A powerful windstorm that swept across Montana and parts of Idaho recently brought gusts topping 80 mph, downed power lines and forced the Associated Food Stores team to make rapid, safety-first decisions as highways became increasingly dangerous.
The strongest winds hit corridors stretching from Idaho Falls to Pocatello, where multiple vehicles were blown over. In Montana, the storm knocked out power lines and poles, triggering outages at several AFS members.
AFS transportation leaders said the extreme winds posed a serious threat to high-profile vehicles such as semi-trailers, with danger increasing sharply once winds exceed 40 mph. Factors including wind direction, terrain and whether a trailer is loaded or empty all influence risk.
As conditions deteriorated, the company moved quickly to protect drivers.
“A message went out immediately alerting all drivers of the extreme conditions and pinpointing areas of concern,” said Wayne Kinder, transportation manager. “If we hadn’t already talked to a driver in one of those areas, we called them and shut them down before they entered it.”
Drivers were instructed to slow down, stop when needed and position their rigs into the wind rather than broadside to it. Some parked under bridges or along sheltered stretches of road while dispatch teams monitored conditions.
“The only real split-second decisions were made by the drivers behind the wheel when they felt the wind or saw other trucks blowing over,” Wayne said. “That decision was to stop safely as soon as possible.”
Despite the widespread impacts, the company reported no blown-over AFS trucks, no damage and few late deliveries.
“I’m proud that due to the quick action by our drivers and dispatch team, we made it through some of the worst wind I’ve seen in my 30-plus years with no damage, no tow bills and no major service failures,” Wayne said.
Customer service teams also played a critical role as retailers called in reporting power outages. Working closely with transportation, they coordinated trailer drop-offs at affected stores to help preserve product during the outages.
“We use the tools we have to look at all the options and make sure we stay in communication with retailers on every step,” Duwayne Warren, customer service manager, said, speaking to the customer service response. “Anytime customer service reaches out to transportation, they are always ready to help.”
The collaboration underscored AFS’ “One Associated” approach, leaders said, with departments working seamlessly to support retailers even as weather conditions pushed operations to their limits.
“When events hit the extreme and roads become unsafe, late deliveries can happen,” Wayne said. “But when we do arrive, retailers are thankful the product, and the driver, made it there safe.”