Winter Driving

Cementups

Box Monkey
You know, I only ever got stuck once onmy route I have now. It was in the summer. I got stuck between the driveway and a drainage ditch abouot 6 inches deep. but when i went to go my rear wheels were in loose gravel and ended up just digging a hole and leaving me stuck. Had to call a favor to a friend with a truck and chain to bail me out. I still owe him for that.

The mountain that I deliver on is pretty bad in the winter. If the call for a trace of snow in the whole Mid-State region it always ends up the same. No snow anywhere in the whole Mid-State......except........for my mountain....and it's a minimum of 6". My bosses thought I was lying till I took pictures and showed them the next day. I ran like 2.5 hours over and they thought I was out screwing off, sicne i usually run .5 over.
 

sortaisle

Livin the cardboard dream
The Portland, OR area is bad when it snows....it doesnt snow often or enough here for people to learn how to drive in it or be prepared, but it does snow often enough to really screw things up when it happens.

Part of my route is in a rural, hilly area that goes up about 1000 feet above the Willamette Valley. I can start my day out in the rain on the valley floor, but if I drive up one road for 10 minutes I will be in 6" of wet slushy snow. I have gotten really good at chaining up, sometimes I have to put them on and take them off several times in one day because they will break if you drive them on bare pavement for any length of time. I also have customers who are well aware of the fact that if there is any snow on the ground I will not even try getting up their driveway.

I have gotten stuck in the snow and been pulled out by a customers tractor on several occasions. There are enough farmers on my route with tractors or 4x4 pickups that I know I wont be stuck for long.

You have to work for the Tualatin center. Anyway, yeah Portland effectively shuts down when it snows. I don't miss the traffic when it snows either. I used to live in Vancouver, and I had to leave almost an hour and a half early to make it through the traffic there.
 

wornoutupser

Well-Known Member
Man, you guys talk about getting stuck in snow like we do getting stuck in the sand here!

UPS gave out "stick kits" a while back that had a small shovel and mats to put under the tires but someone got hurt by a flying mat and they took them away. We just scoop and scoop sand- then call anyone possible to come pull us if it is too deep. The local tow truck costs $250.00 for a tow! You cant avoid the bad spots on the rural runs!
 

HEFFERNAN

Huge Member
Sometimes if it forecasts for heavy snow later in the day, I break off and do all the tougher areas in the AM. You can't assume that area will be pulled off you when there is double the volume in those spots tomorrow. Plus at least, those areas will have the least amount of snow on the roads that time.
Our area, sometimes they have us deliver air with ground so we get the most off the fastest. There is no logic to when they do that, almost seems like they use a roullette wheel in the DM office.
 

dannyboy

From the promised LAND
the biggest tip i could share is leave yourself a big cushion in front of your package car. you never know when you have to stop, and cant assume the one in front of you will keep moving forward to make room.

we had several drivers not make it back twice in the last 30 years. both had to spend the night out on road with a customer, because they were out in the boonies.

not due to snow, but rain. one was stuck for three days before he could get out of where he was at.

for snow, stay back, see it all, leave room to react and stop.

and while i know i shouldn't have to even say it, buckle up, please!

d
 

old levi's

blank space
..........................................

we had several drivers not make it back twice in the last 30 years. both had to spend the night out on road with a customer, because they were out in the boonies. ............................................................................


d

danny, did they have to bunk with the farmer's daughter?
 

mrvngrdns

Active Member
I'm retired now, but was a rural route driver in Iowa for 28 years. The worst part of nasty weather was simply getting to my route, once I was there, it got better. I have numerous stories of days where people were advised to stay off the roads, but of course, UPS doesn't close. I remember one time 4 of us made the 35 mile drive to the town where we delivered, and didn't see one vehicle on the way, not a snow plow, or an emergency vehicle. And common sense worked well in the country, phone calls to customers, you could usually leave some packages at a friendly general store for them to pick up when they made it to town, but I usually got rid of all my packages even in a snowstorm. The first thing I did was make sure I could turn around at the farm I was delivering to. If the house was near the road, I even have parked on the road and ran the package up to the house. I can count on the fingers of one hand, the times I actually got stuck, and was only pulled out by a wrecker twice. On the interstate or highway on the way to and from, I went slow, and left a big cushion around me. Never had a problem.....by the way, I'm a Circle of Honor member.
 

What'dyabringmetoday???

