Winter driving essentials

First I suppose I should introduce myself and tell you a little bit about me, My name is Paul, I have been a truck driver for 9 years and a volunteer firefighter and EMT for the last 22 years. I live in South Dakota and have experienced winter conditions all over the country. I have been on the rescuing end of things and have hunkered down through some really ugly weather.

Being a truck driver and also being from South Dakota, if there is one thing that I can say with a fair degree of certainty, it is that I know how to prepare, and drive in, adverse winter conditions. That being said, I would like to take this opportunity to write down a few things to help some others along the way.

Preparing to drive in winter conditions should start quite some time before grabbing your keys. Before you even debate going over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house in Montana, Minnesota, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri or Michigan you need to think of several things. I am going to start with the assumption that you live in Miami and have your whole life. Another assumption is that the farthest north that you have been is Mississippi.

In this effort I am not going to get into how to drive in the winter in less than ideal conditions. I will likely do this at another time. For now we are going to assume that you have had some additional training in your driving skills and are capable of driving safely in a little bit of snow.

I am also assuming that your car is in good repair and has at least all season tires. If you are stuck in a blizzard your car is your lifeline, and if your vehicle fails your chances of dying just doubled. I don't want to be an alarmist here, and forgive me if I go a little overboard, but being stuck in winter can get you killed. A temperature of 5 degrees with a wind of 30mph gives a wind chill of -19 and can be deadly in under an hour. Add significant snow to that and you have a blizzard.

The first thing that you need to have to plan your trip is information. Go online and get the 10 day forecast for the area that you are traveling to, then pack for the record low that you see in that forecast during the time that you are going to be there. We all like to make fun of weathermen and how we wish we had a job where we can be wrong 50% of the time and be considered a success, but they are REALLY good at recording what happened yesterday, ten days ago and on out to the last 100 years or so (at least in the US).

Pack clothing assuming that you must remain outdoors for 2 to 3 hours in the record lows. I am hoping that you do not have to, but it is far better to have a little more than you need than not enough. If it can get REALLY cold there, plan on dressing in layers, something that should be self-evident but I will likely cover at another time.

Some other things that you should pack if you have them and STRONGLY consider getting if you do not have include,

1. A small folding camping shovel. This can be used to clear snow from around your exhaust system in case you are going to be stranded in your car for an extended period of time, and can be used to get your car un-stuck.
2. Kitty litter. It is cheap and if you are stuck you can spread some around your tires to help with traction.
3. A good pair of sunglasses, there is a good reason that when you see pictures of mountain climbers they are wearing them. If you are in a snowy circumstance and the sun comes out it is easy to get snow-blinded.
4. A D/C charger for your cell phone.
5. A GPS device if you do not have one on your phone. Not only can it tell you how to get there, if you are stuck and able to call for help it can help you tell rescuers EXACTLY where you are. If you have a smart phone that does have GPS make sure you can get your longitude/latitude location from it, if you cannot there are a number of free apps for both the android and apple systems that can get that information for you. Also, do not take the routing of these things as gospel. I have had GPS try to send me down roads that do not exist and the wrong way down one way streets.
6. At least 1 blanket and 1 pillow for every person that will be in the vehicle.
7. 9 to 12 energy bars per person, usually 300 to 500 calories each. These can provide sustenance if you are going to be stuck in the car for a few days. Try to make these a flavor that you are not so fond of so that you do not snack away at them out of boredom. (I haven't found any Brussels Sprouts flavored bars yet, but you get the picture)
8. A large multi-wicked candle. With this and a tin cup you can melt snow and the candle can provide a surprising amount of heat in a small enclosed space such as a car or pickup truck. With this you need either matches or 2 butane cigarette lighters.
9. Fore mentioned tin cup, 8 to 10 ounces is a good size.
10. Water, a gallon per person.
11. Paper towels (always useful and can double as toilet paper.)
12. A reliable flashlight with fresh batteries and if it is anything other than a LED flashlight a spare set of batteries.
13. Chemical hand warmers. These are cheap little packets that once you break the plastic seal that wraps them heat up and warm your hands (or any other skin they are placed against) for a few hours.
14. A LOUD whistle. If you are trying to get someones attention over a distance and the wind is blowing forget using your voice, you car's horn might get it done, but a loud whistle seems to carry better in the wind in my experience. (besides you can use it to hail taxis in a big city)
15. Road flares. (more on this later)
16. A hand-held CB radio. Truckers routinely tell one another what road conditions are like on the road and that information can be vital to you. One bit of advice, The language on these can get a bit rough and if you have young children in the car I would listen sparingly, or with an earpiece. Truckers are generally on channel 19.
17. A weather band radio with weather alert. (if you have a hand-held CB it may already have this.)

