Do they only close the A66 to high sided vehicles when one blows over?
No. They close it as soon as the wind is as strong as a follow through ■■■■.
lizard:
No. They close it as soon as the wind is as strong as a follow through ■■■■.
Bit like Felixstowe Docks lol 
Yeah, that’s about the gist of it. [emoji23]
But seeing as no one seems to know what a high sided vehicle is I continue to drive over the A66 regardless of what the sign says.
Was shut to all traffic tonight, not just high sided. Met one of our day drivers who had nighted out at Stainmore and said that it wasn’t as bad up there as it was going down the A1 through the roadworks. He reckoned the A1 was worse than the A66.
I’d come back from Lockerbie and Shap was ridiculous to the point that going southbound dropping down the hill to J38 truckstop loaded at 43 tonnes with the cruise control set at 90KPH I could barely get above 50MPH with the headwind belting up the valley.
The A66 spends I’d say half the Winter shut to “highsided vehicles and caravans” often based on the forecast that there might be a slightly higher than normal breeze and in theory before anything actually blows over. Did hear that one had gone over today, but I think that was on the far side of Stainmore which seems to be the bit they monitor so probably didn’t expect it.
The alternatives aren’t much better however as they usually say use A69 or M62 - neither of which is great in high winds or snow. Actually this might be why so many trucks go over on the M6 just south of Penrith during high winds as they are diverting to the M62 and of course get hit on the exposed bit coming between Penrith and Shap.
Don’t worry however - even if they didn’t shut the A66 to trucks, they’d only account for maybe 5% of all closures…the rest being idiots in BMWs who try to overtake right at the end of the dual carriageway sections and don’t make it. They cause closures all year round.
Conor - that honestly doesn’t surprise me, Tebay is a heck of a place for gales although at least it was coming towards you not sideways. Can be good if you catch the wind the other way…“I wasn’t speeding officer, it was the wind, honest”. 
I’m going from Glasgow to Normanton and back tomorrow. Down with an empty decker and back with a loaded one. If the A66 is shut, which I reckon it probably will be, its across the A69 or carry on down the M6 then across the M62. The A66 is the only way we can do the run in our time. The alternative routes are manageable with a 10hr drive providing we don’t get held up anywhere. With this storm, I somehow cant see it being a straight forward run. Going to be a long day tomorrow. Might even turn into an overnight.[emoji22]
One of our drivers was following another truck on the A66 on Friday and watched it blow over in front of him.
As for Tebay I have had the wheels leaving the ground and had the rev counter shooting around while travelling down the M6.
I was even blown over parked up in Tebay services for the night.
trevHCS:
Conor - that honestly doesn’t surprise me, Tebay is a heck of a place for gales although at least it was coming towards you not sideways. Can be good if you catch the wind the other way…“I wasn’t speeding officer, it was the wind, honest”.
Tebay was sideways, proper full on sideways to the point that following another wagon the spray from theirs never made it to your windscreen.It was when you dropped right down to where it goes through that bit with the hills on both sides and the railway line alongside where it became a real bad headwind.
damoq:
I somehow cant see it being a straight forward run. Going to be a long day tomorrow. Might even turn into an overnight.[emoji22]
Don’t worry mate, a good pal of mine recently got one of these new mercs and he reckons the bed’s top notch
damoq:
If the A66 is shut, which I reckon it probably will be, its across the A69 or carry on down the M6 then across the M62.[emoji22]
The A66 will defo be closed tomorrow and there could be a bit of chaos around Penrith area (M6 J40) too as there’s serious flooding near there. Personally I’d go with the M62 purely because there are more services to stop at if you run out of time - don’t want to be stuck on the A69 in a layby overnight when it’s seriously windy. I assume it’s Normanton in Nottinghamshire. Good luck with the drive and stay safe!
nab:
I was even blown over parked up in Tebay services for the night.
Parts of that services on both sides are pretty exposed although I suspect the Tebay truck services just off J38 is probably even worse. Don’t remember that happening to anyone when I worked there (main one southbound), but quite a few crashed entering the services or blew over just before it.
