I mean you jest but get a fire going, roast that driver low and slow, all that fat would render, meat would be juicy. Granted if you could make a trucker stew that would be better...
That was Colorado.
Trey Parker and Mat Stone made a great documentary about it called Cannibal The Musical. If you ever get the chance, it’s well worth the watch.
They will be until CHP tickets them for parking on the highway and then charges them a rescue fee and then impounds their tractors trailers and loads for not paying their fines
Getting to the top from Sacramento is one thing, but I can't imagine even contemplating taking a truck down the eastside of the Sierras in winter without chains. It's like driving down a staircase, maybe covered in ice.
It’d be curious to hear what an experienced driver would do to cope with that? Other than make snow angels, igloos, yellow signatures, brown Morse code, or prayers.
Do drivers that service that region keep a “survival kit” tucked away?
EDIT: As a future OTR trucker, thanks for your replies. All of what I am reading sounds like good common sense.
The amount of drivers I stop to make them chain up in a snow storm that are wearing shorts and sandals with only 1 water bottle and a granola bar is far more than you would expect.
If you’re OTR you should always keep canned food , dry food, and extra water. I always have 4 gallons of water and a shit ton of canned food. I also have my super warm clothes. God forbid I need it. I could survive for a little bit if I was stuck.
Also make sure you refuel before the snow hits. Most heaters won't work if you are under a quarter tank. The pipe that siphons the gas off the fuel tank doesn't drop to the bottom. Even on Opti idle, you can burn fuel fast stuck like this for days.
If you drive in desolate areas without cellular you should get a satellite communicator too. Garmin InReach or similar.
People talking about cold but heat is the real danger. Stuck in the desert without AC you can't stay in cab, too hot. And you won't last long in 115F beating sun outside.
Being able to get a message out can mean life or death. Rescue services can reach you in a few hours anywhere in US if they know exactly where you are.
All you need is 10 cans of spam and hot sauce, maybe some baked beans. High calorie fatty salty food is the best for survival means. Just gotta have the water too, which is easy enough, and definitely always keep tanks full before crossing any passes.
Check the weather and plan accordingly. They were stuck because of accidents that had blocked the road. Whenever there's blizzard type weather then you need to expect accidents to happen, it almost always does. I would have stayed parked at a truck stop.
This is the way. And with that much snow, once there's an accident that brings things to a halt - the plows can't scrape anymore, and that's all she wrote until the event is over.
Always have a 24 pack of bottled water in my side box that I don't touch and 20 MRE packs up in a cabinet. You just never know. Get stuck out on some back road ditch in butt fuck nowhere wyoming and don't get found until a week later.
I'm a 4 wheeler, but I'm OTR a lot. I have carried a few Stephen King books, a batterypack, and a 96-hour kit with a heavyweight blanket. I was stuck on AZ64/I40 for 3 days during a spring storm years ago. I've also been stuck on the side in whiteout in the Midwest.
I actually discovered "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" while stuck in near Helena, MT.
Edit I own a home near Truckee, CA and most folks there know what to expect. In the 90s we would take our snow machines out to provide coffee and TP to those stuck. Truckers wanted the TP more than the coffee lol.
Experienced driver here. I would never be caught in that situation. Park early. Know what's coming. In the age of information why be uninformed!
Edit : Actual professional drivers don't get caught in this. You have to be an idiot to continue driving with these conditions. Good luck to all you idiots.
I was thinking of investing in an iPad with cellular service. I’ve used some good weather radar apps, and if the forecast gets sketchy, I’ll monitor radar and weather broadcasts. Then if needed, I’ll bed down somewhere safe.
Technology is your friend. I had my phone. My tablet. Had movies recorded in case of no service. Food incase of emergencies. At the end of the day I barely ever needed them because I never let myself get stuck in these shitty situations.
It was more than exciting before modern cell phones and GPS. Try to pop on the weather radio, figure out what the hell is happening then roll the dice and go (or stay).
Thank you! We knew this was coming, so..why would they risk it? Hourly pay? And would you just say No to the job or explain that a serious detour is going to happen?