I would keep all of these in a tote in the trunk or the cargo area of your pickup or SUV, most of these things can freeze without an issue, however keep the water in a heated area of the vehicle, and I would just go ahead and plug the D/C charger into your cigarette lighter of your vehicle before you leave. Also I would advise that every time you stop to empty your bladder you fill your tank! I mentioned earlier that your car is your lifeline and it will serve you much better if you have fuel in the tank to keep the engine running. If you are in an area where it snows, treat ½ tank as empty between October 15^th and April 30^th.

Ok, so we are packed and we are moving north. Once you get into the area where snow and ice can occur you need to check the forecast daily before the start of your drive. If you have reached an area where you could get significant snowfall call someone and let them know your route for the day and when you plan on being done for the day. Then call them at the end of the drive so that they do not worry about you. This is crucial if you get in to trouble and there is no cell signal, so that rescuers know where to start looking for you.

If there is a winter storm watch or warning within a hundred or so miles of your days planned route I would recommend not listening to your Ipod that day and instead listening to a local radio station as you drive. I know that it is a pain switching to a new station every half hour or so as they fade out, but you are going to get good local conditions. I would also recommend listening to AM radio as much as possible as they are usually news oriented and have people that can get on the air even if they are playing a syndicated show and give you up to date information. Your music and favorite podcasts will still be there the next day waiting for you. (The Gun Dudes and the Un-named Trucker really wont mind that much if you listen a day late).

Another resource that quite a few states have is 511. While they are all different and some MUCH better than others, all states that have this can give you vital information regarding conditions on the roads that you will be traveling. Another safety tip here, the time to call 511 is when you are stopped. One of my biggest pet peeves is people that are driving down the road staring at their phone. When you are moving at 65 mph you travel 95 feet/second. In just looking down to dial your phone or entering the highway number of the road that you are looking for information about you are covering at least a third of a football field BLIND! Do yourself and everyone around you a favor, have your passenger call or pull over to make this call.

A few things about weather reports and road conditions. A winter storm watch is something that you seriously want to pay attention to. It means that conditions are favorable over the next 24 to 48 hours for a significant snow storm. Consider this a tap on the shoulder from good old mother nature. A winter storm warning means that there is a significant snow storm headed your way and conditions will be really tough over the warned time period, think of this as Mother nature giving you a good shake. A blizzard watch should make the hair on the back of your neck stand straight up if you are in the watch area, this is like a good old back hand slap. A blizzard warning is a Louisville Slugger to the groin A blizzard is when significant snowfall is expected, a visibility reduction to ¼ mile or less and sustained winds of 35mph or greater for more than a 3 hour period. I will still drive my 18 wheeler depending on conditions,with weather reports that say that a winter storm warning is in the area, and in certain instances in a blizzard watch. But if there is a blizzard warning out and I cannot avoid that area of travel it is hunker down time.

Next is when to pull over and call it a day. There are several things that can indicate this, If you feel tired, you cannot remember the last several miles that you drove, you seem to be having problems paying attention, or you are THE LEAST BIT nervous about the driving conditions. If you think that you might be in over your head, chances are that you went past that stage a long time ago.

