Running bloody late tonight dodging strong winds with very little weight on.
Just deciding if to stop short at Thelwall viaduct n/b tonight or not, and run home in morning (depending on severity of winds).
Anybody got any idea or info on it as to how bad it is around there?
Cheers.
■■■■■■■ go for it… flat out. If FedEx can survive falling of it the other week… 
Nah I decided to call it a day after all.
Parked somewhere in Staffs.
Keeping location secret, don’t want to be bothered by ‘‘Robfans’’ wanting to catch a glimpse.
I was heading westbound on the M4 on the flyover at junction 4 at 1 am during the 1987 storm with box trailer full of empty cages from memory for GKN at Weedon.
I knew the trailer lifted the nearside drive off the road because the revs went up to red line and the crash as it all landed again.
That was a proper storm this is just a gale.
I was based in Aldershot the night of the big hurricane that wasn’t. There was a function in the police club, I retired to my room 3 sheets to the wind. I woke up next morning to a wet bed, I thought I’d swamped it! I opened one very blood shot eye to see the side of the building had been ripped off by the wind and I had slept through the lot! 
Not playing ‘Top Trumps’ here btw…
But I was also out in it that night,.and as coincidence has it, I was on the M6 n/‘b over Thelwall.
I had a 40’ super cube step frame box van trailer, with a single axle right on the arse end…it was a foam carrier, and I was empty.
I was in lane 1, the trailer was in lane 2, HOW tf I did not go over that night,.I will never know…
I think what saved me was the low centre of gravity, but also …(and I aint making this up ,) the floors of those trailers had been modified, they were actually lined with concrete paving stones, believe it or not.
An unorthodox idea, but it was proven to work that night.
The old hands on that job always told me to keep ‘foot hard down’ in those situations, rather than the common concensus of taking it slowly,… which I have done ever since.
As I said in another thread, for me in a strong gale it is foot hard down, being chucked about wildly in wind, with stereo on full volume, while laughing loudly like a maniac., playing either a bit of AC/DC or something like… this. 
I can still remember the weird looking curved clouds as it was brewing up while heading eastbound from Bristol along the M4 before ‘lunchtime’ and the next run to Weedon.Then wondered why the depot canteen door leading to the yard was suddenly pulled open and then slammed shut until I walked out to the unit for the next run and couldn’t believe the change in wind strength during that hour.
I was driving a Scania 112 Ryder long term rental it still had a strong tail wind against the back of the hand out the window running Northbound on the M25 to the M1at 65 mph and couldn’t get higher than 7th or 8th 45-50 mph max flat out on the flat and downhill going back Southbound against the headwind.
My 45 minute commute home in the morning took around two hours with numerous diversions for fallen trees and bits blown from buildings etc and when I finally got home found my Dad looking at the damage to the house chimney.
More like what saved you Rob was that the worst of the '87 storm was confined to the South of the country.Running along the A27 in Sussex would have provided the best fairground ride that night.
The night of the storm that wasn’t elicited no heroics from me! I was driving an empty 40 foot flat, I parked up really early, went to the pub in Pontefract, then the night club and finally pulled the town munter! Maybe some heroics after all. I took the pain so nobody else had to. You’re welcome.
Hey mate…
Don’t you be talking about my ex.girlfriend like that eh !!
Came over Thelwall about 0530, it was still a bit rough at that time.
I followed a DPD decker and ran alongdide him on the bridge.
Maybe no need on reflection, I’d just got it into my head that summet was going to go tits up.
Anyway the DPD lad sussed what I was doing and gave me a wave and a flash in…
Very reminiscent of the good old days in fact, when drivers did this sort of thing for each other ALL of the time, . as opposed to some of the sorry arsed specimens today who think they are truckers.
Suppose it’s easier when your good looking to attract the less attractive 99% success rate
Never had any problem pulling good looking girls in the past tbh mate…
I married an especially good looking one in fact.
Not boasting btw.
Like ■■■■ I aint.
Everyone is less attractive than me 
I make no excuses.
And were all them good looking birds a sure thing, that’s the difference
One down on Sat on the M4
Side note I could have sworn that Bucks didn’t have claim to any of that motorway, but I stand corrected!
Running back up Fri evening from Bodmin, and empty, I was surprised not to see any ‘blow overs’.
It got dark really early in afternoon and was wild as hell.
I’d just started driving & went in one night with what seemed like hurricane force winds , I said to boss I wasn’t keen on going out , much to the amusement of the other drivers who called me a women etc etc , in the end I decided to go as I didn’t want the ■■■■ ripping out of me .
I left that night & it turned into a nightmare , I literally ■■■■ myself. , I got to place to park up & sat there shaking , when I finally got back to the depot the boss asked if I was alright , I said it was horrendous, I was sure I was going to get blown over , I then asked him how the other drivers had got on ? , oh they went 1/2 a mile down the road , came back , said it was to dangerous , went home ( paid ) & apparently sat in there cosy houses for the night !!!
I learnt a valuable lesson that night !!
No heroics from me either. I was only 5 months old
Rob, Empty from Bodmin Ummmm, Could you not found a nice PJ from there lol not like you to miss a trick?
Nah not really mate, on a Fri pm/Sat am, there is only one think on my mind,…getting back up home asap.
Be a bit different this week, I’m finished for a fortnight + next Saturday, so I volunteered for a full week this week…extra beer vouchers for Christmas, cos I’ve got a hectic social calendar planned, meeting up with old mates on different days of the hols, plus the usual Christmas expense.
Also this Fri I have been invited to a party by another mate in Devon, so I wont be in as much of a hurry next weekend, plus a much later start Sat am…
Unless of course my boss metaphorically f4rts in my face…again, by wanting me back up further for something…