SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Thanksgiving weekend kicks off another busy season for the trucking industry as drivers work to bring food and goods for the holidays. Many spend their holidays at home with their loved ones, but truckers spend that time on the road.
Truck drivers say that the roads are usually busy around the holidays, but the day of the holiday is a little slower. Aleta Pitts is a truck driver from North Dakota who has driven during holidays for the last 23 years and recently has been doing so with her three cats in the cab with her.
“They’re busier the day before and usually the morning of they’re really not that busy,” explained Pitts. “They do start picking up after 6 pm.”
This Thanksgiving was not normal according to Denis Bridges, a truck driver from the Dallas area in Texas. He said that this year was quieter than usual on the roads, but more trucks were in the area than usual.
“Normally, it’s pretty packed,” said Bridges. “There’s a lot of traffic, but this year I just didn’t see it and a lot of truck drivers, they did not go home this year. They stayed out here because they can’t afford to go home because freight rates are so bad and fuel is so high, so most of them stayed out. It was shocking to me.”
Truck drivers face more hazards in the winter with icy roads, reduced visibility and windy conditions. It’s still early in the winter driving season, but truck drivers say that they are prepared.
“We have to keep a big huge following distance and try to stay away from crowds because people aren’t paying attention,” Bridges said.
If you talk to any trucker, they will tell you that the most difficult part of their job, not just in the winter season, is looking out for other drivers.
“Stay out of our blindspots,” Pitts stated. “When you come over in front of us, give us at least 50 feet. Don’t come right over in front of us, especially in the winter because if we run over you there ain’t going to be nothing left. 80,000 pounds is nothing but a rocket sled on ice and that’s not fun.”
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