If you encounter a roadway that is closed, heed the warning. It is there for a reason. A lot of states have BIG fines for ignoring these closures and you can be billed for the cost to rescue your sorry butt. Also, if you call for road conditions or are listening to the radio and they tell you that no travel is advised, heed this warning as well, just because you have the very latest super duper SUV with full time smart all wheel drive and anti lock brakes and heated seats and a seat-belt specially designed for Fluffy the poodle in the back seat doesn't mean that you can handle what is ahead. This is ESPECIALLY true if you do not have a lot of experience driving in adverse conditions. When I see people in the ditch it is more SUVs and pickups with for wheel drive than anything. I do often see semi trucks in the ditch, but 4 wheel drives outnumber them usually 1.5/1 to 2/1.

Another caution that I would like to throw your way is ice on the roadway, I do not care if you are the re-incarnation of Dale Earnhardt, you CANNOT drive safely on ice in any vehicle that doesn't have chains on all of the wheels, and even then your top speed needs to be 15 to 20 MPH. Ice is the one condition that no matter what I am driving shuts me down right away. A few patches here or there can be dealt with, but under no circumstances should you ever drive in an ice storm. If you are in danger of dying and need to get to the hospital call an ambulance and let someone who is equipped to handle the situation deal with it. (better that than getting into a wreck and giving the doctor more injuries to deal with)

One last thing before we get down to what to do if things go wrong. When choosing my routes in the winter my preference of roadways is as follows.

1. Interstate roadways. These are state maintained and are always the first to get worked on. The states usually try to keep the Interstate open if at all possible.
2. Other 4 or more lane devided state highways with on and off ramps. These interstate-like roads also are usually among the first to get attention.
3. 4 lane regular roads
4. 2 lane paved roads.

Any road that is not paved if conditions are bad I will avoid no matter what I am driving. It could be several days before someone comes along to open an unpaved road.

Alright, you didn't check the weather forecast and were really wrapped up in the last 2 hours of the Cam Edwards podcast from last night, you went whizzing by your exit and then took one a few exits down and GPS shows you this GREAT shortcut! You cut down this 2 lane road and are now on that last 50 mile stretch of road that leads to Granny's place. WHAM you hit the snowdrift around the bend and high side your 1983 Chevette, the front wheels are in the air, and you ain't goin' nowhere Bubba. NOW WHAT?!?

Don't panic and STAY WITH YOUR CAR!.Unless you can clearly see that there is an occupied structure that is within 100 yards or so, you are better off where you are at. Get out your camping shovel and kitty litter and see if you can get the car freed up. If you can't get the car moving again get on your cell phone and get help on the way.

No cell signal or help is more than a few hours away? Roll down a down-wind window a crack (1 to 1 ½ inches is enough) leave the engine running and the heater going. Get out and make sure that your exhaust is not obstructed by snow. If you have an external antenna on the car tie some brightly colored cloth to it, and then get back in and warm up.

The reason that you need to crack your window is to avoid carbon monoxide buildup in the car. As stated earlier you should have your car in good running order, even so if your exhaust becomes obstructed and cannot leave from behind your car it will go underneath and seep up through any cracks it can find. That is why you need to clear the exhaust every few hours and keep that window cracked so you get some fresh air.

If help is going to be a day or 2 you should still be alright if you packed well and did not run yourself out of fuel getting to where you are now. You are going to want to conserve fuel as much as possible and this means turning the your car off for a while. I would suggest running the car for 15 minutes on 45 minutes off. Use your candle for heat when the car is turned off, making sure that is is on a level surface and YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO EVEN THINK ABOUT SLEEPING WITH A LIT CANDLE!!!!!!!! (was I clear on that?) I am not going to go into every make and model of car, but it generally takes about 1/3 to ½ of a gallon of gas to idle a 6 cylinder car for an hour. If you have a 16 gallon tank that is half full that leaves you 8 gallons of gas. At ½ gallon per hour that is 16 hours, at running 15 minutes per hour that is 64 hours of heat.