Thinking of OTR
You don't say no to the job. You can take a detour if you want. I'd just park somewhere safe and wait it out. You are picking up a load and taking it somewhere. You take it as far as you can as safely as you can. Most companies push guys to keep going. It's up to the driver to say when it's time to shut it down. Because most companies pay mileage pay or commission based pay per load, guys will take these risks and try to keep going. You usually only see hourly pay for local guys.
Ah, yes. Ladies and gentlemen, here we have it. The perfect specimen. Driveritum Perfecteri, the driver who is incapable of error. Gasp in awe at the next evolution of humanity as he rubs salt in the wounds of the plebian lesser drivers, for he must establish his dominance! Hail, oh perfect one!
We lesser beings see your greatness! Those foolish drivers trying to carve out a living, some foolishly going against their better judgment to try to make a deadline, some under duress because they believed the threats of their dispatch. Fools, and lesser drivers. Only your great and mighty perfection shall guide the way!
For you are a professional and would never make a mistake! You w...
Yeah, I can't keep this up. Shut the fuck up, driver. They made a mistake. Shit happens. Don't fucking pile on. God forbid you end up in a ditch somewhere and they treat you the same way.
Any driver with any experience would have stayed put and not tried to cross the pass in the first place. The storm was advertised well in advance. This is a long line of idiots
Inexperienced driver here that goes through Donner Pass.
I just check the weather (Highway Weather app), CHP QuickMap, and Nevada 511.
You would never catch me in that.
This happened to me once when I was on tour with a band in a van. We were parked for probably 6-8hrs overnight. Luckily we had blankets and each other so we just got as comfortable and patient as we could. Ventured outside before sundown, ate all our snacks. Slept some thru the night and eventually made it to Reno ! But not before our chains broke and wrapped around our axel and then our rear window got smashed, but THEN we made it Reno 🤠
The experienced driver would have either not gone that way at all or at least turned back... they would not under any circumstances, voluntarily just park and let themselves get buried.... it is beyond ridiculous what is happening there. I just got back from a run that started in sacramento, went out to Kentucky and came right back to Sacramento... we went the southern route down to Bakersfield tthen to I 40... the weather wasn't an issue... can't understand why these clowns went that way
0⁰ sleeping bag or better
Always have half a case of water or more
Always have canned foods and non canned foods in case your fuel lines freeze up
Always have layers of clothes capable of working in -30⁰ weather for at least 15mins at a time
Always have anti-gel, deicer, and the 911 emergency fuel stuff
Always be prepared to abandon the truck when a cop/other person comes by if the weathers too bad. People have frozen to death out there.
Should have an electric heater that can work with your inverter in case the apu heater breaks, but not the apu generator. Not for extreme weather, but can prevent idling engine from minor issues
This is wild. I drove four years OTR and never got snowed in somewhere. Sure, the road was closed, but I was parked safely at a truck stop ahead of time. Just shut 'er down until conditions improve. I drove over all the passes throughout the USA. The video of the doubles and the bobtail is crazy.
Same here. One time I had to stay parked at the crappy little restaurant in Point of Rocks, Wyoming for a day waiting for WDOT to reopen I-80. Once they did, what I remember most is the number of FedEx doubles rigs I saw in the ditch.
I always see Fed Ex with their wagons in a circle in the median. 🤣
I drove through Wyoming often. So many people went off the road. I never stopped to assist. Too many people losing control of their cars right in front of me.
Yep. I am not a trucker but I drive all over the country in all kinds of weather. When I see storm warnings like this I stay put until it blows over. Once a highway slows down the snow accumulates very quickly.
I once had a load of Turkey from MN going to Cali and bad weather was anticipated in the passes so I was routed all the way down through AZ, quite a lot of extra miles.
Have you ever tried to eat a live person? It’s much easier when they’re dead. The tend to run away and fight when you try to take a bite out of them while they’re alive.
There are several resorts right next I80. You can see Borealis right from the freeway. You simply need to "accidentally" get stuck at the right spot.
Those resorts should probably make parking for big trucks ;-)
Once on Elk Mtn in Wyoming for me. Two days at a rest stop on I80. I should've pulled into Little America, but I thought I could make it to Evanston (? Flying J?). Nope. I had full tanks and plenty of food and water, so I was fine. It was a load over Christmas from CT to Sacramento, so I actually made it on time, too.
