A long-haul trucker's photos show what it was like to be trapped for more than 18 hours in the Virginia snowstorm on I-95

Dominick ReuterJan 6, 2022, 01:39 IST

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.

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

"[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."

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

"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.

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

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.

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

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.

"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

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A long-haul trucker's photos show what it was like to be trapped for more than 18 hours in the Virginia snowstorm on I-95

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.

Monday started just like any other day on the road: at a truck stop with a cup of bulletproof coffee.

Marchand had woken up in York Springs, Pennsylvania, where he spent the night after driving 530 miles on Sunday.

After checking his engine and topping off his fluids, Marchand set out on his way for Auburndale, Florida.

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.

He began to encounter snow in Maryland, tweeting that the scene was "almost like a Christmas card."

As a Canadian and a professional driver, Marchand is no stranger to navigating through snow.

"[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."

As he crossed into Virginia, the situation deteriorated quickly.

"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."

Traffic began to slow considerably, and he stopped several times to help stuck cars get back on their way.

"It wasn't really snow at that point, it was kind of more like a slush, with an icy layer underneath," he said.

He even passed a municipal bus that had slid off to the shoulder.

"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.

By the mid-afternoon, the storm had passed and the sun was coming out...

... but the slush covering the roadway was slippery...

... and tree branches and uncleared snow were still very much covering the highway.

As the sun went down, the temperature continued to drop, causing everything to freeze over.

Six hours later and Marchand had only made it six more miles, coming to a stop near mile marker 140.

"The moment I was stopped, I knew that we weren't going anywhere," he said.

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.

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.

After eating, he attempted to get some rest.

"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."

Around midnight, he heard a knock on his door.

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.

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.

Dawn began to break a few hours later, and soon the blocked traffic ahead started to move.

Soon he was passing through Richmond, Virginia under a clear blue sky...

... and shortly after noon he reached South Carolina.

With the sun drifting toward the horizon, he crossed the Francis Marion Bridge over the placid waters of Lake Marion in South Carolina...

... crossing into Georgia under a painted sky.

He stopped for the night in Port Wentworth.

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.

"Normally, a storm adds an hour or two to my day, under normal circumstances," Marchand said.

"Not something that one could possibly foresee adding 18 or 19 hours to my day."