Use your energy bars sparingly for sustenance. In an emergency you can live on 900 calories a day for quite a while. Use water a little more liberally as you have all kinds of snow outside to melt should you need more .

Why did I tell you to pack those blasted road flares and then not mention them at all?!?! Well the fact is that you should not use them unless you see or hear something that can help you, such as a snow plow, a helicopter or airplane, a snowmobile or anything else that can get word out that that you need help. A flag can be missed, a flashlight works better than a flag, but in my experience nothing grabs your eye in low light conditions quite like a road flare (except maybe a muzzle flash from a gun, and if you are seeing these we have a whole other set of problems to deal with). Also this is the time to use your whistle, even Michael Buffer cannot get louder than a good loud whistle.

One more thing to bring up is abandonment. Should the worst of the worst happen and you have been stuck for several days and you run out of fuel so no more heat from the car, you are almost out of energy bars and you have not been able to get anyone on the cell phone and no one knows where you are. At this point ONLY would I think about abandoning the vehicle to get help, and ONLY if I knew where to go to get that help. You are about to leave your windbreak, your bed, your protection from wild animals, and a really big sore thumb sticking out saying that you need help. Leave a note on the steering wheel stating where you are going and how you plan to get there. Put on as much clothing as you can get on and still walk,bring your matches or lighters and any remaining food and your cup for water. If you have a weapon for God's sake bring that and spare ammo!Get a GPS fix and direction and move at a steady pace. Most GPS and cell phone batteries last only for about 5 to 6 hours constant use so use them sparingly, and always be looking for shelter as you move.

As mentioned in the beginning of this now rater lengthy discussion I drive truck for a living, and as such have a few more advantages than almost anyone in a car does. However if you have a vehicle that has multiple batteries (some diesel pickups and cars and many RV's) there are a few more things that can help you be more comfortable. Please be aware that these things all take power from your alternator or batteries and as such ARE NOT FREE, you will have to burn more fuel to recharge your batteries or turn the alternator when you use them.

1. A 12 volt electric blanket. These cost about $20 to $30 and can be found in the winter months at most truck stops. I can stay warm in my truck under one of these blankets down to an outdoor temperature of about 5 degrees.
2. A 12 volt crock pot, while a little messy for cleanup, a can of beef stew and an hour or so in the crock pot is a great lunch!
3. A portable jump start pack with a 12 volt receptacle. I have seen these at most department stores and will power your 12 volt accessories for a while without draining your battery, so that you have the best chance of starting your car.

Keeping your head about you and staying with your vehicle are by far the 2 things that are more likely to get you out of this than anything else. I cannot stress enough that you should not drive in any conditions that you are not prepared for.

That is it for now, thanks for reading and safe motoring!

Attending my very first political rally.

Tonight I attended my very first political rally. The candidate that I support is (as I am composing this), debating 2 opponents for the single House of Representatives seat in South Dakota.

By no means do I consider myself  great at estimating crowds, however if I were to estimate how many were there supporting the same candidate that I do it would have to be around 60 to 75 people.

The Debate was to start at 8 pm, local time and the rally was to begin one hour earlier at 7 outside the television station that the debate was to take place at. I figured that if I showed up 15 minutes early I would be among the first there, I was kind of right. Although it was 35 degrees outside and a very cold wind was blowing easily a dozen people were there before I was. I had never before met anyone in person that was there but was made to feel welcome and found without exception everyone there was in a great mood and not angry. Between 7:00 and 7:20 pm many more people showed up and the feeling became decidedly like that of a high school homecoming football game.

Around 7:25 pm our candidate showed up out front of the building. She was driven in in a silver pickup truck. She greeted all of her supporters, many with hugs. As she was greeting the people gathered around her I noticed a HUGE white limo that began it's life as a SUV. I kid you not when I say that this thing was 40 foot long. It drove past and headed a little farther past the TV station towards downtown. Shortly thereafter a charter bus drives by.