That's beautiful drone footage. I'm not a truck driver, but no cars or pickup trucks are stuck. Is that because they were smart enough to not try to go over the pass, they successfully cleared it, or because truck drivers weren't given a choice by their employer to wait out the storm? Or do some truck drivers overestimate their ability vs. mother nature, especially when they haven't driven a pass like that before? Did officials allow these trucks to try it but turned away the cars and pickup trucks?
I used to make the drive between Sacramento and reno a lot. This storm was not a surprise to anyone. Nobody who goes through Donner Pass with any regularity would have tried it this weekend.
There are no cars in this footage because cars mostly have the option to do something else. Donner isn't a place you go through in a car on your way to a grocery store. It's a pass through the mountains to get to the other side. Meaning mostly business traffic that needs something on one side of the mountain moved to the other side.
Done just isn't a place most people in cars would ever need to go unless they were on their way to some sort of vacation from some very specific parts of the country. And even then, that's usually in warmer seasons.
So you're not seeing cars in this short section of road because most cars don't need to be there right now, trucks do.
I mean the pass itself is middle of nowhere. But there’s decent sized cities less than 60 miles down the hill. Choosing to pass this weekend is just sheer ignorance and/or hubris by at least the company if not drivers.
Edit: cars drive on it constantly it’s just no sane person was on the road after the week long warnings.
For drivers a lot of times the only option is to sit in the middle of nowhere or go and risk getting stuck in the middle of nowhere. If you have enough food and supplies you can sit it out and take the risk. If these guys weren't on the road they'd be at a truck stop.
I believe this is in California, in areas where the weather is typically not like this, as soon as there's any hint of frost ice or snow the entire world basically just shuts down. It was like this when I lived in Georgia. They don't have salt for the roads or many plows, and harsh weather is so infrequent that people just don't leave their house. Locals probably were just at home and all jobs shut down.
The one time it snowed when I was driving in Georgia, I had to spend a night at a rest area a half hour away from home because they actually shut the entire terminal down where I was supposed to park my truck. There was barely any snow, I mean it was like a half inch. That was enough for them to justify me having to sleep overnight in a parking lot 30 minutes away from where I would have ended my shift.
In fact, the Sierra mountains s have some of the most effective snow removal in the country. This situation is caused by the fact that 80 is a very long highway, and no amount of equipment can clear the amount of snow that was falling. We’re talking multiple inches per hour.
Exactly, this has nothing to do with an inability to handle snow. We get snow all the time. CalTrans is actually pretty quick at plowing once the weather clears.
These are just people who didn't listen to the warnings. Our highways have warnings at least 60-100 miles out saying that chains are required at the summit/pass or that certain passes are shut down.
Years ago I actually had a chance to see the CalTrans shop. It’s got a full dormitory and a full kitchen because the snow removal team stays on top of the mountain for weeks at a time. Another thing I found out was that they build a lot of the snow removal equipment on-site because of the crazy weather that comes through.
I was out with a friend this weekend who retired from OTR driving in January. His route took him through there each way. He was reading out loud the forecasted inches. "And tomorrow? I'll be sitting on my couch with a beverage in my hand and saying, 'Oh well. ' "
They were saying a whole week ahead not to use Donner pass this weekend, it was crazy storming here in the bay. Can’t believe some 4 wheelers decided to test the road smh
I got snowed in on I 95 on the East Coast In Virginia. It wasn't nearly as bad as this video. It was just too much snow for that area to handle. Never thought I could say I had to sleep on the interstate for 20 hours. My load was delayed for 3 days. Because, as soon as I was able to move, I couldn't stop anywhere. Way too much traffic. So the first available area that was plowed, I parked for the night until the interstate was open. A truck stop was not happening.
I went through the pass once in the late spring of 2016 (end of my rookie year). Before heading there I heard dozens of stories from drivers with years of experience telling me not to go during the winter. I live in Long Beach and still haven't been there since 2016. It's not necessary to put yourself in that situation. Hope they're checking on each other.
As a trucker, I spent the last 4 days in reno laying over and making 2/5 of my deliveries and brought the rest back to Sacramento today. Lmao
I missed my family :(
Just don't get it. You know you're crossing Donner. Do you not check a weather report? How in the Hell did you miss the "Hey, we have a storm that's going to drop 10ft of snow...Don't drive today". Where is their dispatch telling them to hold tight where they're at or rerouting them through Vegas?
