Coming up Shap and Southwaite to Lockerbie through last night was a bit windy at times. I know being new to this ive still to face the bad weather.
Anyone any windy stories tips or advice?
And also take the poll, be interesting to see the percentage results.
Never been blown over, but had daylight under the trailer wheels a few times
Not yet, reckon all it takes is a gust at the wrong time/place on an empty tandem. There’s a stretch of the M6 between Westmorland services and the truckstop at J37 where they go over regularly, most I’ve seen was 1 southbound and 3 northbound on the same night within less than a mile 
The official line is slow down.
I once had a job pulling 40ft single axle step frame foam carriers. The old guys there always said ‘‘In high winds, just keep it going son’’
The only ones on that firm I remember going over then, were on A roads at lower speeds.
I have always done that since on empty tauts for the last 30+ yrs, …maybe just been lucky who knows, but always worked for me and never blown over.
Others will come on here and tell you the opposite.
Once saw one of Robson’s of Carlisle Fodens coming towards me go over on the 74, it was just like slow motion.
When I first started driving I was told foot down it keeps the trailer straight, I wasn’t sure if it was straight or not the night my skate trailer lifted off the floor but it certainly made me want to stop and tighten my curtains. It really did make me realise how dangerous the job is.
The only time that a transport manager has cared about the wind was when I was driving a bulker and drag and they told me to park up the trailer due to high winds, it was probably more down to the fact that they wanted the trailer in one piece rather than me but you take what you can get.
yes,i’ve been blown over 
Volvo F10 artic tipper,on a site near Coventry airport.didn’t fancy tipping my load with a cross-wind,but the site foreman insisted that i did,as 2 of Emmersons had just tipped with no problems.he wasn’t so happy as he got covered with hydraulic oil when the ram went as the trailer went over…could have been worse…
If you’re driving in windy conditions around ■■■■■■■■ there are a few stretches to really watch out for.
The worst I’ve seen is a little way south of M6 J40 where you see a cottage very close to the road (stone building with turrets) and it’s extremely bad for the next mile or so, generally southbound for some reason. According to someone who used to live in the house, there is no logic in which ones go over (except maybe load) as several will go by then one apparently randomly flips with no warning - kindof luck of the draw.
There’s also a stretch around Southwaite Services (J41 area) which can occasionally send trucks over, although not as often.
Unfortunately it’s not always the motorways which have problems. Saw a couple of trucks on their sides located on the A6 just north of J39 turn off in what I’d think was a sheltered spot, one right behind the other and from the same company.
Generally seems to be the curtainsiders which go over in that area at least.
Almost.Around 1.30 am on the night of the 1987 Hurricane driving a Scania 112 pulling a trailer loaded with empty cages up to Northampton.Going over the Heathrow junction fly over on the M4 got hit by a gust which managed to lift the drive axle enough for it to spin up on one side before it came back down.It was also interesting heading clockwise to the M1 on the M25 with the wind still blowing from behind the open cab window running at 60 + mph and enough of a headwind that slowed the thing down to less than 60 mph on the way back southbound again.Then found the house roof and chimney damaged when I eventually got home from Feltham through all the destruction on my around 15 mile commute home.It shows the severity of that storm in that I can still remember it like it was yesterday and never saw anything like it before or since. 
Once I came close,going over th M56 just after the Runcorn turn off its very exposed,they had given out very strong winds and I have a artic with just 2 pallets in the back so I had a nice big empty box for the wind to attack,the point I knew it was bad is when I realised I had a massive queue of cars behind me…reason being no one would go past me because of how I was being blown around,vile experience.
