Polar vortex collateral damage?

January 30, 2019 6:26 PM

We just spent the day driving south from Chicago through subzero temperatures and couldn’t help but notice the profusion of disabled semis by the side of the road. Once the outside temperature warmed to about zero F or so, the number of disabled trucks dropped off dramatically. Does the cold freeze the diesel fuel, or what?
posted by DrGail to Travel & Transportation (5 answers total)

It doesn't freeze it gels.
posted by JPD at 6:31 PM on January 30, 2019 [3 favorites]

Yep. Googleable term is "gel point"
posted by jessamyn at 6:33 PM on January 30, 2019 [1 favorite]

In cold climates they sell winter mix diesel to prevent this from happening. They probably filled up somewhere else and drove into the cold.
posted by unreasonable at 6:47 PM on January 30, 2019

It's not necessarily the diesel freezing, it may be that the brakes stop working the cold temperatures.

I know this because of Justice Gorsuch's despicable "frozen trucker" opinion....
posted by cushie at 8:13 PM on January 30, 2019 [3 favorites]

High winds also can stop some, depending on if they are loaded or not.

And, a few of them may have run out of log-time and been forced to shut down without a better place nearby.
posted by mightshould at 9:56 AM on January 31, 2019