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Wintertime driving

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  • Wintertime driving

    We all have had our share of winter driving with the snowstorms of the past .. This film clip although this one is Alaska reminds me of my early days of driving in western and central NY .. When I was working for Barkers Dept stores we had about about a dozen stores and about another 15 or so Fay's drugs we delivered to where they operated just a few departments..That said this scene reminded me of the drive we had when we went from Cortland NY to Auburn NY using NY route 41 along Lake Skaneateles {One of the finger lakes} There were parts that the snow was so high it looked like you were driving on a bobsled trail. Probably 14 to 15 ft or higher.. And of course on a hill with curves .. Funny thing now though is the more I hear about "Planet Warming and Climate change" the more I have learned about the weather of the 70' through the 90's .. Actually from what I have learned that it was a period of cooling back then. And for the most part they didn't use salt but rather a mix of sand with a little salt in it.. Many places didn't see the black pavement from Thanksgiving to Easter..



  • #2
    Re: Wintertime driving

    Originally posted by crazy View Post
    That said this scene reminded me of the drive we had when we went from Cortland NY to Auburn NY using NY route 41 along Lake Skaneateles {One of the finger lakes} There were parts that the snow was so high it looked like you were driving on a bobsled trail. Probably 14 to 15 ft or higher.. And of course on a hill with curves ..
    Your post brings back a memory. It was 1977, my 1st year at Red Star, that I went on line haul. We had a terminal in Auburn NY. My 1st trip was from North Bergen NJ to Auburn NY. That was a white knuckled trip I'll never forget. Homer to Auburn on 41 the snow banks were so high I didn't even know there was a lake down along side. Down in Skaneateles was where we had to be careful with the cows standing in the middle of the road.

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    • #3
      Re: Wintertime driving

      Originally posted by 2631 View Post
      Your post brings back a memory. It was 1977, my 1st year at Red Star, that I went on line haul. We had a terminal in Auburn NY. My 1st trip was from North Bergen NJ to Auburn NY. That was a white knuckled trip I'll never forget. Homer to Auburn on 41 the snow banks were so high I didn't even know there was a lake down along side. Down in Skaneateles was where we had to be careful with the cows standing in the middle of the road.
      I use to see many a Redstar truck back then.. And yes I know where that terminal in Auburn was.. That was if I remember their main offices back in the day.. Did you ever have to shuttle trailers to the Suffern tandem site on the Thruway? That was one big cluster*uck ..

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      • #4
        Re: Wintertime driving

        Originally posted by crazy View Post
        I use to see many a Redstar truck back then.. And yes I know where that terminal in Auburn was.. That was if I remember their main offices back in the day.. Did you ever have to shuttle trailers to the Suffern tandem site on the Thruway? That was one big cluster*uck ..
        Yes I did spend some nights running trailers to and from the Suffern compound. When I started I was #168 on the seniority list. There were many days that I walked for lack of work on the 8:00am shape. If the steward couldn't find work for me from the 560 shape hall I would sign up for night work. Running up to Suffern was easy work. But the city tractors without hooks made it hard pushing those dollies around.

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        • #5
          Re: Wintertime driving

          Originally posted by 2631 View Post
          Yes I did spend some nights running trailers to and from the Suffern compound. When I started I was #168 on the seniority list. There were many days that I walked for lack of work on the 8:00am shape. If the steward couldn't find work for me from the 560 shape hall I would sign up for night work. Running up to Suffern was easy work. But the city tractors without hooks made it hard pushing those dollies around.
          When you went to Auburn I assume you went up NY 17 to Binghamton. If so did you ever stop at the little restaurant know as the "Hut" just past the traffic light.. Best food on the East coast as long as you were able to find a place to park..

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          • #6
            Re: Wintertime driving

            Originally posted by crazy View Post
            When you went to Auburn I assume you went up NY 17 to Binghamton. If so did you ever stop at the little restaurant know as the "Hut" just past the traffic light.. Best food on the East coast as long as you were able to find a place to park..
            No only I remember stopping on 17 in Binghamton one time. I had pulled over on the shoulder because the road was so icy I was afraid to climb the hill. I sat there for a while watching the real linehaul drivers from Maislin St Johnsbury, Roadway and Red Star etc. fly bye.

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            • #7
              Re: Wintertime driving

              Originally posted by 2631 View Post
              No only I remember stopping on 17 in Binghamton one time. I had pulled over on the shoulder because the road was so icy I was afraid to climb the hill. I sat there for a while watching the real linehaul drivers from Maislin St Johnsbury, Roadway and Red Star etc. fly bye.
              In the early 70's we had cab over White cut cabs .. They put those electric controlled sanders in front of the drive wheels and actually they did well.. Especially when we delivered to the stores as it seemed every loading dock was kinda like backing into a pit.. But I remember those hills going into Binghamton.. The one on 17 had a couple of traffic lights on it.. Great place for traffic lights in the snow.. That is all been replaced.. I remember going down one hill and I had a RedStar guy passing me at the bottom and it seemed he lost it a bit and his trailer seemed to bounce off of mine.. A shorts checking moment for both of us..He waited for me to catch up and pass him and gave me a big thumbs up and thanks.. The stories and memories from back then were priceless.. These drivers today don't have a clue what it was like back in the day..
              Last edited by crazy; 02-21-2021, 04:27 PM.

