Slick Roads and Work Travel
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Topic: Slick Roads and Work Travel
Posted By: fixer1958
Subject: Slick Roads and Work Travel
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 9:14am
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How much precedence do you put on getting there knowing you could end up in a ditch or getting wiped out or injured by someone that doesn't think slick roads apply to them? I have been driving that same route for about 30 years now. Know every potential bad stop there is. 35 miles one way. When I was, younger balls to the wall didn't care if it took 3 hours..and it has several times. Now not so much. Employer knows the situation and he knows I will make an effort but I'm not putting my hide on the line just for a day's work. I've seen and heard of many fatalities in these cases just to put in a day's work. 3 in the last 2 weeks within 5 miles of me. The last one was grandpa taking his 14 year old grandson to school in a neighboring town. 20 mile distance. It was slick, SUV slide and crossed the center line and hit them head on. Killed them both. Happened at about 6:45 am. School starts at 7:30. I will usually give it 15 miles to see how things are. 10 miles to the Interstate. Where do you draw the line at? |
Replies:
Posted By: chaskaduo
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 9:46am
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I drive as little as possible period, and always leave for my destination early. Some how I learned, never enough time to get there but always time to die. Yep a far cry from my 20's. I cancel out a lot now a days as we have a lot of slippery weather in the winter. I'm also retired so that really helps. ------------- 1938 B, 79 Dynamark 11/36 6spd, 95 Weed-Eater 16hp, 2010 Bolens 14hp |
Posted By: jaybmiller
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 9:57am
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If the roads icy or miserable, I don't go, plain and simple,life is too short !! If the boss is upset, tell him to swing by , pick you up, and drive you to the jobsite !!! I'll lay odds he won't show up ! ------------- 3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112 Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor) Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water |
Posted By: IBWD MIke
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 9:58am
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This is a BIG peeve of mine! Work for me is a 31.4 mile drive, this time of year the roads are a mess quite often.Thanks to the draconian attendance policy of my employer and my hatred of wasting vacation time, I generally brave it. I do think about it and how stupid it would be to die for one days pay. Really wish these places 'got' that! |
Posted By: TimCNY
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 10:16am
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When I was a surveyor, the drive to work and back home wasn't the main threat... it was driving to and from the jobsite(s), and having to deal with traffic if we had highway work to do. We generally avoided any roadway work when there was snow/ice, but even (maybe especially?) in great weather, drivers were the main threat for hazardous conditions. For us, general rule of thumb was snowfall RATE (over 2"/hour, stay put) or temperature (25 below zero was the "no-go" threshold, that was for whichever was worse, actual temps or windchill). Unfortunately, many times the conditions at the office were rarely representative of the field conditions at the jobsite; the office was in the city and was ALWAYS the better place to be lol. But it worked out ok, there was always plenty of records and research work to be done along with the field work. But no, there was never a policy for "too bad to come in to work." Mainly it was just about going into the field or not. ------------- I need more than 200 characters for my "signature." I'd love to see that changed to 250! |
Posted By: ac fleet
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 10:35am
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IF it's that bad----I don't go. --- canceled doc's appointments a few times due to bad roads! ---I got 4-wd, so I am not worried bout me --Its all the idiots on the road that bothers me! ------------- http://machinebuildersnetwork.com/ |
Posted By: IBWD MIke
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 10:52am
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Tim, I worked for a surveyor for a short time, (my uncle) he blew out a knee, needed help. This started in December, lasted through March. I learned a ton. Like you say, trying to get a 'shot' on a monument in a busy highway is a little hairy. Also learned that when it's 0 degrees, a gravel road is effectively concrete! Thankfully he had a small jackhammer to get those monuments recovered. |
Posted By: john(MI)
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 11:28am
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It is a little more likely to happen on slick roads. But I suppose you have those same idiots out there on the roads all year long. Especially now with the "gotta TEXT" people out there trying to get killed, and kill. ------------- D14, D17, 5020, 612H, CASE 446 |
Posted By: Ted J
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 11:36am
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I agree with ya Sonny, just not worth the bother, and it IS the IDIOTS on the road. I used to wish I could have a 3 to 5 ton truck, 4wd, with pipe welded all the way around. I'd have a ball till they caught up with me. The problem with all these SUV's and the people driving them now a days is that yeah, you can go better than with 2wd, but you still CAN'T STOP any better. They don't think of that. ------------- "Allis-Express" 19?? WC / 1941 C / 1952 CA / 1956 WD45 / 1957 WD45 / 1958 D-17 |
Posted By: DanWi
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 12:00pm
