Update at the end
Edited – changed “were” to “weren’t” in the first paragraph.
We all know that this is the time of the year where the idiots are going to come out to shine and those who weren’t made for this life are going to figure it out real fast. Yep, it’s the snowy season. And here’s a little story for you.
Talked to a friend yesterday about a trip plan. They ended their day in Salt Lake City, headed for Sacramento. They said they were going to wake up early this morning and head out and try and get over Donner before the end of the day because “they didn’t want to be waiting around in California. The sooner they got there, the sooner they could get back out”. I advised them at least three times to shut their truck down in Sparks Nevada, and then hit Donner with a fresh clock, a full nights sleep, and plenty of daylight. They would not listen.
So where are they now?
they are on the south end of Lake Tahoe, with an hour left on their clock, pulled over in a chain area, panicking because they don’t know if they will have enough time to chain up and get back down the mountain. Once again, I advised them, just park the truck, wait until the plows get the roads cleared and the chain law gets lifted. I advised them not to use chains to get into a freaking mess, and if they have safe parking, stay put. As of now, they’ve decided to disregard my advice once again. I did not say a word, because it’s their truck, they are the captain.
I’ve been on a bit of a rant lately with some truckers I know about the importance of trip planning, and win to know that you are about to bite off more than you can chew. So I will end this little post by saying this –
drivers, if you don’t know how to trip plan. If you don’t know how to drive defensively. And if you don’t know how to call your dispatcher up and say that you are going to be late because your safety is not worth risking the current road conditions, it’s going to be a rough winter.
Update –
The driver in question was approached by DOT before they could even start chaining their truck up. They manage to talk their way out of a ticket, because, as another driver pointed out, they were not even on a truck route. DOT gave them a free pass, and it probably helps that they were female, the driver I mean, but they were explicitly instructed to turn their rig around and go straight back to Nevada and stay there until the mountain opened up.
They started asking me what I thought about trying to get over the mountain the next day, with the chain law in affect as it is, and I stopped engaging with them, because I am not contributing to that madness.
guys, I’m gonna say it again. Do not let your ego and desire to make a paycheck at all costs keep you from using your good sense. There is no load or paycheck that is worth your life, or the life of anybody else that you might kill making arrogant decisions. Nobody out here has anything to prove to anybody else, and if you’re going to have that little boy “I’m tougher than everybody else” attitude, please do everyone a favor, and hang up your keys.