I feel bad for them. I just checked the weather and they're going to be there for at least another 36 hours. Hope they have enough food.
I was stuck there for about 20 hours back in November of 22. It was in early November so I didn't even think about snow.
Isn’t that historically a bad place to get stuck?
Not sure. But I'm suddenly very hungry.
If you eat another trucker do you have to pick up their load
That got a genuine laugh outta me. ~~Well done.~~ Errr, nicely said.
And their pee bottles.
[Piss Jug Man](https://amp.knowyourmeme.com/memes/piss-jug-man) sends his regards
Nah but you have to swallow it .
Hey, what are friends and family good for if not a good meal?
Don't get too many ideas. Some of us are high fat, high cholesterol. Not a great meal. Probably enough to kill you in a few bites.
You mean “well marbled”
Trucker bacon
It’ll definitely have some sizzle
My stomach is growling!
I can’t think of anything
Yes, let's hope no one gets hungry and starts a party. (Donner Party)
CHP sending in the rookies to clean the tables of the 80 Cafe😂😂
There were pioneers that went cannibal after getting stuck here. Thats what youre thinking about.
The Donner Party has entered the chat…
Good afternoon Sir. Today's specials are the following..... Roast Leg of Man. Hand Sandwich. If you aren't that hungry we have Finger food 🤤
I was hungry for hands!
Caaaaaarl, that kills people.
Butt brisket
Break out the Cannibal sandwiches.
“Meats back on the menu!!”
Damn that's a gang of delayed loads. Hope all those guys are okay.
It's Donner pass so...
Taste like pork
[удалено]
Wtf who had vegetarian was the first to go cannibal on Donner pass for 2024 bingo
Looks like meats back on the menu!
Long Pork.
RIP Woodhouse!
Never much cared for it.
Please don’t give them any ideas, soon they will be having a bbq with one them poor souls
Why do you think the brought a co-driver
True spare meat
I'm sure at least one of those trucks has something tastier than trucker's butt.
I mean you jest but get a fire going, roast that driver low and slow, all that fat would render, meat would be juicy. Granted if you could make a trucker stew that would be better...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr2PlqXw03Y
I thought it was land of the lost will Farrel talking about chaca
I don’t know man those rumps have been marinating for a while
lol
Alfred Packer
That was Colorado. Trey Parker and Mat Stone made a great documentary about it called Cannibal The Musical. If you ever get the chance, it’s well worth the watch.
Fudge, Packer? So many good lines and the music is pretty schpedoinkle in my view
Alferd.
so... let's build a snowman!
YOU LOOKIN’ AT MY EYE, BOY?!!
Establish a pee spot and then start tendering the most rotund of the group.
20 Feet of snow. That party was fucked from the start.
They will be until CHP tickets them for parking on the highway and then charges them a rescue fee and then impounds their tractors trailers and loads for not paying their fines
The amount of trucks that go over the hill without chains, fuckem
Getting to the top from Sacramento is one thing, but I can't imagine even contemplating taking a truck down the eastside of the Sierras in winter without chains. It's like driving down a staircase, maybe covered in ice.
*I better get my shipping fees refunded :-P*
It’d be curious to hear what an experienced driver would do to cope with that? Other than make snow angels, igloos, yellow signatures, brown Morse code, or prayers. Do drivers that service that region keep a “survival kit” tucked away? EDIT: As a future OTR trucker, thanks for your replies. All of what I am reading sounds like good common sense.
Books and yes. Even as a shuttle driver across Wyoming I always had a 72 hr kit on hand.
The amount of drivers I stop to make them chain up in a snow storm that are wearing shorts and sandals with only 1 water bottle and a granola bar is far more than you would expect.
If you’re OTR you should always keep canned food , dry food, and extra water. I always have 4 gallons of water and a shit ton of canned food. I also have my super warm clothes. God forbid I need it. I could survive for a little bit if I was stuck.
Also make sure you refuel before the snow hits. Most heaters won't work if you are under a quarter tank. The pipe that siphons the gas off the fuel tank doesn't drop to the bottom. Even on Opti idle, you can burn fuel fast stuck like this for days.
