Emergencies & First Response · Driver Training VideoEmergency Evacuations & Reroutes

Sooner or later you'll hit one: a hurricane evacuation order, a wildfire closing the interstate, a HAZMAT spill shutting down an exit, or a police scene rerouting traffic for miles. None of that is optional, and none of it is complicated if you know the rules going in.

Rule one: your safety comes before your schedule, every time. No load, no delivery window, no dispatcher request outranks a mandatory evacuation order or a closed road. If local authorities say leave, you leave. If a trooper waves you off an exit, you take the detour.

Rule two: call it in before you reroute. The moment you know your route is blocked — evacuation zone, wildfire, flooding, a wreck closing the interstate — get safety or dispatch on the phone before you improvise a new path.

Rule three: know your hours-of-service relief, and its limits. Under the adverse driving conditions exception, unexpected conditions like a sudden storm or an unplanned detour can extend your driving window by up to two extra hours.

Rule four: contraflow and detour lanes are one-way and non-negotiable. On a hurricane evacuation, all lanes may run outbound only, with no shoulder stops and no turning back. If you're diverted, follow the marked route to the end, not partway.

Rule five: protect the load and the truck. Top off fuel before you're funneled onto a packed detour route. Secure loose cargo before rough or unfamiliar roads. Watch your height and weight — a shortcut route may not clear the bridges or restrictions your GPS assumes.

Your company standard: notify safety or dispatch the moment a route is compromised, follow official evacuation and detour instructions exactly as posted, never invent your own bypass around a closed road, and never let a deadline push you past a fatigue limit or a barricade.