Contending with the Forces of Nature: Wind

Each year, truckers cope with the very worst of nature: high winds, heavy snows, lightning, floods, rock slides, and even tornadoes. Although avoiding these scenarios would be the best option, often it is an impossible one. In this series of articles, we will analyze the best methods of driving through nature's fury without risking life and limb. Today's topic is high wind.

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How does one avoid flipping when the wind is strong enough to hurl over a 40 ton truck? In reality, there are three answers to this question, and we will analyze each briefly in this article.

Slow Down

Speed is the cause of the majority of truck crashes, and in high winds, high speed can be the ingredient necessary to send a truck on its side. Think of it this way. If you are traveling at 25 miles per hour and a sudden gust of wind slaps the rear of your trailer, your trailer will likely move over a few inches or maybe a foot. But double the speed, and suddenly, that slight adjustment in the path of your vehicle becomes a white-knuckle driving experience that could cause you to sweep other vehicles off the road and/or tip your own over. If you encounter high winds, drop your speed a few miles an hour. The reduced distance you will cover during each wind gust can allow you to correct the path of your vehicle and keep it on all its wheels.

Pull Over

In some cases, the wind is simply too strong to be safe to drive in. Depending on the weight of your load and the design of your truck and trailer, that speed could be anywhere from 40 miles and hour to 100. For example, a flattop truck hauling a 25 ton bulldozer on a stepdeck could likely drive in 70 plus mile an hour winds without a problem. But an empty van trailer towed by an truck with a condo sleeper could flip over in moderately strong wind. 

If you have to pull over because of the wind, try to park in a place where you can face into or away from the gusts. Even if you are stopped, in incredibly strong wind, your vehicle could still be pushed over.

Retrofit Your Ride

Trailer skirts have been recently popularized by many fleets for their effects on fuel economy. But they also are beneficial in high winds. When wind strikes the side of a trailer without skirts, the majority of the just is blocked by the trailer while part of the draft continues underneath the trailer. This causes the upper portion of the trailer to away from the gust while the wheels remain in their previous position. 

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Unless the driver allows the wind to move the trailer somewhat before returning to its original path, it can tip over. By installing trailer skirts on your van or curtain-side trailer, you will block the full flow of wind against your trailer and prevent the dangerous underdraft that can upset the balance of the vehicle. And at the same time, you will increase your fuel economy for the long haul.

Use these tips as you travel through the windswept plains of America and Canada's heartland, and safe travels to you as you contend with the forces of nature.

In our next post, we will discuss driving through flooding, so stay tuned for more.