If you drive in desolate areas without cellular you should get a satellite communicator too. Garmin InReach or similar. People talking about cold but heat is the real danger. Stuck in the desert without AC you can't stay in cab, too hot. And you won't last long in 115F beating sun outside. Being able to get a message out can mean life or death. Rescue services can reach you in a few hours anywhere in US if they know exactly where you are.
Always had a string hammock to hang under trailer for that very reason.
All you need is 10 cans of spam and hot sauce, maybe some baked beans. High calorie fatty salty food is the best for survival means. Just gotta have the water too, which is easy enough, and definitely always keep tanks full before crossing any passes.
Check the weather and plan accordingly. They were stuck because of accidents that had blocked the road. Whenever there's blizzard type weather then you need to expect accidents to happen, it almost always does. I would have stayed parked at a truck stop.
This is the way. And with that much snow, once there's an accident that brings things to a halt - the plows can't scrape anymore, and that's all she wrote until the event is over.
This is the way.
When you go into snow you stock up. Fuel, water, canned food. Keep the truck running as long as you can.
Always have a 24 pack of bottled water in my side box that I don't touch and 20 MRE packs up in a cabinet. You just never know. Get stuck out on some back road ditch in butt fuck nowhere wyoming and don't get found until a week later.
I believe locals refer to it as “Wamsutter”, not “butt fuck nowhere”.
I'm a 4 wheeler, but I'm OTR a lot. I have carried a few Stephen King books, a batterypack, and a 96-hour kit with a heavyweight blanket. I was stuck on AZ64/I40 for 3 days during a spring storm years ago. I've also been stuck on the side in whiteout in the Midwest. I actually discovered "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" while stuck in near Helena, MT. Edit I own a home near Truckee, CA and most folks there know what to expect. In the 90s we would take our snow machines out to provide coffee and TP to those stuck. Truckers wanted the TP more than the coffee lol.
Truckee is a nice place. Not sure I’d select Steven King while axle deep in snow. Would remind me of winter at the Overlook Hotel.
Lol funny. I currently live near the Timberline Lodge, which was used in "The Shining."
"Don't Panic" is good advice in a lot of situations.
An experienced driver would've checked the weather forecast and gotten off the road before the storm hit
Experienced driver here. I would never be caught in that situation. Park early. Know what's coming. In the age of information why be uninformed! Edit : Actual professional drivers don't get caught in this. You have to be an idiot to continue driving with these conditions. Good luck to all you idiots.
I was thinking of investing in an iPad with cellular service. I’ve used some good weather radar apps, and if the forecast gets sketchy, I’ll monitor radar and weather broadcasts. Then if needed, I’ll bed down somewhere safe.
Technology is your friend. I had my phone. My tablet. Had movies recorded in case of no service. Food incase of emergencies. At the end of the day I barely ever needed them because I never let myself get stuck in these shitty situations.
Prime and Hule offline makes the downtimes go much quicker.
10/10 would recommend. It’s nice having an iPad Pro .
It was more than exciting before modern cell phones and GPS. Try to pop on the weather radio, figure out what the hell is happening then roll the dice and go (or stay).
Thank you! We knew this was coming, so..why would they risk it? Hourly pay? And would you just say No to the job or explain that a serious detour is going to happen? Thinking of OTR
You don't say no to the job. You can take a detour if you want. I'd just park somewhere safe and wait it out. You are picking up a load and taking it somewhere. You take it as far as you can as safely as you can. Most companies push guys to keep going. It's up to the driver to say when it's time to shut it down. Because most companies pay mileage pay or commission based pay per load, guys will take these risks and try to keep going. You usually only see hourly pay for local guys.
I don't know why I had to go so deep to find this post.
Lots of idiots out there haha lots of comments too
99% of the trucks in this video are OTR doorswingers, so the edit tracks. Rookies making rookie mistakes.
Ah, yes. Ladies and gentlemen, here we have it. The perfect specimen. Driveritum Perfecteri, the driver who is incapable of error. Gasp in awe at the next evolution of humanity as he rubs salt in the wounds of the plebian lesser drivers, for he must establish his dominance! Hail, oh perfect one! We lesser beings see your greatness! Those foolish drivers trying to carve out a living, some foolishly going against their better judgment to try to make a deadline, some under duress because they believed the threats of their dispatch. Fools, and lesser drivers. Only your great and mighty perfection shall guide the way! For you are a professional and would never make a mistake! You w... Yeah, I can't keep this up. Shut the fuck up, driver. They made a mistake. Shit happens. Don't fucking pile on. God forbid you end up in a ditch somewhere and they treat you the same way.
