Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/287940
I parked next to a strong building to block most of the wind and stayed in the truck till the worst was gone. New challenges? Naomi: I'm sick of winter driving!!! We got a new dispatcher; he was a driver years ago. (Our old dispatcher was fabu- lous - he moved to another area in the company.) I can't say 'new'; he's been a dispatcher for 5 years, he's just new to us. I'm not a real fan of his. He's moody, pushy; short on the phone. Just don't like him. I want my other dispatcher back. Being sick on the road sucks. Within a week I had stomach fl u that took me down 3 days. The following week he had the fl u. We got a hotel room and did a full reset out of the truck. We were both so sick. I did manage to wash laundry and Clorox-clean the truck those 2 days, to kill germs. Dealing with a loss of a family member. We were actually off work fi shing when we got the call - things were not looking good. We decided to wait and see; went to work Mon- day but our load was pushed to Tuesday. Monday night, my husband's grandmother passed away. We left Tuesday morning to go 4 hours down there. All in all, I'm glad we were home and could make it there. We ended up off work 9 days. Ben: Driving in Atlanta during the winter storms. It was ridiculous. The roads were not that bad. But people went into panic mode and it was a mess. Leaving vehicles in the middle of Interstate 285 was part of the problem. The rest, in my opinion, was pure stupidity. There were no salt trucks out prior to the storm. No preparation. I just kept my cool, updated dispatch and fi nally got through it. Interesting experiences? Naomi: I drive nights; I see all the crazy things drivers do to wake up. Standing at the wheel; head bobbing to music, waving at everyone, talking trash on the CB, drink- ing energy drinks, stopping and going for a walk in shorts with temps 20 below. I just chuckle. Get more rest, people. All the wrecks we've seen due to winter driving have been amazing. I was told I'm too cautious by a fellow driver. Well, guess what. A week after making that statement to me, this fellow driver put it in the ditch and laid it over. Guess I'll stay cautious - and safe. Ben: I, along with many drivers, have been delayed a lot lately due to weather. I per- sonally have not experienced a winter this bad as far as driving conditions. Advice for someone just fi nishing school about keeping safe during severe weather? Naomi: Utilize common sense, local radio stations, weather apps that send a warning to your phone. Remember you'll never be able to outrun a storm. It's cutting across fi elds you are not. Ben: Keep up with the weather in the direc- tion you are going. Ask other drivers on the CB about conditions. If it's gonna be real bad, stop before you get there and wait for it to pass. Keep fuel tanks full. ◆ Here's to your future great loads and great roads. Timothy Brady © 2014 To contact Brady go to www.truckersu.com 12 www.studentdriverplacement.com April '14 to Trucking Introduction ...continued from page 8. intro trucking 0414.indd 2 3/20/14 1:47 PM