Ice storm going on back home in New Hampshire from what I understand. Lets see, I've had snow and ice so I have hurricane, tornado and floods to go.

I'm getting sick of making my bed, it's a pain in the rear. Not like making my bed at home, this is a royal pain. I think I'm going to buy 3 LL Bean sleeping bags then have them cleaned every time I get home. I'm a little freakish about a clean bed so one new clean on each week should do.

Time for a healthy Subway steak and cheese!!!

[hamboner]

40 miles outside Memphis? Steve you are in my neck of the woods! You are traveling on I-40 right?

[GMAN]

Steve, it depends on where you are driving as to whether 500 miles is good or not. If you are driving in the Southern or most of the Western states, it is probably a little low. If you are in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, then it isn't that bad. If you are doing 500 miles in the type of weather you are in, then you may be pushing it. I think most drivers will average between 2,500-2,700 miles per week. Some weeks they could do better, others not so many. If you divide 5 days into that you are in the ball park with what you are driving.

You just can't seem to get out of the snow. :P Perhaps some of it will clear before you get home. We are getting some really cold weather in Tennessee the next day or so. It is supposed to be around 30 tonight. BRRRRR!! OK, I suppose you New Englanders are used to it, but that is rather chilly for around these parts. Alright, we have now had our cold weather. I am ready for summer. :lol:

[serbie]

Originally Posted by GMAN

You just can't seem to get out of the snow. :P Perhaps some of it will clear before you get home. We are getting some really cold weather in Tennessee the next day or so. It is supposed to be around 30 tonight. BRRRRR!! OK, I suppose you New Englanders are used to it, but that is rather chilly for around these parts. Alright, we have now had our cold weather. I am ready for summer. :Lil:

Gman, it's true... we New Englanders are a Lil more used to the temps winter brings. :wink:

Steve... I'm not sure how far you've made it, but if your back, you already know you probably lost power, and or have a tree in your front yard! :shock: :shock:From what the local news has stated Merrimack was one of the worst hit areas. That system that moved across the country hit SNH, and Central NH pretty good, upwards of 22k-25k with out power. Take it slow and easy on the slick stuff, it's easy to get a big head when you traverse some nasty conditions in a truck and get away with out a scratch. But getting into an a sticky situation well leave a mark that I'm sure takes a long time to go away.

Not yelling or preaching, just want to see ya be safe. Don't be afraid, or shamed to stay put if ya have to

Yes, I'm on Rt 40. I do need to learn what sub zero means. I left my truck running last night and woke up sweating bullets. I usually sleep with the engine off up to like 0 degrees but I guess sub zero means just below 32.
It's all relative you know. GMAN, you may be cold at 25 and to us that means spring is coming. If it's 75 I have the A/C on full and dying of the heat so it goes both ways.

The difference between Texas, other states and New Hampshire is that ice is a fact of life and we have the trucks, salt and sand to deal with it in minutes. It just doesn't make sense for those southern states to invest the money in all this equipment and manpower when it's rare that this sort of thing happens. In New England you know it's really bad when the sand/salt trucks are driving backwards to spray down the sand for there own traction!!!! I have a Mustang GT with 4 mean studded snow tires and that is the ONLY way to go. I can out do any 4 wheel drive who doesn't have studs. Thanks to the Canadians for doing the research and coming up with new studs about 10 years ago. They are pretty cool. The studs are smooth to the touch and flush with the tire but as centrifugal force builds up they stick right out and bite! I can throw a rooster tail 15 feet in the air. I demonstrated for the DOT before Donner's Pass and they let me through.

I hear ya GMAN, I figured 500 was a little low for yesterday since it was clear sailing for some time. Now I feel guilty for shutting down early, taking a nap, getting the truck washed and taking a walk. I hope today is sort of the same, it was nice yesterday just cruising along.

Originally Posted by serbie

Not yelling or preaching, just want to see ya be safe. Don't be afraid, or shamed to stay put if ya have to

Yup, I hear ya.

On another note I forgot. I'm going along yesterday with the cruise control on then all of a sudden everyone starts yelling "BRAKE CHECK". I'm thinking what a bunch of losers, I'm not going to check my brakes now, this must be some fun they do to freak out 4 wheelers. Well, 2 seconds later I'm yelling "BRAKE CHECK" when I put 2 and 2 together.

I'm sort of glad it happened. I was forced to really push on the pedal this time. I didn't lock it up but was impressed that I had a lot more brakes than I thought I did. Not like power brakes, you just need to push harder.

[geomon]

Steve wrote:

Thanks to the Canadians for doing the research and coming up with new studs about 10 years ago. They are pretty cool. The studs are smooth to the touch and flush with the tire but as centrifugal force builds up they stick right out and bite!

Growing up in Northern Indiana where we had lake effect snow every winter, we had a '73 International Travelall with studded snow tires. That heay beast could go thru (and over) anything. I believe those snow tires were outlawed a while ago.