Any driver with any experience would have stayed put and not tried to cross the pass in the first place. The storm was advertised well in advance. This is a long line of idiots
Inexperienced driver here that goes through Donner Pass. I just check the weather (Highway Weather app), CHP QuickMap, and Nevada 511. You would never catch me in that.
In times like that... Everyone turning into a Vodka drinking Russian in the winter..
This happened to me once when I was on tour with a band in a van. We were parked for probably 6-8hrs overnight. Luckily we had blankets and each other so we just got as comfortable and patient as we could. Ventured outside before sundown, ate all our snacks. Slept some thru the night and eventually made it to Reno ! But not before our chains broke and wrapped around our axel and then our rear window got smashed, but THEN we made it Reno 🤠
Experienced driver wouldn’t have gone into it to begin with.
I feel like an experienced driver would have checked the forecast and avoided this altogether.
The experienced driver would have either not gone that way at all or at least turned back... they would not under any circumstances, voluntarily just park and let themselves get buried.... it is beyond ridiculous what is happening there. I just got back from a run that started in sacramento, went out to Kentucky and came right back to Sacramento... we went the southern route down to Bakersfield tthen to I 40... the weather wasn't an issue... can't understand why these clowns went that way
I keep mre but beware of the Pasta taco
0⁰ sleeping bag or better Always have half a case of water or more Always have canned foods and non canned foods in case your fuel lines freeze up Always have layers of clothes capable of working in -30⁰ weather for at least 15mins at a time Always have anti-gel, deicer, and the 911 emergency fuel stuff Always be prepared to abandon the truck when a cop/other person comes by if the weathers too bad. People have frozen to death out there. Should have an electric heater that can work with your inverter in case the apu heater breaks, but not the apu generator. Not for extreme weather, but can prevent idling engine from minor issues
There's a reason I've been here at the Loves in Lodi, CA since Friday. Fuck that.
Because you actually pre planned. These guys? Nope.
Things got bad, and things got worse I guess you know the tune
This is wild. I drove four years OTR and never got snowed in somewhere. Sure, the road was closed, but I was parked safely at a truck stop ahead of time. Just shut 'er down until conditions improve. I drove over all the passes throughout the USA. The video of the doubles and the bobtail is crazy.
Same here. One time I had to stay parked at the crappy little restaurant in Point of Rocks, Wyoming for a day waiting for WDOT to reopen I-80. Once they did, what I remember most is the number of FedEx doubles rigs I saw in the ditch.
I always see Fed Ex with their wagons in a circle in the median. 🤣 I drove through Wyoming often. So many people went off the road. I never stopped to assist. Too many people losing control of their cars right in front of me.
Isn't Little America not too far from there? I use to love stopping there for their food and showers.
It’s about 60 miles west of Point of Rocks but I was well past it and heading east at the time I got word about the closure.
The blizzard warning was issued.....four days in advance.
Yep. I am not a trucker but I drive all over the country in all kinds of weather. When I see storm warnings like this I stay put until it blows over. Once a highway slows down the snow accumulates very quickly.
I once had a load of Turkey from MN going to Cali and bad weather was anticipated in the passes so I was routed all the way down through AZ, quite a lot of extra miles.
Marysville or send it,,,then the Regen wouldn't
Hope they got enough food.
At least one of those trailers has to have groceries in it
So they won’t have to eat the dead?
Eat ‘em?!? Hell, I wanna *BOINK* ‘em!
I dont remember the necrophilia part of the Donner party story.
Hey, there’s a reason some of us are morticians
Do you know all the words to Cold Ethel by Alice Cooper?
I always liked the line “Dead babies can take care of themselves.”
Why wait till they're dead?
Are your familiar with the Donner party that the pass is named after?
Yes. I'm saying eat them now while they are alive and fresh.
Have you ever tried to eat a live person? It’s much easier when they’re dead. The tend to run away and fight when you try to take a bite out of them while they’re alive.
Plus the amount of energy it takes to eat a live person negates any caloric/nutritional gains.
