At what point would be considered lightweight? In Wyoming i80

Less than 40K.

 

When you get blown over... Yes I'm serious.

Wyoming does NOT define what a light vehucle is. If they have the signs on saying "Closed to light high profile vehicles." And you get blown over or off the road, no matter how heavy you are, then you will be ticketed for not obeying the signs. Plus you will be reaponsibke for ALL the expense of the clean up and recovery.

Basically ANY vehicle that gets blown over or off the road in WY is considered lightweight... Doesnt matter if it weight 20,000 pounds or 200,000 pounds. I got this directly from more than one DOT officer in WY, because I was curious when I first started driving through WY myself.

 

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=121045475903574

 

Surprisingly they don’t specify the minimum weight on a 80k truck and trailer. This is what they have on their site:

In locations where wind gusts are 60 mph or more AND where adequate signage to indicate the limited closure is available, WYDOT will initiate a closure to light, high-profile vehicles. This type of closure may also be initiated when conditions are very icy but the wind gust threshold is less than 60 mph. The closure is targeted at vehicles that are prone to being blown over or being blown off the road such as recreational vehicles, moving vans, campers, small trailers and lightly loaded commercial vehicles but smaller vehicles pulling trailers are also included in this restriction. Drivers of vehicles that fail to heed this type of closure will be considered in violation of Wyoming Statute 24-1-109 and 'shall be subject to a fine of not more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00) or to imprisonment for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days, or to both such fine and imprisonment.'

Research shows that when wind gusts exceed 60 mph, there is almost certainty that multiple vehicles will be blown over or be involved in a loss of control type of crash. These crashes most often result in debris on the highway that results in a road closure to all vehicles. It is important to note that WYDOT does not have adequate signage to implement a closure to light, high-profile vehicles in all locations. Additional sites may have wind gusts exceeding 60 mph and pose a significant risk of blow over. In these locations, WYDOT will indicate 'Extreme Blow Over Risk' on our information systems and drivers should exercise special caution.

WYDOT Travel Information Service (Laramie)

 

My personal limits are 60 sustained or gusts. 45 sustained. My avatar is Old Town SD during a early blizzard that dumped 16 inches in Omaha to the south and pending a white out in sturgis later that night. Winds were left to right sustained 45. Higher gusts leaning me over at full 80000 pounds.

I usually look for a place to ride out a storm like that when the trailer fails to stay in line under control or inside wheels come off pavement about a foot. OR breaking traction at cruise speed.

The limits I use come from the CBBT Norfolk Bay Bridge Tunnel Model. They have a very particular list of windspeeds and closures versus variety of vehicles and weights until 60 mph. Since it's a 30 mile actual ocean crossing with rollers potentially reaching the underdecking at the pavement.... You do not want to be on it in proper storms. at 40 ton or 4000 tons. It will knock you over into the water (And has from time to time...)

 

Correct... As I said above WY does not define what a light vehicle is.

Directly from the WY website,... Basically saying, you get blown over or off the road while the signs are up for light high profile closure you will be in trouble.

 

If you see all the bull haulers parked, you had better be too

 

I have ridden out hurricanes and winter nor'easters that howl by either pointing into the wind in a field like I did at State Line above the 76 there one night, used a couple of acres through the night pointing the rig into the wind over time as it shifted direction but refused to drop below 70. No sleep that night. Just standing to. It was in a foot of snow as well. But that tractor and trailer was a very good truck *Sniff... wipes a tear that was a very good rig to go into battle like that in those days.

If they still built that rig carbon copy today I would buy it in a heart beat.

 

They’ll have to hear from my lawyers first if I were to be cited for “Light, High-Profile Vehicles” on a 75k gross commercial truck and trailer.