Never been blown over but took a decker with light pallets down to cairnryan a couple of years back in really strong winds. Driving between St Quivox and Ayr on the A77, the light that warns you that your drive wheels are spinning lit up at one point. I was getting battered about a bit so I assume there must have been fresh air between the road and my tyres.[emoji33]
Carryfast:
Almost.Around 1.30 am on the night of the 1987 Hurricane driving a Scania 112 pulling a trailer loaded with empty cages up to Northampton.Going over the Heathrow junction fly over on the M4 got hit by a gust which managed to lift the drive axle enough for it to spin up on one side before it came back down.It was also interesting heading clockwise to the M1 on the M25 with the wind still blowing from behind the open cab window running at 60 + mph and enough of a headwind that slowed the thing down to less than 60 mph on the way back southbound again.Then found the house roof and chimney damaged when I eventually got home from Feltham through all the destruction on my around 15 mile commute home.It shows the severity of that storm in that I can still remember it like it was yesterday and never saw anything like it before or since.
Maggie Thatcher’s to blame!
When I first started driving I came into work and it was blowing a gale, the old hands laughed at me as I didn’t want to go, I was bricking it , but I didnt want to have them ripping the ■■■■ out of me so I went , it was a nightmare, I was blown all over the place , thought I was going over a few times , nigh on empty taut.boss rang in morning to see how I’d got on, I was still shaking , asked him how the others had got on .
Oh they went 1/2 mile down road and came back as it was to bad to carry on 
came back and went home .
When I saw them I said you never were going to go out all night were you 
, they just grinned at me , I was so mad
Run a decker over Shap and back on nights for nearly 5 years.
Never blown over, can’t even remember backing off. There’s a video showing a stationary wagon going over so I thought little point in slowing down.
You might see a thousand trucks in a shift and only 5 or 6 over on the very worst night so the percentage chance of going over is tiny. Of course you could be unlucky.
I always thought if I crashed in heavy snow it’s my fault, but if I was blown over its wrong place wrong time
Tips, well, seat belt on if it’s not already and I always stuck my phone in my pocket, so it wouldn’t get lost if the worst happened .
Some interesting points there. Listening to that out there tonight im happy im on rest days. Keep checking now and again to see if my car is still there.
I also do deckers and im expecting a hairy time of it this winter. I suppose its all part of learning. Ill be keeping my phone in my pocket alright.
Just wished we had input in the loading. We pick up sealed deckers and cant even tighten the curtains as it breaks the seal. Need authorisation to get that done.
No I haven’t but the company I work for, coupled with the contract customer, cancelled all deliveries and gave us all a paid shift off because of the risk of high winds about 18 months ago. They took the risk seriously as opposed to other companies I’ve worked for on the ‘get as far as you can’ philosophy.
Somerfield Lea Green years ago only sent agency drivers out one day and kept staff drivers in.
Reason one staff drivers refused to go out and stuck together.
Reason two agency staff were told you’ll be banned for refusing a run. Think it was Exel back in them days.
The only thing you have no control over. Problem I found was knowing when to stop as it’s the gusts that do the damage… It may hit the truck in front and miss you. Luckily I’m on tankers now so apart from buffeting when empty sometimes it doesn’t affect me. One thing I will do in exposed sections is run alongside a vulnerable ie empty curtainsider or Luton, etc to act as a wind break because I know what that wind can do to a driver’s underpants
I ad bad wind this morning, i put it down to the 2 pickled eggs i ad for breakfast 
Seriously though, This : never been blown over, but had daylight under the trailer wheels a few times
Been blown into the next lane a few times. Hate driving empty in windy weather.
On the A1 right at the either the old A659 or might have been the A64, returning back down from Newcastle.I had already been told by the boss that there would be no return load as the load paid both ways. Since it was a Friday he said to crack on back as far as I could and he would see me Saturday morning.
I fully intended to run home with the curtains lashed back and rear doors open and strapped as it was windy as ‘eck with really strong gusts. But the dreaded 'we are returning 4 pallets driver’ put paid to that.
Right by whatever junction it was came a gust that started to send the trailer over, It was right up on the nearside wheels and tugging at the unit. It was almost as if the wind pushed me down the off ramp, but that was the saving grace because as the slip road dropped, the bank rose and cut the force of the wind enough to bring it back on an even keel.
I stopped at the bottom of the sliproad for a couple of minutes where I prized my hands off the wheel and shakily rolled a ciggy. I spent the night in Ferrybridge services rather than go any further!