Semi Trucks Driving In High Winds: 7 Tips For Truckers
Advice about the dangers of semi trucks driving in high winds and how to avoid a crash
We’re all familiar with how bad weather such as snow, ice and rain can interfere with a trucker’s ability to safely navigate his or her semi truck. But there’s another dangerous driving condition that’s often overlooked: semi trucks in high winds.
Driving a semi-truck in high winds is an extreme safety hazard because a standard 53-foot commercial trailer acts as a massive sail, catching crosswinds and triggering devastating lane-drift or rollover accidents. While gusts are an unpredictable weather threat, bad weather is never a legal excuse for a crash. Under federal safety rules, commercial tractor trailer drivers are strictly required to significantly reduce speeds or pull over completely when wind conditions compromise visibility or traction.
In Michigan, as in all states, truck drivers are required to reduce driving speed by up to one-third if the weather is bad. They are required to pull over and stop driving altogether if the weather becomes too dangerous. That’s one reason why when I lecture at safety seminars to trucking companies or when I teach lawyers how to litigate truck accident cases, I always say that bad weather is not an excuse for a truck accident.
What are the dangers of semi trucks driving in high winds?
High winds can make it difficult for semi-truck drivers to maintain control while driving, especially when operating tractor-trailers with empty or lightly loaded trailers. Strong crosswinds can push a truck sideways, cause it to drift into adjacent lanes, or make steering corrections more difficult. In severe conditions, wind gusts can lead to trailer sway, jackknife crashes, or even rollovers. High-profile vehicles such as tractor trailers are particularly vulnerable because of their large surface area, which allows wind to exert significant force against the trailer.
Semi trucks driving in high winds increase the risk of collisions due to reduced vehicle stability and heightened driver reaction demands. Sudden gusts can force a truck into another lane, onto the shoulder, or into oncoming traffic. Wind can also blow debris onto the roadway, creating additional hazards for truck drivers and nearby motorists. When weather conditions involve strong gusts, trucking companies and drivers may be expected to reduce speed, alter routes, delay travel, or take other safety precautions to prevent serious crashes and injuries.
What is the “sail area”?
A sail area is defined as any type of surface that will generate thrust by being placed in wind. The more square footage in the sail area, the more power developed by wind pressure. For example, the side of a trailer can be as long as 53 feet and 9 feet high, which equates to nearly 500 square feet of sail area. And the same wind conditions which may minimally impact a passenger car can have dramatic effects on a trailer with 500 square feet of sail area.
Tractor trailers are very prone to wind interference because they are so much bigger than other ordinary cars and passenger vehicles. The surface of a tractor (cab) and trailer creates an enormous “sail area” which can catch the wind. The wind can then cause the truck and especially the trailer to move – just like a sail. This leads to a semi truck losing control and causing a wreck as a result of driving in high wind conditions.
How Driving In High Winds Impacts Semi Trucks
- 1. The “Sail Effect”• How It Affects a Commercial Rig: A standard 53-foot trailer creates nearly 500 sq. ft. of surface area. Strong lateral gusts catch this area like a sail, physically pushing the trailer out of its lane.• Legal/Safety Standard: FMCSR § 392.14 (Extreme Caution Required)
- 2. Empty vs. Loaded Trailer• How It Affects a Commercial Rig: Light or empty trailers lack the gravitational stability of a fully loaded rig. Powerful gusts can easily lift the tires of an empty trailer, causing a devastating rollover.• Legal/Safety Standard: High Rollover Risk (Empty = Most Vulnerable)
- 3. Sudden Jackknifing• How It Affects a Commercial Rig: When severe gusts push the trailer sideways while the tractor attempts to maintain a straight path, the pivot point buckles, causing the truck to fold like a pocketknife.• Legal/Safety Standard: Driver Negligence (Failure to reduce speed)
Semi truck drivers must be extra safety conscious when driving in high winds
Semi truck drivers must be extra safety conscious when driving in high winds. Commercial tractor trailer drivers must know when to reduce speeds and they must also know when to stop and get off the road because windy conditions are interfering with their ability to maintain their lane. They must also know – and that means they must also have been properly trained – to drive in windy conditions safely. If you are an attorney, that means these cases are often negligent training cases involving the company and they should be added to your pleadings when you are filing the lawsuit.
Under federal safety standards, commercial truck drivers have a strict duty to exercise extreme caution. This means they must proactively reduce their speed—or stop driving entirely—the moment severe winds compromise their ability to safely maintain their lane.
Also, and I don’t mean to sound like Captain Obvious here, but they have to read signs. Signs that provide warnings such as “Wind Advisory: High Profile Vehicles” exist for a reason… For lawyers, especially when you are dealing with a larger trucking company, these cases can also include negligent routing and dispatch. If certain roads and corridors are known to be much higher risk for gusty conditions, then inquiry should be made about why the truck was routed this way and if safer reasonable alternatives were available. I should note here that as a truck accident lawyer, every negligent dispatch case against a trucking company that I have litigated also included reasonable safer routing alternatives.
When should a semi truck pull over and stop driving in high winds?
When driving a semi-truck in high winds, the ultimate safety rule is to know when to pull over and stop. This is a strict federal mandate, not an opinion. Under Section 392.14 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs), when hazardous weather conditions exist, “[e]xtreme caution in the operation of a commercial motor vehicle shall be exercised.”
