Make no mistake, winter plays a big part of our daily lives. When you are involved in the transportation industry, it can have a huge impact! Icy roads can cause accidents and delays, increasing the demand for carriers. Here in Southwestern Pennsylvania, with our first snowfall on record books, we can say that winter is coming.
Last year was a struggle for the Pennsylvania truckers hauling throughout the winter months. Restrictions were placed on commercial vehicles seven times by the state due to weather conditions, and this slowed or stopped truck travel all together. This left in the truckers and carrier companies in an uproar which resulted in giving PennDOT the intuition to create new closing criteria while still keeping safety in mind.
According to PennDOT, they are preparing their resources to clear more than 94,000 miles of snow lanes along with 40,000 miles of highways including on and off ramps in both directions. To accomplish this goal, they are preparing 2,200 of their own plows along with around 400 plows of its private contractors. After hearing the negative feedback from the trucking industry last year, the PennDOT Press Secretary Alexis Campbell said, “We are engaged with all of the stakeholders to make sure the way we implement restrictions makes sense and helps them to plan accordingly to change routes.” They will also be consulting with the National Weather Service and AccuWeather to make sure the right decisions are made. However, only time will tell the full extent of how this winter season is going to be.
https://www.overdriveonline.com/penndot-looking-to-ease-burden-of-highway-truck-restrictions-this-winter/
