An over the road driver faces many obstacles when it comes to on time delivery, such as traffic, mainly rush hours, accidents, and construction. The weather typically is an after thought since it usually is not as frequent in change, and simply is part of the job. My focus on the weather first came from my “short lived” routine of coat – to- coast loads, with winter weather being the one sour experience when first starting out. Strangely enough, the weather is least a serious thought, as compared to rush hour and accidents, but tornados have become frequent, and winters does stop trucks when it comes to ice conditions.

Getting back to coast –to – coast…, my most remembered experience was through three mountains called the Sisters, and a white out condition that went on forever, for me and twenty one other truckers, in a convoy. the lead truck was a wide load, and the second truck stayed on the C.B. informing the other followers of the speed changes of the wide load, in hopes to preventing a collision or pile up. Time went on forever, but somehow, the convoy made it through without incident. On another experience near another mountain, Sherman, the ice was in one spot, enough to “twist” the truck in what felt like an immanent jack knife. Although the truck never jack knifed, the experience was one never forgotten, always remembered, and thought of how to avoid in the future.

It is one thing to know as you go, so you can keep managers and customers informed of delays, but I wondered if such situations could be avoided all together. Not as a company or dedicated driver, but by become an independent contractor, own the truck, and pick my loads. Knowing an incoming snow storm kept me from rolling, but for four days. I even wondered if this could somehow be avoided.

Another reason to avoid extreme weather comes from developing an “all computer” managed operation, where extreme temperatures can damage any personal computer over time. Amazingly, it took six years to be in that position of an Independent Contractor, with a truck, with the ability to choose loads and locations; during which the personal computers were affected, but never crashed or became unrecoverable.

It seems projects like this is done in stages, since like any project, it takes time to develop a plan, an understanding, and learning to rely on resources, before making it to that goal. That goes for truck driving, building computerized records and reports, and even the weather. Planning ahead on any project becomes a step to achieve, but all must “get their feet wet”, and experience what it means to be in situations, so you have the incentive to avoid them. Again, a professional driver typically does this work in stride, and survives through patience. But, from a business sense, a truck that sits, isn’t making money. So, weather to better protect the computers or keep the truck moving, learning how the weather works becomes a lesson in itself.

The next process was planning how to avoid incoming storms, learning how to see  and hear the forecasts days in advance. With the exception of one load, I was able to avoid all storms and ice forecasts, by rolling south until the storm passed, and return north in-between the storms, and the truck never was stranded. A success, but it was so much work, with very little time to sit and take time down often. I am so glad I spent my first few years comprehending the log rules when it comes to recaps and split logging. It is 2013, and I really though we were going to finish the alphabet of storm names, but it was the best test, with a success to boast about. I knew how to get out of the storms way, and even roll up and down the country in between storms. The positive resource of over the road driving is there are plenty of roads to accommodate this project.

Spring is a whole new game. Rain storms is needed, but with the changing environment, tornados seem more routine, but like winter storms, there is a smell amount of forecasting that can be planned around, when it comes to the high and low forecasted atmospheric streams and currents.

There is still two more levels to work on, that makes claim to the name, “snow bird”, and that is the extreme temperatures. The second part is similar and that is extending the period from days in advance to weeks, or base it on seasons. With spring showing its time, plan to work east to west in the upper country area may be a test to plan on for the extreme summer season. Stay tuned.