Yeah, it took 2 days to reopen the TransCanada at the Saskatchewan border. The huge convoy train of trucks coming west after it opened went on for miles and miles. I stopped counting after 3 dozen trucks.

Very surprised the truckers weren't outfitted with additional gear. I would have thought that trucks with sleepers would have a ton of stuff back there, just in case...

Stuff costs money. Companies barely pay their drivers. Why would they invest in gear for drivers?
They probably also figure it would get stolen or 'lost.' (and some would)

And the drivers barely make any money so they don't have spare cash to invest in helping keep the company's commitments.

There might be exceptions to this adversarial relationship but my wide reading and 100% turnover figures in the industry suggests it's normal.

ok. I try hard not to judge, but...But...BUT!!.. It's your employee/you and your (personally or the company) truck facing being stuck on the road. How doesn't someone think of a highway closure, and bring some basic necessities?! I understand that the companies seem to be claiming personal responsibility, and the drivers think that's wrong, but are the drivers not allowed? Surely they (the drivers and the companies) have heard of other such regular/frequent incidents, EVERY WINTER. At the end of the day, the drivers are the ones paying the cost. I just don't understand martyring themselves.

I tend to buy more expensive items, because I will be using it on foot, or maybe a bicycle, so weight is important. Hence, a lot of down, etc. But if we are talking about something you can throw in a vehicle, you can cut the cost back a lot,to the point where it shouldn't be difficult to obtain workable items.

The martyr gig has never been particularly appealing....