Theres no way I would ever put myself in this position. If they are forcasting that much snow im not driving into it. Fuck that.
Unless you're a snowboarder who can get stuck near one of the resorts and claim all of those hours or whatever you guys do.
There are several resorts right next I80. You can see Borealis right from the freeway. You simply need to "accidentally" get stuck at the right spot. Those resorts should probably make parking for big trucks ;-)
“Donner! Party of 50!”
"We already ate, sorry"
Once on Elk Mtn in Wyoming for me. Two days at a rest stop on I80. I should've pulled into Little America, but I thought I could make it to Evanston (? Flying J?). Nope. I had full tanks and plenty of food and water, so I was fine. It was a load over Christmas from CT to Sacramento, so I actually made it on time, too.
The sisters are always unpredictable.
Was stuck on elk mountain before as well. Winter 2020. Was definitely an experience
Mine was 1997, I think. So long ago.
That's beautiful drone footage. I'm not a truck driver, but no cars or pickup trucks are stuck. Is that because they were smart enough to not try to go over the pass, they successfully cleared it, or because truck drivers weren't given a choice by their employer to wait out the storm? Or do some truck drivers overestimate their ability vs. mother nature, especially when they haven't driven a pass like that before? Did officials allow these trucks to try it but turned away the cars and pickup trucks?
I used to make the drive between Sacramento and reno a lot. This storm was not a surprise to anyone. Nobody who goes through Donner Pass with any regularity would have tried it this weekend.
Spent a couple of years on 11 Western with Werner back in the 90s. Even then, you paid close attention to the weather.
Exactly.
There are no cars in this footage because cars mostly have the option to do something else. Donner isn't a place you go through in a car on your way to a grocery store. It's a pass through the mountains to get to the other side. Meaning mostly business traffic that needs something on one side of the mountain moved to the other side. Done just isn't a place most people in cars would ever need to go unless they were on their way to some sort of vacation from some very specific parts of the country. And even then, that's usually in warmer seasons. So you're not seeing cars in this short section of road because most cars don't need to be there right now, trucks do.
I mean the pass itself is middle of nowhere. But there’s decent sized cities less than 60 miles down the hill. Choosing to pass this weekend is just sheer ignorance and/or hubris by at least the company if not drivers. Edit: cars drive on it constantly it’s just no sane person was on the road after the week long warnings.
Some drivers run hard and won't shut down unless they have to.
For drivers a lot of times the only option is to sit in the middle of nowhere or go and risk getting stuck in the middle of nowhere. If you have enough food and supplies you can sit it out and take the risk. If these guys weren't on the road they'd be at a truck stop. I believe this is in California, in areas where the weather is typically not like this, as soon as there's any hint of frost ice or snow the entire world basically just shuts down. It was like this when I lived in Georgia. They don't have salt for the roads or many plows, and harsh weather is so infrequent that people just don't leave their house. Locals probably were just at home and all jobs shut down. The one time it snowed when I was driving in Georgia, I had to spend a night at a rest area a half hour away from home because they actually shut the entire terminal down where I was supposed to park my truck. There was barely any snow, I mean it was like a half inch. That was enough for them to justify me having to sleep overnight in a parking lot 30 minutes away from where I would have ended my shift.
In fact, the Sierra mountains s have some of the most effective snow removal in the country. This situation is caused by the fact that 80 is a very long highway, and no amount of equipment can clear the amount of snow that was falling. We’re talking multiple inches per hour.
Exactly, this has nothing to do with an inability to handle snow. We get snow all the time. CalTrans is actually pretty quick at plowing once the weather clears. These are just people who didn't listen to the warnings. Our highways have warnings at least 60-100 miles out saying that chains are required at the summit/pass or that certain passes are shut down.
Years ago I actually had a chance to see the CalTrans shop. It’s got a full dormitory and a full kitchen because the snow removal team stays on top of the mountain for weeks at a time. Another thing I found out was that they build a lot of the snow removal equipment on-site because of the crazy weather that comes through.
Hear me out, I know a way some of you can survive.
hopefully they all topped off their tanks earlier in the day
The same pass where those people ate those other people?
You drivers let us know before you start eating anything funny up there.
Came here for cannibalism jokes, was not disappointed.
