Road Closures

What another eventful week I have had. I got in 878 on the 9th, again in the evening. I was doing the same route I did a few weeks ago. Firstly to Laurens, South Carolina. Normally you would take just under two and half days to do it in, to keep your hours to a reasonable level, so you do not run out before the end of the week, but it can be done in two days, if you drive for eleven hours a day. I was setting off at 7pm on the 9th and had to be there by 8am on the 11th. So the plan was to drive till 6am, have ten hours off, set off at 4pm and get there for 3am. Great…..Not. Eastern US was in for another bad storm like they had the week before. By the time I had reached Pennsylvania. The snow had started and was getting real bad. I had reached my truck stop by 6am and thought by the time I get up they will have cleared the roads and off again I would go. Not…..I woke at 1:30pm to find out all the major highways 30 miles south of my location had been closed, due to bad accidents or too many people getting stuck etc. the I-81 that I needed, goes through West Virginia, and Virginia. Not flat country at all. Lots of mountains to climb.

With the three storms I have had through there, they should make it compulsory for big trucks to carry chains in winter, just like they do in British Columbia. Then maybe they wouldn’t be getting stuck on the hills and blocking the roads off.

The snow was coming down hard, and even the plows gave up on the closed roads. I stayed up till about 1130pm when the snow stopped, hoping they would open, but the radio still said closed. So off to bed I went. Least the closure got me off the night shift. 530am I woke to find an up dated message on the radio saying still closed, but I decided to go anyway. Hardly anyone on the road, but cleared so managed to drive away from the snow and get to my delivery only 12 hours late. Last time I was in South Carolina, a few weeks ago, it was 20 degrees. It was only 2 degrees this time. Once I had got my collection and back to Hamilton, Ontario. I was only 3 hours late. So had caught time up really well. My reload was going Nova Scotia, but I was just taking it to Woodstock, half expecting to be getting out, even though I was a day early, but the assigned driver did not want to go out till today so they had to find me something to do. So while the truck and trailer was been serviced. With it been Valentines day. I decided to take the wife and kids out to diner…..to Murrys Truck Stop. You may laugh but not just truckers go to truck stop restaurants. Most have great food for good value. Murrys truck stop is the best restaurant in Woodstock. Its always packed jam full and not with truckers either. For the five of us, it only cost $35 plus tip so great value. Then back to the truck to take the load I already had onto Moncton. Two and half hours down the road, to our drop yard there. Then this morning after been woken up by snow falling off the roof of the truck, I had to wait for my trailer to be brought up from Nova Scotia. I then took it back to Woodstock. So back home for the night.

To say I had the big delay. In the five and half days I had the truck, I still managed to do 3400 miles, so not bad at all. I think I’m out again tomorrow so will see what we get up to next time. Till then have a nice dayyyyy.

See all the Deer. There was loads all along this road for miles in West Virginia. Glad they was on the side and not on the road.

Been after this pic for weeks. Those gate posts are 6' tall and Just poke out the snow. Guess they don't use that driveway.

all these just parked at side of road when they shut it

he was having a bad day

nice car. can tell that was in South Carolina...No snow tyres