Truckers wait out Nebraska blizzard, say wind makes it feel like piloting a sailboat
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — As high winds and blowing snow made their way across Nebraska on Tuesday afternoon, semitrailer drivers made their way off the state’s roads.
Places like Shoemaker’s Travel Center in Lincoln started to fill up with semis by midafternoon, when the winds were beginning to gust and heavy rain fell.
Fuel islands were busy, and parking spaces were limited as drivers navigated around one another.
Drivers like Raymond Purdy pulled off to get a break from a brutal north wind creating crosswind conditions along Interstate 80.
Semis require significantly more distance to stop than regular passenger vehicles, he said, and he likened driving in windy conditions to piloting a sailboat.
SEE ALSO: Keeping cattle cozy: Farmers shelter herds as dangerous blizzard hits Nebraska
Purdy, a driver from Canada with more than 40 years and 5 million miles behind the wheel, said one of the biggest problems he faced was distracted drivers.
He urged people to put down their phones and take cruise control off when during severe weather.
“Yeah, it’s scary because people aren’t paying attention,” Purdy said. “Your whole life can change in a split second.”
SEE ALSO: I-80 closed between Lincoln and Grand Island during blizzard