| Wifes factory job has a very good perfect attendance bonus and banquet with prize. It really encourages people to show up for work but it puts you in a tight spot when the road conditions are bad, they do have a few personal days they can use but you always like to keep them in the bank for a REAL emergency. We live less then 10 miles from her job and she goes to work at 4:30 am so if the roads are bad I get up and take her with the 4wd pickup even if I have to drive 25 or 30mph the whole way at least I know shes safe. The other day I took her to work with her car the road was plowed but snow packed and slippery I was driving over 50mph and had 2 people pass going 60. |
Posted By: TimCNY
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 12:15pm
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Another VERY important but too often overlooked matter is SNOW TIRES. The WORST brand of snow tire still beats the BEST "all-season." And frankly, all 4 (or however many tires on your vehicle) tires should be snows. Another point, and this is from every tire dealer I know: New tires/best tread tires - GO ON THE REAR, regardless if 2WD, 4WD, front wheel, rear wheel, doesn't matter, BECAUSE it's the rear-end of the car needing the better traction to help prevent the rear from swinging out on curves. No matter the season. But especially in winter, I'd say. Getting going is one thing, keeping control is quite another. Yes, so very much more and not possible to cover it all but we're trying, aren't we!  ------------- I need more than 200 characters for my "signature." I'd love to see that changed to 250! |
Posted By: Ray54
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 12:24pm
 Thankfully no snow generally  but at 20 degrees you can get black ice. And the most rude drivers in the world. Any time of the day some idiot on their phone, or making up time on the road cause they started late.
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Posted By: Pat the Plumber CIL
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 12:32pm
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Had a boss back in the day wanted us to come in no matter how bad it was. One time it took 2 hours to get to work, normally 15 minutes. Did not get paid for that time .Shop was behind his house so he didn't have to commute. When finally at work he says too dangerous to take the work van out . Clean the side walks and driveway until the streets are clear . Why did I risk an accident coming in for this. Next time I stayed home until the roads were passable. Boss called complaining, Come get me was my answer,,,, ------------- You only need to know 3 things to be a plumber;Crap rolls down hill,Hot is on the left and Don't bite your fingernails 1964 D-17 SIV 3 Pt.WF,1964 D-15 Ser II 3pt.WF ,1960 D-17 SI NF,1956 WD 45 WF. |
Posted By: jaybmiller
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 12:33pm
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re: ...And the most rude drivers in the world NO !! They're all here in Ontario around Hamilton , especially the 'big rig boys'. Google 'Burlington Skyway Bridge accident'.....you'll see what I mean. ------------- 3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112 Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor) Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water |
Posted By: fixer1958
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 1:18pm
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Part of how I judge road conditions is how many are in the median or off the embankment. Part of my drive is 20 miles of I-35 through 3 counties and all rural except for the last couple. My highest ditch count was 37 in that 20 miles.. Have had a couple of times there would be a pileup on down the road, at a stand still with ice on the road and just slide off onto the shoulder and not even moving..just sideways. I found an app on my phone that it is pretty accurate for road conditions.
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Posted By: Tbone95
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 1:26pm
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IBWD MIke wrote:Posted By: TimCNY
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 1:31pm
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"I need the hammer" one? ------------- I need more than 200 characters for my "signature." I'd love to see that changed to 250! |
Posted By: Tbone95
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 1:37pm
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Posted By: Dakota Dave
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 1:38pm
| I live 20 miles from work. I'm part time contractor and mission essentials on the Air Force base. They will close the base when the state closes the roads. Happens a couple times every winter. Otherwise I have to show up. Our project manager under stands roads to bad to get to work and says call in if you can't make it. I can usually make it before he does any way. If the weather turns bad fast I've just stayed at work instead of going home at midnight in a blizzard just call home and tell my wife I won't be home tonight. We've got 3 couches in the break room that aren't to bad to sleep on. I have several meals of easily made stuff at work. When I've been snowed in I just pull my car into the hanger and wait it out. Usually the base gives an hour or so notice before it's going to close once it's closed they won't let you leave. After the state closes the road it's gated and a $400 fine for driving on a closed road. |
Posted By: tadams(OH)
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 2:13pm
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Ted J They Don't Think. Some can't see past their front bumpers
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Posted By: LouSWPA
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 4:07pm
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well, most of my life I works in the clinical lab maintenance world, hospital lab equipment. Not an emergency, but still several notches up from routine, and we covered an area roughly 200 by 200 miles. In a few cases it was a financial obligation, the company sold guaranteed service contract, and those usually went to the rural/remote customer(s) because they didn't have backup systems, like the larger hospitals. So, most of my life I went, weather or not (pun intended) but, to be fair, I was young and invincible! I carried lots of extra cloths, blankets, and some food in the car all winter. I looked at it as an adventure ------------- I am still confident of this; I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Ps 27 |