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              • #8
                Re: Wintertime driving

                Come on Easter!

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                • #9
                  Re: Wintertime driving

                  Originally posted by slavenomore View Post
                  Come on Easter!
                  The way this weather is going the Easter bunny may be all white this year..

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                  • #10
                    Re: Wintertime driving

                    Originally posted by crazy View Post
                    The way this weather is going the Easter bunny may be all white this year..
                    I stayed home Thursday and Friday. Now it's Monday and they expect 2-4 more inches today starting after I clock in.
                    I think it's gonna be around 50 Wednesday so it should melt.
                    Too tiring and extra work on snowy days. Extra stress...
                    I'm not inspired at all anymore. Doing it too long.
                    Every where is on my nerves. Places with no staggered lunch breaks you must skip or wait. Every place is locked anymore making you wait for people to answer doors and they never come. Then there are all so important customers who must ship 2 hours after the rest of the world does...so friggin important and special...and others who want 5 guys or more from a bunch of LTL'S just sitting waiting at dinner time for 1 2 or 3 hours..but we MUST be there...and the companies will do anything to keep that dumb freight....they never stand up and stick together and say "NO!"...WE ARE NOT GONNA COME THAT LATE AND SIT THERE...SHIP EARLIER LIKE THE REST OF THE WORLD.......can ya tell..Im sick of it...30 years of my CDL is happening in July. Never made me rich...and sucks every hour of your life away.
                    I had 4 days off a couple weeks ago.
                    Wishing I hit the lottery and could pay this house off and quit.
                    Last edited by slavenomore; 02-22-2021, 06:43 AM.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Wintertime driving

                      Originally posted by slavenomore View Post
                      I stayed home Thursday and Friday. Now it's Monday and they expect 2-4 more inches today starting after I clock in.
                      I think it's gonna be around 50 Wednesday so it should melt.
                      Too tiring and extra work on snowy days. Extra stress...
                      I'm not inspired at all anymore. Doing it too long.
                      Every where is on my nerves. Places with no staggered lunch breaks you must skip or wait. Every place is locked anymore making you wait for people to answer doors and they never come. Then there are all so important customers who must ship 2 hours after the rest of the world does...so friggin important and special...and others who want 5 guys or more from a bunch of LTL'S just sitting waiting at dinner time for 1 2 or 3 hours..but we MUST be there...and the companies will do anything to keep that dumb freight....they never stand up and stick together and say "NO!"...WE ARE NOT GONNA COME THAT LATE AND SIT THERE...SHIP EARLIER LIKE THE REST OF THE WORLD.......can ya tell..Im sick of it...30 years of my CDL is happening in July. Never made me rich...and sucks every hour of your life away.
                      I had 4 days off a couple weeks ago.
                      Wishing I hit the lottery and could pay this house off and quit.
                      I hear you brother.. I can say "Been there, done that" over and over and I do not miss it at all although I do miss talking to the guys.. As far as snow?? I was born and raised on Long Island and went to school in the 50's and 60's.. Unless it was a blizzard school was hardly ever called.. School buses put chains on and off to school with your winter boots you went.. We are suppose to have 1 to 3 inches today and they already called school but in the 2020 version of schooling from home.. I wonder how that works out for all the workers that at he last minute have to stay home and call in because some knucklehead in the middle of the night decided to screw up everyone's schedule.. As far as waiting at all these stops for freight?? My old dispatcher at NewPenn would have said .. Get out of there.. Go to your next stop.. Unless of course you couldn't work around it.. 1 to 3 inches here and they are shutting everything down.. What a joke this is becoming..

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                      • #12
                        Re: Wintertime driving

                        I think they shut it down because nobody knows how to drive anymore nor manage.
                        Money also plays a role in managing plowing and salting or spraying. They don't hire enough or put enough crews put to clear roads..nor repair them.
                        They sometimes wait all day to start clearing anything it seems.
                        Too many new people on too many new roads. And too many who think driving is a video game.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Wintertime driving

                          The last winter i worked i spent a lot of time in Erie,Edinboro,Corry PA.area and then back to Buffalo.Definetly a learning curve driving in PA,very little or no use of salt,cinders or sand usually after a big wreck on 90.The bridges actually marked what they are instead of 1 foot lower then they actually are in NY.Putting chains on to get around,tractors with the anti-slip,couldnt even burn your way out.Nope dont miss it at all.

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