Marchand said he started noticing traffic slowing down to a crawl before noon.
Matthew Marchand
- A winter storm stranded motorists on Interstate 95 in Virginia for more than 18 hours on Monday.
- Canadian long-haul trucker Matthew Marchand was one of those stuck in the frozen traffic jam.
- Marchand shared his story and photos with Insider about what it was like to make the journey.
It’s a trip that Canadian long-haul trucker Matthew Marchand has made dozens of times before — heading from the Montreal area to Florida via I-95.
Matthew Marchand
Monday started just like any other day on the road: at a truck stop with a cup of bulletproof coffee.
Matthew Marchand
Marchand had woken up in York Springs, Pennsylvania, where he spent the night after driving 530 miles on Sunday.
Matthew Marchand
After checking his engine and topping off his fluids, Marchand set out on his way for Auburndale, Florida.
Matthew Marchand
He expected to be there on Tuesday afternoon. Marchand documents all of his travels with a dashboard-mounted camera and uploads photos to Twitter at rest stops.
Matthew Marchand
He began to encounter snow in Maryland, tweeting that the scene was “almost like a Christmas card.”
Matthew Marchand
As a Canadian and a professional driver, Marchand is no stranger to navigating through snow.
Matthew Marchand
“[Northern] roads close all the time, the only differences is they’re better at communicating it,” he said. “And the cars are are prepared because they know that no one’s going to help them.”
Matthew Marchand
As he crossed into Virginia, the situation deteriorated quickly.
Matthew Marchand
“Once I got to the Virginia line, it got much worse,” he said. “You could tell that they hadn’t plowed anything on that road, really at all.”
Matthew Marchand
Traffic began to slow considerably, and he stopped several times to help stuck cars get back on their way.
Matthew Marchand
“It wasn’t really snow at that point, it was kind of more like a slush, with an icy layer underneath,” he said.
Matthew Marchand
He even passed a municipal bus that had slid off to the shoulder.
Matthew Marchand
“Virginia DOT didn’t do themselves any favors,” he said. The agency’s official social media channels had scant updates, and even lost power to its traffic-monitoring systems.
Matthew Marchand
By the mid-afternoon, the storm had passed and the sun was coming out…
Matthew Marchand
… but the slush covering the roadway was slippery…
Matthew Marchand
… and tree branches and uncleared snow were still very much covering the highway.
Marchand said he started noticing traffic slowing down to a crawl before noon.
Matthew Marchand
As the sun went down, the temperature continued to drop, causing everything to freeze over.
Matthew Marchand
Six hours later and Marchand had only made it six more miles, coming to a stop near mile marker 140.
Marchand said he’s moved around 20 miles in the last 15 hours.
Matthew Marchand
“The moment I was stopped, I knew that we weren’t going anywhere,” he said.
Matthew Marchand
With a 200 gallon tank, Marchand estimated that he had about 96 hours worth of fuel to use. Passenger vehicle drivers would be dealing with far less.
Matthew Marchand
Next, he stepped outside to check on the scene and talk with other drivers – one of whom had made a snowman – then he made dinner in his truck.
Matthew Marchand
After eating, he attempted to get some rest.
Matthew Marchand
“You try sleeping in a live lane of traffic, you won’t do it,” he said. “You can try but you won’t sleep very well.”
Matthew Marchand
Around midnight, he heard a knock on his door.
Matthew Marchand
The driver of a Tesla said he was concerned about the effect of the 19-degree temperatures on his battery charge, and and asked if there was a way to draw power from Marchand’s rig.
Matthew Marchand
There wasn’t, but Marchand did have a spare blanket, an emergency mylar wrap, and some water to keep the driver and his kids warm through the night.
Matthew Marchand
Dawn began to break a few hours later, and soon the blocked traffic ahead started to move.
Matthew Marchand
Soon he was passing through Richmond, Virginia under a clear blue sky…
Matthew Marchand
… and shortly after noon he reached South Carolina.
Matthew Marchand
With the sun drifting toward the horizon, he crossed the Francis Marion Bridge over the placid waters of Lake Marion in South Carolina…
Matthew Marchand
… crossing into Georgia under a painted sky.
Matthew Marchand
He stopped for the night in Port Wentworth.
Matthew Marchand
On Wednesday morning he woke up, had his bulletproof coffee, and hit the road once more, aiming to reach his destination by the mid afternoon – a full day after his planned arrival.
Matthew Marchand
“Normally, a storm adds an hour or two to my day, under normal circumstances,” Marchand said.
Matthew Marchand
“Not something that one could possibly foresee adding 18 or 19 hours to my day.”
Matthew Marchand
Follow Matthew Marchand on Twitter to see more from his long-haul trips.
Read the original article on Business Insider 