Posted By: HD6GTOM
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 4:30pm
| Tim is 100% right about snow tires. I just put new ones on the front of wife's van and grandsons ferd. Put new all seasons on the rear. I won't let her drive in the winter without snow tires on. It is amazing how much better they go with snow tires on the front of a FWD vehical. |
Posted By: TimCNY
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2020 at 4:59pm
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Please consider snows on the rear as well, like I said the tire guys say "best tires on the rear," because on a curve (or even sudden stops) on wet/snow/icy roads, it's the back end that wants to swing out and cause skids/loss of control. IT MAKES AS MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE as snows over all-seasons, believe me! But VERY glad you went to snows. All-seasons are at best a compromise, and are not as good as a snow in winter or a true "summer" tire in, well, the summer. And I've done the math, at least for us, and in the end it's NOT more expensive to have 2 sets of tires; one bad accident alone because of inadequate tires in the winter time far more than offsets the savings of NOT having snows. My two cents, but those are priceless pennies. ------------- I need more than 200 characters for my "signature." I'd love to see that changed to 250! |
Posted By: Thad in AR.
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2020 at 6:29am
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I weigh it out against 1 days pay. We don’t get much snow but what we get is wet heavy icy snow. The first tracks in it make pure ice. When I leave my house I have a 6% grade in either direction right from the begining. Our roads are steep hilly and very crooked. What I’ve noticed is that the boss will call and say it’s not bad here. He’ll have to stay home with a sick kid but it’s ok for us lowly’s to go in. If you call him on it he’ll say it wasn’t that bad earlier. I outgrew proving things years ago. |
Posted By: jaybmiller
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2020 at 7:16am
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Up here, 'they' want everyone to have 2 sets of tires, though with the 100s of tons of salt THEY put onto the roads, I have to ask 'why' ? Great money making scam... 8 tires and rims, off season storage is usually $100...per season ( TWO seasons !!),so $200 AND $26 to the guv... Frankly, if you can't drive a full size 2WD pickup here in Ontario, you should NOT be on the road...it'd be nice if driving tests were done in Winter,99% of cars would be gone ! That being said, there are 2 things you should not 'cheap out' on vehicles. 1) tires. 2) brakes. As was pointed out by an F1 fan-atic... there ain't a whole lot of brake pads between you and the road and even less rubber ! Buy the best you can, forgo the $$ stereo KRAP. ------------- 3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112 Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor) Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water |
Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2020 at 7:18am
| Retired now, used to drive 50+ miles one way to the Nuke Plant rain shine snow ice made no difference as we were expected to be there and On Time for 18 of my 22 years there. Actually would take a old RV Camper and set up in a lot to stay in should weather go to Hecky durn, made a lot of difference in no discipline for my records as had guys within 10 miles 'Cannot get in today' calls. |
Posted By: DanWi
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2020 at 9:01am
| A Weathertech floor liner commercial comes to mind the mother gets a message on her phone, no school today, so she hollers to the children get ready and get in the suv we are going sledding. If they had to cancel school should she be out driving with the children in her suv? |
Posted By: Alberta Phil
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2020 at 9:57am
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And you have to remember, SUV means "Suddenly Upset Vehicle" at least that seems to be around here. Most rolled over in ditch are always SUV!! |
Posted By: ac fleet
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2020 at 11:34am
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My main car is a 98 Explorer, full time 4-wheel drive, and I have never had any problems with driving on slick roads in it. The worst thing is the side winds!--Now they will get ya in a heartbeat! lol! When I get in side winds, I slow way down and feel my way along! Thats what puts suv's upside down in the median! The best thing on ice/snow that I ever drove was my old 94 Kenworth W-900!--- lock the power divider in and go ---or woah, whichever you needed! Put a million miles on that old truck! still miss it! ------------- http://machinebuildersnetwork.com/ |
Posted By: Ted J
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2020 at 6:11pm
------------- "Allis-Express" 19?? WC / 1941 C / 1952 CA / 1956 WD45 / 1957 WD45 / 1958 D-17 |
Posted By: shameless dude
Date Posted: 16 Feb 2020 at 1:23am
| driving in bad weather never bothered me. the old lady....oooops….I mean the loving wife and I have made it a point to go out and drive in blizzards since we met, sometimes i'd get home from work and she'd have a fresh cups of hot coffee ready for the excursion. back when we couldn't afford a 4x4 anything, I always made sure I drove a big heavy vehicle with good snow tires. and never had problems, I did pull a couple out of snow banks with my Buick Estate wagon one night. when I got a 4x4, it wasn't really for the extra traction for me, but for getting out of the way of idiot drivers. shucks...we used to got to town and chase cops, we had it made cuz the governing bodies were to cheap to buy snow tires for their cruisers! lol last year was the only year we didn't get to drive ina blizzard, only cuz we never got one! |
Posted By: desertjoe
Date Posted: 16 Feb 2020 at 4:58am
It no small wonder the mayor didn't take a likin to you and your shenanigans,,,,"YOU" chasin the cops,,,,I'll bet that was one the "Chief" didn't especially like did he,,,,,???
