How to drive when it is windy?

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Mystery_Per@reddit

Empty dry van? Park it if winds are over 30mph

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Tread lightly. Your engine pack is roughly 2,000lbs. Insulated walls on a ‘53 is maybe another thousand lbs and a full fuel tank. Slide your tandems all the way back (or what your comfortable with). That’ll only help with the unnerving slams from hard gusts and uncontrollable lane departures. You’re still gonna feel it in the tractor but it’s better this way because you are gonna keep more focus on what/who is around you. My go to only if I absolutely need to get somewhere. Anything over 35mph winds…I’m parking. Empty DV or Reefer.

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deltronethirty@reddit

I'd even try and squeeze between trucks at the truck stop. I've seen lone emptys taking a nap at the edge of the lot.

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P3tr0@reddit

I'm guessing it's a Van/Reefer? Over 40mph you're pushing your luck. Flatbed just roll

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carnegie121@reddit (OP)

What is your safe wind speed zone while empty?

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P3tr0@reddit

With any van trailer once I feel inclined to go below 50 I start looking for parking. With the skateboard I tend to hold out a bit longer as I don't feel the effects unless it's a head on kinda wind.

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deltronethirty@reddit

When the tumbleweed starts passing you, I shut it down.

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Nobod34ever@reddit

I hit a storm last year on the texas coast and the rain was passing me at 55, didn't even need my wipers.

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deltronethirty@reddit

Seen some sleet slowly hover on the windshield and build up inches on the hood when I matched speed with the storm. Sturgis in early June. Wild.

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Dchane06@reddit

You could say that again.

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deltronethirty@reddit

When the tumbleweed starts passing you, I shut it down.

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Dchane06@reddit

You could say that again.

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Crafty_Walk7858@reddit

🤣

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deltronethirty@reddit

When the tumbleweed starts passing you, shut it down.

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Dchane06@reddit

You could say that again.

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carnegie121@reddit (OP)

Reefer

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Sad_Gur_3310@reddit

Curtain sides are amazing in Winston weather when empty, just open that fucker up and strap Them curtain to the front 😁

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WillBilly_Thehic@reddit

Slide tandems to the rear but I wouldnt roll empty with 50mph wind

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carnegie121@reddit (OP)

What about 30?

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WillBilly_Thehic@reddit

Thats pushing it but it should be fine, the big thing is gust speed, but you should be able to feel that shits going south before you actually end up on your lid and don't be afraid to put your foot down if you don't feel safe. Also reduce speed and watch for bridges and tunnels. What I do is run at night if the wind is bad, usually a few hours after dusk it will die down.

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More_Bicycle8675@reddit

At 50+ gusts and empty ? Park it nose or ass in the wind

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Winter-Laugh-2533@reddit

Google wind chart. Some companies give it out and it tells u what weight, wind and gusts u can handle

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xxenoscionxx@reddit

Depends on your weight , if your heavy it’s not so bad but empty or light you could be pushed over. I would definitely nope out if your 50k or less.

Go slow and remember to relax your grip and stretch your hands every once in a while. I absolutely hate the wind. It’s my least favorite condition.

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carnegie121@reddit (OP)

Would drive empty reefer with 35 mph gust?

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xxenoscionxx@reddit

Ya, but slowly. It’s not gonna knock you over but it’s not gonna be a relaxing experience. I would be going probably 55-60 mph , am a pussy though. My driver trainer would go max 65 but the stability you get from 5 mph less really helps the nerves lol

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unftp-0@reddit

I’ve driven in 40mph wind gusts empty reefer. Just slide tandems, it only helps you with more control. Though I was driving through Dallas TX and it was rush hour so most of the time I was going slow, just wanted to escape the city to shut down lol

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carnegie121@reddit (OP)

What was your speed when you were empty reefer? I have empty reefer as well

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Beginning-World-1235@reddit

Laughs in my flatbed. Cry’s when tarping

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realmeverified@reddit

Slide your axles all the way to the rear, that will help a lot.

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carnegie121@reddit (OP)

I posted that when I already drop my load 75k pounds I’ll definitely do that. Thanks

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Fair_Replacement3907@reddit

51? The roads still open driver! Why aren't you at your Pickup already? You should be at your pickup and halfway to your delivery already.- Dispatch.

51 mph gusts with an empty trailer I'd park it driver. No freight in this world is borrowing accident.