Well-Known Member
I'm Never had a problem.....by the way, I'm a Circle of Honor member.
Congratulations on the Circle of Honor!! We have had a handful from our center that accomplished that, but they are few and far between. Of course, these days they simply want to see paid under on the report. I know they always have, but now they don't care how many trucks get wrecked to see that minus sign next to a driver's name. Congratulations again. Hope I live long enough to make it to the Circle.
 

browniehound

Well-Known Member
Never ever attempt to drive up a street or back into a dock unless you are 100% sure you can get out.
Watch out for idiots driving too fast for the conditions.
Always have a good ice scraper on board.
Insure you have plenty fuel.
Dress warm...


If its really bad I would call out sick. I'm not talking a few inches of snow, I'm talking 8-36 inches. Don't feel guilty. Nobody should be on the roads in these conditions.

Think about what you are risking. You risk your safety and vehicle on the ride to work. One slip-up by an idiot and you are hurt and your car is totaled. If you make it work you are now under the pressure of 170 stops and no sliding on the road. There could be a 20 foot stretch of ice under the snow that you can't see and if you hit it, the accident is on you.

I gave up on UPS's safety mantra 2 years ago. I learned that 1 day that THEY DON'T CARE. It was early peak and it was snowing to start the day. Later in the day visbility was about 5 feet. I was driving down a main st. at 10 MPH and could only see headlights. It wasn't until I was next to my buddy that I realized it was another UPS truck driving towards me. It was literally 5 feet!

We didn't get called off the road until 2 hours later 530 PM and thats when I lost all respect for UPS and its commitment to safety. Nobody should have been driving or walking in these conditions, but we were.

Slip and fall its your fault. Slide on ice into a tree its your fault. I disagree, its UPS's fault because the conditions were so bad that we could not follow the methods and 5 seeing habits safely.

I couldn't aim high in steering because I could only see 5 feet in front of me. I couldn't get the big picture because my picture existed of the road only. I tried to leave myself an out but I didn't know if it was effective because I couldn't see anything (UPS want 4-6 secs. of following distance under 30 MPH but how am I to judge when I can't see 2 seconds in front of me?). I put my headlights on so people could "make sure they see you", but nobody could see me because I couldn't see anyone else. I did keep my eyes moving for whatever that was worth:anxious:.


Mainly it was #5 on preventing slips and falls: Make adjustments based on changing weather conditions. This is fine, but to make these changes I would need snowshoes, goggles, and an ice pick to work safely!

When I can't recognize that its a UPS truck 10 feet away from me, I think its time to call it quits for the day? When this didn't happen I lost respect for their safety campaign.
 

browniehound

Well-Known Member
It tick's me off a bit about what UPS thinks about safety. They want us to know the 5 seeing habits, 10 point commentary, 5 rules of backing, 8 keys to liftering and lowering, and 5 steps to preventing slips and falls.

Then they want us to work in a blizzard and apply those methods? I understand they don't want packages sitting at the center, but if you are risking even 1 human life to try to get "what we can deliver", I think its too much. I think they put more than 1 life at risk when they send us out in a blizzard.

I can sit with my center manager and recite word for word every element in the first paragraph. He thinks if I know this I will not get into an accident or suffer an injury. I agree that I might be less likely to suffer one than someone who doesn't know it.

However, if you send me out in a snowstorm it will do no good. I'll work your methods, but if you still blame me in 12 inches of snow and 65 MPH winds, I will say you are wrong and most people will agree with ME.
 

New Englander

Well-Known Member
Congratulations on the Circle of Honor!! We have had a handful from our center that accomplished that, but they are few and far between. Of course, these days they simply want to see paid under on the report. I know they always have, but now they don't care how many trucks get wrecked to see that minus sign next to a driver's name. Congratulations again. Hope I live long enough to make it to the Circle.

I hope your jesting......as that is one of the stupidest things I've read here.
 

New Englander

Well-Known Member
Sorry for congratulating a guy on a job well done. Thank you for your input though. Perhaps I should have you screen future posts.

Nope....it was the stupid comment that UPS care's more about the over/under then accidents.

Amazing that someone can sit there and hear the safety crap and injury/accident target numbers crammed down our throats and STILL fail to understand they are very concerned about accidents.

Seems to me....in my area we get a whole heck of a lot more safety rides then performance rides.
 

What'dyabringmetoday???

Well-Known Member
Nope....it was the stupid comment that UPS care's more about the over/under then accidents.

Amazing that someone can sit there and hear the safety crap and injury/accident target numbers crammed down our throats and STILL fail to understand they are very concerned about accidents.

Seems to me....in my area we get a whole heck of a lot more safety rides then performance rides.
Maybe I should have confined my comments to the center I work at. You may not believe it, but ALL they care about is seeing a minus sign on the report. Many accidents get swept under the carpet. Not saying that they are all severe, but eventually one could be.

I guess I deserve your attitude since I have been on the mean side with another poster here.
 
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