Conor:
It was when you dropped right down to where it goes through that bit with the hills
Ah yeah know where you mean - the wind really funnels through there, so really depends which way you’re going. Wonder if it affects the trains the same way. Vertical rain is pretty common down there. Actually rain full stop is pretty much guaranteed every day.
alfa man:
damoq:
I somehow cant see it being a straight forward run. Going to be a long day tomorrow. Might even turn into an overnight.[emoji22]Don’t worry mate, a good pal of mine recently got one of these new mercs and he reckons the bed’s top notch
Good to know. Had it almost 4 months now and I’ve not even tried the bed out yet. Tomorrow could be a first.[emoji3]
Normanton in west Yorkshire trevHCS. Poundworld to be exact. I’ll be going the M62 for the reasons you say. More services to stop at in case the worst happens. Don’t fancy being parked out in the open somewhere with a decker.[emoji22]
damoq:
alfa man:
damoq:
I somehow cant see it being a straight forward run. Going to be a long day tomorrow. Might even turn into an overnight.[emoji22]Don’t worry mate, a good pal of mine recently got one of these new mercs and he reckons the bed’s top notch
Good to know. Had it almost 4 months now and I’ve not even tried the bed out yet. Tomorrow could be a first.[emoji3]
Have a safe trip mate, and as trev says there more places to stop on the m62/m6 route so probably best coming that way up the road if your struggling for time.
Steve-o:
But seeing as no one seems to know what a high sided vehicle is I continue to drive over the A66 regardless of what the sign says.
anything higher than 8ft is considered to be high sided was what i was told years ago
damoq:
I’m going from Glasgow to Normanton and back tomorrow. Down with an empty decker and back with a loaded one. If the A66 is shut, which I reckon it probably will be, its across the A69 or carry on down the M6 then across the M62. The A66 is the only way we can do the run in our time. The alternative routes are manageable with a 10hr drive providing we don’t get held up anywhere. With this storm, I somehow cant see it being a straight forward run. Going to be a long day tomorrow. Might even turn into an overnight.[emoji22]
I’d go M8 and down the east coast way as its westerly cross wind and you’ll be more sheltered that way. The high parts of the A74/M6 are just as bad as the A66. Had one blow over on the A74 in front of me the other week, and another went over on the M6 shortly after I’d got parked up at Charnock Richard services. I would worry a lot less about parking in windy layby as going over at 55mph.
Have just been checking the wind forecasts for most of the England and it seems that the gale force winds and above will subside during the course of the night and Sunday should be just another normal windy day, but if I am wrong blame Michael Fish !!
trevHCS:
damoq:
If the A66 is shut, which I reckon it probably will be, its across the A69 or carry on down the M6 then across the M62.[emoji22]The A66 will defo be closed tomorrow and there could be a bit of chaos around Penrith area (M6 J40) too as there’s serious flooding near there. Personally I’d go with the M62 purely because there are more services to stop at if you run out of time - don’t want to be stuck on the A69 in a layby overnight when it’s seriously windy. I assume it’s Normanton in Nottinghamshire. Good luck with the drive and stay safe!
nab:
I was even blown over parked up in Tebay services for the night.Parts of that services on both sides are pretty exposed although I suspect the Tebay truck services just off J38 is probably even worse. Don’t remember that happening to anyone when I worked there (main one southbound), but quite a few crashed entering the services or blew over just before it.
Conor:
It was when you dropped right down to where it goes through that bit with the hillsAh yeah know where you mean - the wind really funnels through there, so really depends which way you’re going. Wonder if it affects the trains the same way. Vertical rain is pretty common down there. Actually rain full stop is pretty much guaranteed every day.
When I was blown over in Tebay it was on the northbound side at about 6am on the saturday morning Carlisle had massive floods which was 2005 I think.
It was not very windy when I parked up on the Friday night when I ran out of time, but by midnight it started to get bad and it never stopped raining.
I got out of the truck as I could feel the power in the wind trying to force it over and went into the main building to shelter in darkness as there was no power, and minutes later it went over.
The police closed the motorway due to the high winds and traffic was queued up in the services and all the way down the motorway.
As I stood in the services Police cars kept coming in dropping truck drivers off that had been blown over further down the M6.
I eventually got a lift home and counted eighteen vehicles on there sides between Tebay and Gretna plus there was loads south of Tebay judging by the amount of drivers being dropped of in the services by the police.
i cabbed it on the top deck of the norsemerchant /belfast/birkenhead a few years ago,the boat had to hide round the back of the i.o.m for a few hours to dodge the worst of weather,i wondered what the bang was that woke me in the middle of the night,and thought that we had just turned round the end of the island as it was mental to start with,but all of a sudden was totally bouncing me out of my bed…i was all roastytoasty and snuggled into the duvet and all good fun till i looked out the window and the unaccompanied trailer next to me on the outer deck had blown off the side,due to the dwang snapping…all in all one of the more interesting evenings ive had to spend on one of the worst ferries ive ever been on.(twice a week for 3 years,8 hours of prison with the option of drowning).