Thas prolly WHY the chief decided to go ahead and hire you and get you on their side,,,,,, |
Posted By: Tbone95
Date Posted: 16 Feb 2020 at 7:06am
Well....yes. They cancel school these days at the drop of a hat compared to years ago. |
Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 16 Feb 2020 at 7:11am
| Drove tractor Trailer in the Rockies with Chain law, saw the same issues then as now, 4WD does not mean Four Wheel Stop, yes they stop rolling but the lead block they are attached to keeps on sliding. Situational awareness, knowing what you are doing in the conditions at hand and controlling the machine you are in. Hard for most these days as they EXPECT those fine well intended safety features forced into cars to save their sorry butts when exceed parameters, still won't happen. |
Posted By: 1955CA
Date Posted: 16 Feb 2020 at 10:57am
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I'm "lucky?" in that I started my career and worked many years running dump trailers hauling road salt to all the highway department yards all over northern Ontario along the shores of Lake Superior on the Trans Canada Highway. Lots of big hills and blinding white outs. Many trips with a ski mask and winter jacket on, head out the driver side window looking for a snow bank to know if you were still on the road, or abandoned cars on highway in front of you. It made me a good driver. We had to run whether the highway was open or closed, even when the plows were pulled off the highway. But I gotta admit, I get an uneasy feeling when my wife and kids have to drive to town to go to work when it is storming. Don't help that the highway maintenance around here is worse than it has ever been. There are labor laws that an employer cannot punish you for missing work if you feel unsafe due to weather conditions. But you know how some people are.....they will go out of their way to screw you over while not doing it "illegally." Many employers know how to skirt the system.
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Posted By: TimCNY
Date Posted: 16 Feb 2020 at 1:34pm
EXACTLY RIGHT!!! I used to love winter, LIVE for winter... Spring, Summer and Fall were what I had to go through to get back to glorious wonderful winter!!! EVERYTHING about winter... I even (long story, another time) planned to go to Alaska, the Arctic Refuge, for the rest of my life (which would probably already have been over by now lol!). THEN... I met the woman I was going to marry (met in September, 1992, married in August, 1993, still going strong!), and, ...well, for the first time there was a spot on winter's luster. Then we got married (my wife and I, not me and winter lol), then our daughter was born, then our daughter DRIVING, then she got married, then twin grandsons, and in turn each event chipped away at winter's allure and hold over me. To the point that my favorite saying is, "Have I ever mentioned that I hate winter?"  ------------- I need more than 200 characters for my "signature." I'd love to see that changed to 250! |
Posted By: klinemar
Date Posted: 16 Feb 2020 at 3:14pm
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When I worked winters for MDOT I questioned the idea of on time delivery! Trucks hauling freight including doubles like UPS and Conway would always be driving like they wanted to meet their maker! And the car drivers drove as if possessed! I remember one night the wind had been blowing about 40mph out of the West and it was about zero. I was sanding because salt wouldn't work at the temperature. A woman coming home from work had driven out into a field as she couldn't see the road. By the time I came up on her the wind had died so I saw her four way flashers. We were told to assist stranded drivers but not to pull them out,so I stopped and talked to the lady. She said she was ok and had called a wrecker. I said where from? She said Morenci. I knew that Morenci was on a north/south road and would be plugged with snow. So I went on and finished my route and the State Road I would plow next was to Morenci. I started down that road and it was plugged but the Cummins in my truck was making music as the front plow and the side wing pushed snow. I got to the small town of Canadagua and there was the wrecker! I got out and told him the way was clear and as soon as I got back from Morenci I would sand the road good so he could pull the lady out. When I got back the wrecker was waiting and I made the road look like a beach! We had other assists that year. One driver saved two women stuck on a side road as their car got stuck and quit. He got them both in the truck" how I don't know" and kept them warm until other help arrived. People on there way to and from work took precedence for me! The ones that were out joyriding I would stop and make sure they were all right but didn't offer extra assistance! One guy I found stuck in a snow drift I asked what are you doing out here this late at night? He said I heard on the TV the roads were bad. I said well you found out they were right! |
Posted By: 1955CA
Date Posted: 16 Feb 2020 at 3:22pm
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Well, I can say it's just not the same out there any more. I'm still trucking, and even as late as the late 1990's, you never saw all the accidents and stupidness you see now. Those old days people traveled in the worst conditions and for the most part made it. Now, as soon as a flake of snow hits the highway everyone is piled up. And the new breed of imported truck drivers, I can say every single day I am on the road, I get run off into the shoulder at least once a day, by freight haulers running with a set of wheels over the center line. And add the fact that up here the government now contracts out highway maintenance to the lowest bid, so conditions are usually horrible. It's getting to the point I don't even enjoy driving any more.