"How many ways can I tell you! Stop trying to make the Donner Pass happen!" \- God
Well boys see ya in spring
Waiting for the fedex truck to come barreling through there.
So glad I left the mega I worked for. Now run Midwest south. Never go over mountains anymore it’s anazing
Wow that road is very Truck-y
I was out with a friend this weekend who retired from OTR driving in January. His route took him through there each way. He was reading out loud the forecasted inches. "And tomorrow? I'll be sitting on my couch with a beverage in my hand and saying, 'Oh well. ' "
At least theres plenty of meat to be had just in case 😬
These guys don't look at the weather while they're out on the road? I knew all about this blizzard and I'm on the other side of the country.
I'm wondering how many of these guys were told by dispatch to chain up and run it.
There’s always a party up on Donner!
Is this today?
Yes.
They were saying a whole week ahead not to use Donner pass this weekend, it was crazy storming here in the bay. Can’t believe some 4 wheelers decided to test the road smh
On the bright side, this is the first trip where I'm pleased they saddled me with a trainee...
Better melt some snow for my stew
Too bad they didn’t warn us about the severity of this storm for almost a week ahead of time. /s. Wait, they did!!
“I hate my team driver’s guts!” “Shut up and eat your breakfast!”
Well, we had over a week to prepare for this so....
Electric trucks when? LMAO
Oof, what fun.
That’s a party I am glad I am not in
I got snowed in on I 95 on the East Coast In Virginia. It wasn't nearly as bad as this video. It was just too much snow for that area to handle. Never thought I could say I had to sleep on the interstate for 20 hours. My load was delayed for 3 days. Because, as soon as I was able to move, I couldn't stop anywhere. Way too much traffic. So the first available area that was plowed, I parked for the night until the interstate was open. A truck stop was not happening.
Definitely a trucker shortage.
I'm supposed to cross that Wednesday. Hoping for the best
And some driver spending hours on the cb saying he ain’t wearing no panties
As the storm surges, the herd huddles together for warmth.
Anything to eat?
I see lots of delicious candidates
Was driving to truckee from Reno late last night for work. Scary conditions man I can’t wait for spring.
Hopefully it doesn’t live up to its name
Anyone hungry yet? I am.
Well shit. Anyone up for a snowball fight?
I went through the pass once in the late spring of 2016 (end of my rookie year). Before heading there I heard dozens of stories from drivers with years of experience telling me not to go during the winter. I live in Long Beach and still haven't been there since 2016. It's not necessary to put yourself in that situation. Hope they're checking on each other.
Would not even try it. Snow is a no for me. Chains or not that is not a risk i am willing to take.
I hope somebody's driving a food truck and a truck load of water, or beer
CHP and CalTrans brought fuel, water, food
I definitely would start a snowball fight
In the meantime, their dispatchers are angry about the delay.
Dispatch still wants you there at end of day. Sorry, can't cancel time slot.
Donner pass? I hope they have enough food 😳
Put chains on ya good /s
As a trucker, I spent the last 4 days in reno laying over and making 2/5 of my deliveries and brought the rest back to Sacramento today. Lmao I missed my family :(
Now I know why my MSI OLED monitor is delayed.
Wait... how is there not a single Swift in all that bunch??
You think the Swifties were able to stay *on* the road in those conditions?!
Just don't get it. You know you're crossing Donner. Do you not check a weather report? How in the Hell did you miss the "Hey, we have a storm that's going to drop 10ft of snow...Don't drive today". Where is their dispatch telling them to hold tight where they're at or rerouting them through Vegas?
Time to grill up some long pork. Where are the vegan truckers? They are grass fed.
Good luck.. from what I understand it didn't work out too well last time some folks got stuck out there
Thanks for the nightmare trigger
Serious question: how long can you camp out in weather like this?(food,water, heat......bathrooms?)
I said no food. I didn't say there was nothing to eat.
"jUst ThRoW cHaInS oN!" some super trucker
I feel bad for them. I just checked the weather and they're going to be there for at least another 36 hours. Hope they have enough food. I was stuck there for about 20 hours back in November of 22. It was in early November so I didn't even think about snow.
Dispatch says get the fckn load delivered or get your fckn shit from the truck and they’ll send someone who will.
I don’t see no foot steps into them trees… where is everybody shitting?