Got this Email from Pilot/Flying J truck stops, re: closings

[A HERETIC I AM]

Last edited Tue Feb 16, 2021, 10:42 AM - Edit history (1)

A list of travel centers closed due to power outages from just this one chain of truck stops;

Store Operations:
The following locations are closed due to power outages.
#79 Denham Springs, Louisiana
#206 Weatherford, Texas
#265 Cookeville, Tennessee
#330 New Braunfels, Texas
#375 Houston, Texas
#434 Forth Worth, Texas
#474 Beasley, Texas
#477 Anna, Texas
#488 Cotulla, Texas
#553 Fort Stockton, Texas
#580 Odessa, Texas
#725 Baytown, Texas
#738 Tye, Texas
#740 Brookshire, Texas
#883 Canton, Texas
#1023 Lufkin, Texas
#1028 Buffalo, Texas
#1105 Bunkie, Louisiana
#1161 Odessa, Texas
#1248 Wilmer, Texas
#1285 Santo, Texas
#1304 Fort Worth, Texas
#3807 Mesquite, Texas


I’m sure similar lists can be had from Love’s and Petro/TA.

This means thousands, (if not hundreds of thousands nationwide) of truckers will be forced to lay up because they can not fuel, much less move down icy interstates.

Keep these hardworking men and women in your thoughts.

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. I would think they'd have back-up power generation.

It's probably God's blessing not to be navigating treacherous roads in an 18 wheeler.

[A HERETIC I AM]

4. Some most certainly do.

But clearly not all.

The three largest nationwide chains;


https://locations.pilotflyingj.com/search?q=&r=50&l=en

https://www.loves.com/en/location-and-fuel-price-search

https://www.ta-petro.com/location-updates

[ret5hd]

5. The good ones are used to it:

(and I do recognize there are a lot of bad ones)

[A HERETIC I AM]

9. I've been doing this same sort of driving for the last 3 weeks

This was from just the other day, on I-90;

vimeo.com/512784900

[ret5hd]

14. To me, it looks beautiful...

I have always loved driving, even in the worst weather. Banged up my share of things, learning to “never-ever-do-THAT-again”, etc. Concentration, a decent set of skills, and more concentration.

Never drove anything bigger than a U-Haul truck though. And I still can’t back a boat trailer onto a boat ramp. But then, I don’t fish.

Be safe!

[A HERETIC I AM]

24. Thanks

After 30 + years of OTR, which I can safely and easily say includes well more than 15,000 miles of driving on roads just like that, I learned a valuable lesson the other day!

I by no means think I know everything about being a trucker and winter driving, not by a long shot. The last 3 weeks have taught me how much I still need to learn, even after 3 decades of doing this.

I took a bunch of photos and several vids which I need to upload to a sharing aero, so when I get home and have a chance to do all that, I’ll put up a post in the lounge about the experience.

Suffice to say, the thousands of drivers who are dealing with this weather right now need our consideration.

[niyad]

26. Reminds me of what the roads around here looked like during the "bomb cyclone" storm

Two years ago.

[SunSeeker]

33. Damn. I'd be white-knuckling it the whole time. That is one tough line of work.

Yet another reason I live in Southern California.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

47. That was fascinating.

Thank you for posting.

[dalton99a]

2. Kick

[ret5hd]

3. And if they are out of fuel, they don't have cab heat.

And because of the electricity outages all over Texas, I bet there isn’t a vacant hotel/motel room in the state.

[A HERETIC I AM]

6. Your sentiment is well taken, but keep in mind....

That any driver with more than a months experience is going to make sure they fuel before they get below a quarter tank, so that leaves plenty for a couple days worth of idling.

But your point is valid. If the engine stalls, the person trying to sleep in that truck could, and history has shown possibly WILL...freeze to death in this type of weather.