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Posted By: jaybmiller
Date Posted: 16 Feb 2020 at 6:01pm
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re: the new breed of imported truck drivers, reminds me of the Burlington Bay Skyway 'accident'. One of 'them', drunk, drove his dump trailer INTO the bridge.. HOW the blazes he got that far from the 'industrial zone' is beyond me.... oh yeah, he got off....still driving !!! I don't bother letting ANYONE in ahead of me, big or small , try to keep 1.4 car lengths behind....leave any more, my safety zone is filled up with 'them' ------------- 3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112 Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor) Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water |
Posted By: HudCo
Date Posted: 16 Feb 2020 at 9:32pm
| no differant than driving to the post office or getting the feeding done afew miles away just drive how you need to , and really watch out for the other guy. if you have drove truck over the road in some increadable bad stroms i guess that you just doit by the way i hate to follow in bad weather i will either be in front or way back |
Posted By: 1955CA
Date Posted: 17 Feb 2020 at 8:20am
Ya, wasn't that something eh? Impaired, hit a major bridge. shut down a major highway system, and got off and right back driving. One of "us" try that and see how you end up.
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Posted By: fixer1958
Date Posted: 17 Feb 2020 at 8:52am
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Had an incident last Wednesday night of a wreck about 5 miles east of me. 22 year old crossed the center line and hit a semi head on. Killed the kid. We had weather that night, don't know if that was a factor but.....I read on the news this am that he was involved in another crossing over the center line (June last year, 1 1/2 east) and hit F350 pulling a horse trailer with 2 horses, man,wife and 2 kids. Kids were hospitalized and killed the horses. Big fire, pavement is still tore up from that. Kid was hospitalized but apparently lived to do it again. That's what bothers me, the other knot heads. I don't worry about me. I know I can get to where I'm going.
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Posted By: 1955CA
Date Posted: 17 Feb 2020 at 9:13am
| Yes I hear you. Skill levels are down and too many phones, and in-dash display screens and all the other distractions they keep putting in vehicles. |
Posted By: tadams(OH)
Date Posted: 17 Feb 2020 at 1:24pm
| To many people in cars drive just off the hood, don't have enough sense to watch on down the road to see what's going on and yes phones don't help but I've seen people reading a book and that's worse. |
Posted By: 1955CA
Date Posted: 17 Feb 2020 at 3:25pm
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Drive down the 401 in the Toronto area and tell me what you think when you see the new transport drivers telemarketing while they are driving. Phone headsets on, tablet taped to the steering wheel and a laptop on the dash. And no, I'm not exaggerating. Ever wonder why sometimes there is so much background noise when you are on the phone with tech support, LOL
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Posted By: Stan IL&TN
Date Posted: 17 Feb 2020 at 8:11pm
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That last medical director at the hospital I worked at before retiring was a genuinely nice guy. We don't get much snow here and thus it stays on the road until it melts in a couple of days and a good percentage of folks stay home. Will this new director changed the inclement weather policy so that if you did show up that you would get paid overtime as long as you were there. It helped motivate some and those of us that always made it in to work anyway, it was a nice thanks. ------------- 1957 WD45 dad's first AC 1968 one-seventy 1956 F40 Ferguson |