I wish I had a notebook with me and were taking notes as the time-line of things that happened but I am hoping that as I am writing this less than an hour and a half later that things still are clear.

I think that Kristi Noem was still was still waiting to be let in to the front door when the limo and bus drove by. She was let in along with the 3 to 5 people that I am guessing were part of her campaign team. A minute or 2 after she was let in a gentleman that I learned later was the independent candidate walked up the sidewalk and knocked on the television station door. He had no supporters with him and largely went unnoticed.

Very shortly after this, we were told to form a line on the sidewalk to the south of the entrance to the station. As we did this I noticed that about a block north a group of people were walking our way. We were asked to be respectful, be quiet and just hold our signs, which were given to us by the campaign. We did just that, the people that approached along with their candidate  were chanting slogans and when the candidate reached the doors to the TV station her supporters were only a few feet from us.

Once the Congresswoman entered the television station after a few moments her supporters walked back north and crossed the street to assemble directly across the street from us. The chanting began again in earnest on both sides.

The one thing that really made me mad about the whole thing was this. when at about 7:40 it was time for the opposition to pack up they all marched straight to their bus. I can honestly say that I do not know of any one that was bussed from our supporters.

I cannot prove that the congresswoman arrived in that long white limo, although I strongly suspect it. I can prove that her supporters left on that bus because I seen them board it.

I find it very disingenuous that you have to bus people in from God knows where just to be there when the press is taking pictures and video. I cannot prove it, but if I were a betting man I would bet large amounts of cash that the campaign paid for that bus and likely paid those people to be there.

The best part of the evening is that just as the people across the street were getting ready to leave a spontaneous rendition of "God Bless America" came up from the Noem supporters.

God Bless America indeed.

South Dakota's choice

Well I warned you that I would post some things about politics and there is no time like the present. As stated in my previous post I am a conservative. For the most part I have been a conservative all of my adult life. I have never really been politically active however. I registered to vote at the age of 18 when I registered for the draft. (To make this clear this was in 1987, even as I begin to feel my age I am not old enough to have been involved in the Vietnam war). I have voted in every presidential election since then and have voted in most of the congressional elections as well.

Until earlier this week I had never contributed to a campaign of any candidate, nor had I ever seriously volunteered for one. This time I do not believe that I have a choice. I feel that I must help in any way that I am able. Our country has taken an abrupt left turn since January 2009 and we must stop this turn and try to correct the course of our nation before things go any further.

I have many problems with President Obama's administration, but by far and away the biggest is his health care reform act. I have many problems with it, first of all in the entire history of the nation never has every citizen been required to purchase a product. I have heard the argument that "well, you are required to purchase auto insurance". This is true, IF you own a car. If you do not want to purchase auto insurance you have the option to walk, take a bicycle or bus or horse-drawn carriage if you would like. My point is this, if you do not want to buy health insurance you have no option other than suicide.

Also, if you are somewhat well off, (at least in the state of South Dakota) you can self-insure your car. I have not looked in to it in quite a while, but it used to be that if you posted a rather large bond with the state, you would be considered self insured and therefore not have to pay an insurance company. There is no such provision in "Obamacare".

My rather lengthy point is this. All companies, mine included are out to make a profit. You perform a service and charge a little more than it costs you to perform that service. So in theory any one of us can self-insure. All insurance rates are based on actuarial tables. The insurance company charges you a little more than they think they are going to pay for covering someone like you for a specified length of time. If you are adventurous you could simply place that money in an account (where it earned you interest) and take out what it costs for your health care expenses as you go. If you put in at least what your premiums would have been you had a good chance of coming out ahead. Admittedly this was a risk, should something happen you could be on the hook for serious money, but a lot of people did it.

Now that has changed. In South Dakota we have 4 elected people that had a chance to influence that change.