[niyad]

27. An O p here in just the last little bit is talking about the TX hotels/motels price-gouging.

[SharonClark]

7. It's good that truckers have to lay up.

They’re jack knifed trucks have caused a lot of the severe crashes on interstates this winter. Growing up, I was told trucker were safer drivers than non-professional drivers but that no longer appears to be true.

[Irish_Dem]

11. Maybe they are not used to driving in snow and ice.

[A HERETIC I AM]

12. A 20 year veteran can be taken by surprise.

If you saw any of the videos of the pileup in Fort Worth the other day, the trucks that slid into that mess weren’t operated by rookies, necessarily.

Not to tell you Anything you already know, but road conditions can change dramatically within only a few yards as to make even the most steady and experienced hand lose control completely

[Irish_Dem]

13. Exactly, a white-out can pop up at any time. Black ice as well.

You know what these are, but for others:

A white out where you can not see anything in front of you because of a severe snow storm.
Black ice is invisible ice. You cannot see it until it is too late.

[niyad]

29. One of my scariest trips occurred many years ago in CA. I was driving east from Paso Robles,

At night. I heard on my CB, "attention eastbounders" , then nothing. Hit a wall of fog so thick that I could not see past the hood of my car. Strange road, no lights. Finally, miles later, saw dim lights. A small community, convenience store open. As I was asking about a possible room, the big rigs started pulling in. I figured if the truckers were coming in, no way was I going to try to drive. That fog bank did not lift until almost noon the next day.

[A HERETIC I AM]

30. I've driven in the fog in the Central Valley.....

And I bet I have driven on the very road you speak. I have delivered cars in Paso Robles!

It never ceases to amaze me how Mother Nature can throw a curveball, from being in gorgeous sunshine with dry roads on one side of a hill, to utter blindness just around the bend.

Stay vigilant, and never drive beyond where you are comfortable.

[wackadoo wabbit]

35. Ah yes, the infamous tule fog

I used to frequently travel from the Bay Area down to L.A., and I drove that same road from Paso Robles to — what was it? — Buttonwillow. And I got caught in that fog many times.

The worst time was when I was on I-5 one night and drove into a fog bank that was so thick that I literally couldn't see the front of my VW bug (which, as you probably remember, didn't have a very large hood). I pulled over behind an overpass (as best as I could determine in that heavy fog), climbed into the back seat of my bug, and went to sleep. In the backseat of a VW bug.

It's a good thing I'm short.

[mnhtnbb]

42. I hit tule fog one time going to my brother's house in Lafayette from L.A. one Christmas

Cars still zooming past me when I couldn't see much past the hood of my car. Was just about to try and pull over--which the idea of trying to scared me when I couldn't see cars coming--when, boom, gone, no more fog. Just like that. Very scary driving.

[Stallion]

8. Trouble Brewing in Texas ....

the store shelfs have been cleaned out, fast food restaurants have hour long waits and no electricity for many other restaurants, I foresee some real problems if trucking services are not operating at full speed. We got at least 2 more days in the deep freeze and as many as 35% of Dallas area electricity customers do not have electricity. One guy who interviewed noted that he bought a bunch of microwave dinners which are useless without electricity

[treestar]

44. Maybe he can build a fire

Makes me think of a hank Williams jr song about country boys knowing what to do. When city ones do not.

[Irish_Dem]

10. There will be deaths, those living on the margins, those with chronic severe illnesses.

And it appears regular Texans who do not have the ability to stay warm are in dire circumstances.

[Stallion]

16. I just did A hotel check for my own information

On Travelocity there were about 3-4 poorly rated hotels showing availsbility on a Monday nite in the entire city of Dallas. The numbers without heat are enormous-30-40% of all customers

[Irish_Dem]

17. Dallas population is 6 million people?

And 30-40% are without heat in a frigid winter storm tonight?

Unbelievable.

Sending as many prayers as I can.
I wish I could do more.

