Windy weather causes a problem for truck drivers

When Annette Lee and her husband first got onto I-15 near Idaho Falls her view was pretty limited because of all the dust in the air.

“We had to turn on the lights, slow down to 35 miles per hour and hope nobody stops in front of you,” Lee said. “This is even worse than some of the Nebraska winds we’ve been in. Nebraska’s usually the worst.”

Even with 36 years of truck driving under her belt, Lee said the wind can still make driving a terrifying experience. The winds got so bad in some parts of the region that the Idaho Transportation Department had to close I-15 between Idaho Falls and Roberts because of blowing dust.

There were also multiple reports of trees being knocked down by the wind.

While the thought of her truck getting knocked over is enough to scare her, Lee said the thought of everything inside the truck scares her just as much.

“You could get just as hurt from the microwave, bags or whatever you have in your truck flying around,” she said.

Most importantly, the wind can cause a problem for truck drivers to even do their jobs, which can cause a costly domino effect.

“If one truck is late or doesn’t show up, you have a problem with your supply. You may not have what you need in a store because they don’t have extra of anything. Especially produce and that’s what we haul,” Lee said.

A number of truck drivers taking a break at the Flying J truck stop near McCammon say having a heavy load can help prevent the wind from being a problem.

Lee said she and her husband were hauling 80,000 pounds Monday.