Significantly, the federal safety rule adds that “[i]f the conditions become sufficiently dangerous, the operation of the commercial vehicle shall be discontinued and shall not be resumed until the commercial motor vehicle can be safely operated.”
The takeaway here is clear: professional semi truck drivers driving in high winds must immediately slow down, and if the danger continues to worsen, they must get off the highway entirely. Under federal law, commercial drivers are legally required to discontinue operations and wait at a safe rest stop until the rig can be operated without risking a catastrophic rollover or lane-drift accident.
Why are semi trucks driving in high winds highly susceptible to accidents?
Semi trucks are highly susceptible to accidents while driving in high winds because of their size, shape, and high center of gravity. A tractor-trailer presents a large vertical surface area, especially the trailer, which acts like a sail. When strong crosswinds or gusts hit the side of the trailer, they generate lateral aerodynamic force that can push the entire vehicle off its intended path. This effect is significantly worse for empty or lightly loaded trailers because there is less weight to counteract the wind’s force, making the truck easier to shift or destabilize.
The risk is amplified by the truck’s long combination structure and pivot points between the tractor and trailer. Wind forces can create trailer sway or “push-pull” instability, where the trailer moves independently of the cab, increasing the likelihood of jackknifing or lane departure. At higher speeds, these forces increase exponentially, and even small steering corrections can become overreactions, compounding instability. Combined with a higher rollover threshold on elevated roadways or ramps, high winds can quickly turn what would normally be a manageable driving condition into a serious crash risk.
Is a trucking company liable for a semi accident caused by driving in high winds in Michigan?
A trucking company can be liable for a semi crash involving high winds in Michigan if the conditions were foreseeable and the driver or carrier failed to take reasonable safety precautions while driving in those conditions. Liability may arise when a driver continues operating a high-profile tractor-trailer in dangerous wind gusts without reducing speed, pulling over, or otherwise adjusting driving behavior to account for the risk. If the company’s policies, scheduling demands, or lack of weather-related restrictions contributed to the decision to keep the truck on the road, that can also support a finding of negligence.
In these situations, the focus is on whether driving decisions were reasonable under the circumstances. Even when weather is a contributing factor, a trucking company and its driver can still be responsible if they did not take appropriate steps to mitigate known hazards associated with high winds, such as lane control issues, trailer sway, or rollover risk.
7 tips for semi trucks driving in high winds
1. Know the sail area
This will vary from truck to truck
2. Secure equipment
Take the time to do a thorough once-over on your truck before getting into the driver’s seat. Secure all cargo doors and exposed hardware so loose items cannot be caught by high wind streams.
3. Do a pre-trip inspection
To add to this, remember that under the FMCSRs, truckers are also required to perform pre-trip inspections, and there are specific rules that govern your cargo load as well.
4. Monitor weather reports
A commercial tractor trailer driver should know what wind speeds they are up against before they hit the road. Make sure to track regional wind advisories to prevent being caught off guard by sudden microbursts.
5. Watch road signage
Constantly look out for electronic highway signs, windsocks, and leaning roadside trees. If you are driving a semi truck and you see “Wind Advisory: High Profile Vehicles” warning sign, immediately drop your speed by at least one-third.
6. Empty trailers are more dangerous
An empty trailer weighs less than a loaded one and is far more susceptible to being manipulated by even a modest amount of wind. When high winds blow in, the road conditions may become “sufficiently dangerous” under the FMCSA’s safety rules to warrant getting that empty trailer off the road altogether.
7. When in doubt, slow down or stop
When in doubt, slow down or stop the golden rule of professional semi truck drving in high winds. Under any circumstance, including hazardous weather, hazardous road construction, restricted views or any possible hazard, always slow down to a safe speed and stop when appropriate.
Injured in a truck accident in Michigan? Call Michigan Auto Law Now
If a semi truck was driving in high winds and crashed into you, call now (800) 968-1001 for a free consultation with one of our experienced auto accident attorneys. There is no cost or obligation. You can also visit our contact page or use the chat feature on our website.
Michigan Auto Law is Michigan’s largest and most successful law firm that specializes exclusively in helping people who have been injured in auto accidents.
Our secret? Our semi truck accident attorneys deliberately handle fewer cases than other personal injury law firms. This allows us to focus more time and attention on our cases.
Unlike other law firms, our attorneys are never too busy to promptly return phone calls and answer questions.
We have more than 3,000 5-Star reviews that reflect this care and attention to detail.
More importantly, this client-focused approach leads to better and faster settlements for our clients. Michigan Auto Law has recovered more million-dollar car accident settlements and trial verdicts for motor vehicle accidents than any other lawyer or law firm in Michigan. We’ve also recovered the highest ever reported car accident and truck accident settlement in the state.
Call now so we can start making a real difference for you.
Written By
Steve M. Gursten,
Attorney,
License#: P53632
Steven Gursten, attorney at Michigan Auto Law and one of the most successful auto accident attorneys in Michigan. Michigan Auto Law represents people seriously injured in car, truck, motorcycle, and bus accidents, including catastrophic injury, traumatic brain injury, and No-Fault insurance cases. Steven has recovered the largest reported auto and truck accident settlement of any Michigan lawyer, and has been named Michigan Lawyer of the Year and a Top 50 Michigan Super Lawyer.
Read Steven Gursten’s full attorney profileLegally Reviewed by Todd Berg, Attorney
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. See our Community Guidelines.