[Stallion]

18. I Only Checked Oncor-the major enery supplier

and they are showing between 30-40% of customers out of electricity in Dallas County and my North Dallas zip code. Temperatures predicted to be about 2 degrees in city and much colder in country

[Irish_Dem]

19. I had no idea Dallas was so huge in terms of population.

That is a lot of people to try to keep warm tonight.

I hope something can be done.

[Stallion]

23. The DFW Metroplex is 4th Largest in Country

I believe it up to about 6.8 million to 7 million-fastes growing in total numbers in country

[Irish_Dem]

25. And the entire state is 30 million.

Over a lot of territory.

The governor has his work cut out for him tonight and tomorrow.
I hope he is up to the job.

[Stallion]

20. I Only Checked Oncor-the major enery supplier

and they are showing between 30-40% of customers out of electricity in Dallas County and my North Dallas zip code. Temperatures predicted to be about 2 degrees in city and much colder in country. So far 'I've been lucky with no blackouts

[Irish_Dem]

22. Get ready in case you have a blackout.

Lots of good suggestions here on how to prepare just in case.

[MuseRider]

15. Please be careful if you are out there!

Thankfully we are supposed to be coming out of this after tomorrow. I just got in from my last check of the horses and it is so darned cold. I am forever grateful that this long cold snap (frigid cold snap) has not seen the wind they expected. The wind chills were bad but not as bad as they could have been. I am certainly over trying to walk and do work in -25 wc but it could have been and was supposed to be much worse. SO, you be careful. I know you are but as you said above it can change so quickly. Apparently they have found frozen people in the city I live close to when they lost heat so...stay warm no matter what.

[Irish_Dem]

21. Thank goodness the wind is not as bad, so windchill will not dip as low as expected.

Please be safe yourself. You are not used to farming in such cold weather.

[MuseRider]

36. We lost power in part of the house

But we are fine. Tonight was the worst of it. It is - 15 right now, does not seem like the wind is blowing. I just hope my critters are OK. The horses we're cold but OK and sheltered and the goats as well. Farrier called last night to check on everyone's feet.... that was a new one. I think I will wait to go out for a little while. Lol. Warming trend starts this afternoon!!!

[Irish_Dem]

45. Yes I am concerned about your livestock too.

Yes at least they are sheltered in a barn.
I guess animals can get frostbite in their feet and toes like humans.
So that is why the vet is concerned.

Do you have hay you could lay in the stalls?
Would that help?

My mother's family are dairy farmers in northern Wisconsin and I recall as a kid
the boys would lay hay in the cow stalls in the winter.

I hope the temp starts to climb for you this afternoon.

[A HERETIC I AM]

38. I appreciate the kind thoughts

It is dangerous, no doubt.

I hope your horses stay healthy.

[MuseRider]

41. Except for your expertise

they are safer than you are because they do not depend on other people to pay attention or do the right thing. Be safe.

[MustLoveBeagles]

28. K&R

[2naSalit]

31. My advice is to stay on I80...

They still have a way to deal with cold winter. This nasty arctic air mass is headed east so when you head south, be ready for the same in eastern states south of I80.

[mountain grammy]

32. Thinking warm thoughts for all

Please be careful out there.

[sarcasmo]

34. No trucks, grocery store shelves in Texas will empty soon.

[panader0]

37. My hat's off to you HERETIC, and to the other OTR truckers here on DU.

Back in the early days of the pandemic, people across the nation began to have a greater appreciation
of the vital service done by you guys (and gals). Be safe out there!

[A HERETIC I AM]

39. Thanks very much.

I’m flying the rest of the way home today, so I’m fortunate not to have to drive in any of it today.

[panader0]

40. So how does that work? Will you have to return to your rig when the weather allows?

Where did you have to leave it?

[A HERETIC I AM]

43. I went to Butte to help out where they were short staffed

So the trucks I drove were already on the routes.

When I get home I’ll drive any of the available units in our yard.

I drive a different truck almost every trip I make.

What we do makes assigned trucks impractical for the majority of our routes

[BComplex]

46. My cousin's loads are all cancelled due to the freeze.