'Get off the road and shut her down' veteran truck driver warns tractor trailers on I-35
Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms are creating a nightmare for truck drivers across Central Texas.
Gusty winds blow tractor-trailer over along I-35 in Austin, TX
Large wind gusts causes a tractor trailer to tip over on Interstate-35 along Austin, Texas.
Bobby Noone, a veteran truck driver, is safe at home, but he says he feels for the drivers stuck in the severe storms that impacted parts of Texas.
"I am happy because I'm not in a windstorm like them, poor people in Texas, but I have been through a few of them to tell you it's a dangerous situation to be in," Noone said.
WHAT TO DO AND NOT TO DO WHEN DRIVING IN A TORNADO
The truck driver of 45 years and three million accident-free miles, watched FOX Weather coverage of straight-line winds and tornados impacting travelers and blowing over trucks on Monday along Interstate 35.
Before storms strike, he tells his fellow drivers to pull off the highway and park somewhere safe, especially during high winds.
"It's a scary situation, really, particularly when you have an empty trailer. You got to find high ground and get it pulled over," said Noone. "It just comes on so quick. You got to get off the road, you got to get parked."
"They put these truckers under such stressful conditions to get these loads to the docks that people just aren't making good decisions," said Noone about employers. "You know, you got to put safety first."
Rain is also treacherous.
"All these vehicles that are traveling, they leak oil, they leak transmission fluid. And when it rains, all this fluid surfaces. It makes it as bad as ice and snow and to try to stop, it's slick," Noone said. "The rain can be just as hazardous as ice is very, very sketchy. When you hit a rainstorm, and you'll see there are accidents all over the place."
"I worry about my grandkids, they’re getting their licenses in a few years," said Noone who advises all drivers to pass trucks quickly. "I tell them don't get around the truck, stay away because it's scary stuff out there."
Noone says he keeps his cab’s radio turned on to keep updated on the weather.
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