#1) President Barak Obama.
#2) Senator John Thune
#3) Senator Tim Johnson
#4) Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin

I personally wrote to every one of these people asking them not to pass this legislation as it would be a terrible financial burden on our country, and would likely cause me to not expand my business because of increased health care costs. I would like to let you know what responses I received and what I plan to do now.

First President Obama, I got a form letter email back from the white house saying that my message had been received and then nothing. Let's face it. we are stuck with him until at least January 2013. However you can bet that I will do everything I can to help him find the way back to Chicago then.

Next we have Senator Thune. I got an email from his office that looked like it was a form letter and it stated that he was against the legislation. He then voted against the legislation, Way to go Senator Thune! He is up for re-election this year but is running unopposed. Even if he weren't I would certainly vote for him.

Then we have Senator Tim Johnson, Senator Johnson sent me a letter through the postal service that said that one of the proudest moments he has ever had was voting for the bill. I guess he must have misread my email. Not only did he waste money sending me a form letter, he would have done better not sending it. Really Mr. Johnson? One of your proudest moments was insuring that I could not grow my business? Really? Mr. Johnson is up for election again in 2014... I am salivating and hoping to help his opponent with great amounts of my time and money.

Lastly we come to Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin. I got a letter mailed from her as well. This was long after the vote, and explained why she voted against it. While it is technically true that she did vote against it, she waited to cast her vote until after the bill had already received enough votes to pass the house. She then made a deal with a doctor that was planning to run against her in the democratic primaries this year that she would oppose dismantling the bill if he would withdraw his candidacy. He did and this June she followed through with her promise to him and voted against a bill that would have removed the individual requirements in the law.

So this is where I make my stand. Last Tuesday I started making phone calls for Kristi Noem, Rep. Herseth Sandlin's opponent this November 2nd. And while I have not contributed to her campaign yet it will happen. I feel that it is my duty to do everything I possibly can to make certain that the America that my grandchildren inherit is more than just a pile of debt that nations like China and Saudi Arabia hold and a lot of lost dreams.

I will close with this plea to you. This November take some time to really think about your choices. Look at each candidate and what their stated beliefs and past votes do for or to you. For Heaven's sake do not vote for someone just because your Dad or Mom did, or because you think that they are "a good person".

If you disagree, by all means comment away! Please think about your comment before you post and do not just smear someone on a personal level. I would love to have an intellectual discussion about anything that I post, but name calling will be ignored and deleted.

Until next time,
Paul

Greetings!

As cliche as it may sound, I am brand new at this so please bear with me as I get used to it. I thought with my first post I would let you know a little about me and why I decided to do this. As such I guess an introduction is in order. My name is Paul, I drive truck for a living and have been a professional driver for more than 8 years now. I own my own truck and for the most part I love my career choice.

I am married and have 4 fantastic children, all of them grown and on their own. That makes Susan and me empty nesters. I am enjoying that, but admit that at times I admit the house is just too damn quiet. Two of my children have their own kids and so that makes Susan and I proud grandparents of 3.

Politically I am a staunch conservative. I like to tell people that my views are somewhere to the right of Rush Limbaugh.

To get to the point of why I am  doing this, I just finished listening to the audio book "The Book of Lies" by Brad Meltzer. This book is a fantastic read if you are in to suspense novels. In this book one of the central themes is that one of the keys to immortality is to tell your story.

I am not trying to kid myself or you. I am not a fantastic writer. I can put together a sentence or two from time to time however. And as my wife would surely tell you I am not at all short on opinions. I guess in short that the reason that I am doing this is that it lets me do two things at once. It allows me to get some (hopefully well reasoned) opinions out there and allows me to share a bit of myself in hopes that it carries on in some way after I am gone. (Hopefully a long, long, long time in the future)

So should you return to read here again, you can expect to find a little about politics; a little about trucking; a little about NASCAR, and a little about anything else that may enter my mind. I am hoping to post every Tuesday, (my regular day off), but I will hopefully post more if time allows.

So hey, thanks for your time and see you soon!
Paul