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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Blogs Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Multimedia Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Road Cams Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend February 23, 2007 Click image for larger view Traffic begins to move south on Interstate 5 late Thursday morning. Trucks were parked alongside the freeway up to the north Ashland exit because of snow on the Siskiyou Pass. (Mail Tribune / Jim Craven) Stuck and going nowhere: Trucking firms wait it out By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune When snowstorms hit, it's an inconvenience to some, a holiday for others and a major logistical pain for trucking companies. With the Rogue Valley smack in the middle of Interstate 5's major commerce destinations, a winter storm such as Thursday's can break up well-planned terminal transitions and leave transport operations in the lurch. Oldland Distributing, a Central Point trucking company, found itself with three drivers stranded south of the Siskiyou Summit on Thursday morning. "One guy is in Yreka, one in Dunsmuir and I'm not sure where the third is," said dispatcher Mark Mallory. "It's typical stuff, but you have to deal with it. It's one of those deals where you chain up and deal with it as best as you can." The rub is that the Rogue Valley isn't the final destination for the goods aboard the trucks. Advertisement "One of the loads we picked up in Hayward (Calif.) should've been in Portland this morning and the truck is still sitting between here and there," Mallory said. "We have another load we're sending up to Portland, but there was some product we really wanted on that truck that didn't get through. That could ripple out to hundreds of people, depending on where it was supposed to go." Among the products was cheese. "It was headed for 30 different stores between Northern California and Portland, but you can't just drop a pallet here and there at different stores," Mallory said. "It was going to Portland first for distribution from there." In a given year, local truck companies deal with about a dozen weather systems that hamper travel. "Hopefully, the driver has enough food and water to last for a while," Mallory said. "When they got hammered back East last week, it was the kind of situation that could turn deadly if people weren't prepared." The majority of Cross Creek Trucking's 107 trucks were on their way without trouble Thursday, but six were cooling their wheels on the Siskiyou Summit, waiting to get loads of produce to the Willamette Valley. Another four or five were somewhere in the snow between Redding and Weed, Calif. "Another eight or nine are waiting to get out with chain restrictions," said Cross Creek owner Mike DeSimone. "It kind of kills us when they shut down the hill." The good thing, DeSimone said, was that it isn't a peak season for Harry & David, a major customer for the trucking line. "We might have 40 loads going out on a given day around Christmas," he said. "The biggest thing is the fear of somebody getting hurt when the roads are bad." Cross Creek gives its drivers discretion on whether to continue when roads are hazardous. "We like our drivers to use their better judgment, regardless of what the road people say," DeSimone said. "If it's slippery, there's a mid-day benefit of the sun being high up. Even if there aren't restrictions, if it's real icy or foggy, we ask the guys to hold up for a bit; there's no use to killing a guy for a load of vegetables." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or at [email protected] Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Casinos Canada Cord Blood Banking Entertainment Guide Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Men's Clothing Debt Help