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carnegie121@reddit (OP)

I posted that when I already drop my load 75k pounds

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CryptoSp4de@reddit

Fucking slow af. 35 had me at 40. But that 51 and you’re empty Is ugly I’d park it. Super truckers will say send it and the wind will send you.

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Waisted-Desert@reddit

"You gotta go faster so your truck cuts the wind in half!" -Supertrucker

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PnuttButtaGuts@reddit

Driving 70mph into a 40mph headwind means you’re really only going 30mph

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Ok_Pack_5136@reddit

The math doesn’t check out there. If you’re driving 70mph you’re going 70mph.

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Ok_Pack_5136@reddit

The math doesn’t check out there. If you’re driving 70mph you’re going 70mph.

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Claim_Alternative@reddit

30mph at 1.5mpg LOL

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carnegie121@reddit (OP)

Would you drive with 20 steady with 36 gust wind?

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TheTallestTales@reddit

I slow down to that speed if I suddenly find myself in high winds and I'm empty. If it's too strong, I don't drive at all. Got blown out of my lane once, and it scared the shit out of me. If someone had been next to me, my trailer would have smacked them hard.

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CryptoSp4de@reddit

Yeah if you gtta go but 20 you’re getting nowhere fast

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Salt_Bus2528@reddit

Add the wind speed to your running speed? I chicken out around 50. And don't really care about anything below 15. I have nothing to base this off of other than how concerned I feel about being dragged out of my lane.

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W1D0WM4K3R@reddit

Then the rest of us will watch when someone's dash cam inevitably ends up here with OP in the ditch

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Nero-Danteson@reddit

windspeed chart

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l337manic@reddit

This needs to be at the top

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Nero-Danteson@reddit

One of the moderators posted a weather advisory link

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ooglieguy0211@reddit

That's cool, but this chart is typically more helpful at a glance to help out, rather than read their whole long weather thing.

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ooglieguy0211@reddit

That's cool, but this chart is typically more helpful at a glance to help out, rather than read their whole long weather thing.

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MilitantDeigo@reddit

You know it seems that we never get a tail wind and all highways are perpendicular to wind directions somehow

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misterstaple@reddit

Winds scare me more than ice

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JankyMark@reddit

Yeah them winds feel like you can til over at any second

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12InchPickle@reddit

After about 45 I call it when traveling empty. Sometimes sooner if I’m going over large bridges.

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JankyMark@reddit

No lie I be felt the gust a couple times in Ohio and slowed down to about 55ish feel like you can flip at any moment

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shadowmib@reddit

Even if it doesn't tip you over it could easily blow you out of your lane which can cause a wreck

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CryptoSp4de@reddit

Yup even 40 can tip an empty quick

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EquivalentNo4244@reddit

Saving this post for trucking, and the pin from the mod

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Dorito-Bureeto@reddit

I did that once driving through my first time in Wyoming with a single pallet of 7 boxes of some light ass shit. A 53 for a single pallet going to Denver. The wind was baaad that day, shit was like 50 mph and I’ve never clenched harder in my life

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FileCareless@reddit

This is satire right? I bet if you do it, the odds of you doing it again are slim af.

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nastyzoot@reddit

Go slow. 35/40 slow. Be extra careful coming out from over passes/bridges/tunnels. Watch for visual clues to tell you what's coming. Vegetation blowing harder in one area. Shit blowing across the road. Both hands on the wheel at 10 and 2. If you don't feel you can do it, then park it. If you are the only truck on the road, it's probably a good idea to park it.

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deltronethirty@reddit

I was fully loaded in Nebraska, feeling confident until tumbleweed started blowing past me, going 60. I shut that shit down quick.

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nastyzoot@reddit

My dumbass got up to the CBBT and got stopped. Wind warning, no empties. No worries, officer! Got my Bol's right here. Bout a quarter load of furniture. Yeah, won't ever do that shit again, lol.

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Loki_Kore@reddit

Depends on wind direction. Empty with a crosswind parallel? Like 30. Into or with the wind? 45. Just keep the physics in mind. I'm LTL, I told my dispatch the wasn't coming home without weight ASAP, or im taking the long country way home so trees help block the wind

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lulzzors@reddit

Gusting 40 is about max I’d say for empty.

Company will 100% blame you for preventable accident if you blow over, not worth risking it.

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