2010 Nor'easter/Blizzard

The trip over to my delivery in Breinigsville, PA was fairly easy. It didn't really start snowing until 10 or 11pm. There was 3" on the ground when I pulled out. Biggest problem is the customers want you to slide your trailer tandems all the way to the rear of the trailer for safety reasons, keeps the rear of the trailer from bouncing so much when they are going in and out with fork lifts. With the tandems all the way to the back it stops it from teetering like a see saw behind the tandems. Sliding them on snow is nigh near impossible especially with a load. I was lucky that the dock I backed into was bear concrete where they had just pulled out a trailer. I used the dry concrete to slide the tandem and made it easier.

I was also fortunate that the next load I had to pick up was another customer just across the street. I had a 4 hour wait so I eased just down the street and found a spot to park and wait. Pulling an empty trailer on slick roads is very dangerous, nothing to hold it down, nor can you get traction with your drive tires. I was thankful not to have to drive to far empty.

Once I got the load I headed out toward Harrisburg, PA to get on the Pennsylvania turnpike over to Pittsburgh. Up to 8" to 10" have fallen by this time and still coming down hard. Got some ice build up on my drivers side windshield in the upper right corner that pushed the wiper blade up...and it froze in that position. The blade was u-shaped and I could only see out of the lower left corner. No place to pull off because only had one lane with ruts in it, and they came and went. Got to my exit for my fuel stop and trucks were lined up a 1/4 mile trying to get off. Needless to say I didn't stop in the middle of the road, I went around and on down 20 miles to our terminal in New Kingstown and got fuel there...no waiting and finally got the wiper blade snapped back in place so would clean windshield. By this time all of the interstates were being closed down by the state, including the ones I had just come down from Allentown. I drove from the terminal 4 miles to the nearest truck stop and took 20 minutes to get in and back out...no parking and trucks circling the lot looking. I drove back to the terminal and parked there. Just have to eat out of the truck.

Snow is supposed to be ending and hopefully they will start getting the roads cleared off over night. Will try to get over to Steubenville, OH and drop the load by tomorrow afternoon.