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November 29, 1999 9:39 AM, EST

When a trucker is hauling a triple through a steep mountain pass, the last thing he needs is to be surprised by an ice storm. That’s why the Utah Motor Transportation Association’s winter weather command center prides itself on keeping truckers up-to-date on road conditions across the state and beyond.

UMTA’s weather watch started up another season of daily road condition reports Nov. 22.

For now, the service gives trucking companies trying to decide whether to run long combination vehicles a weather update by fax, but an Internet site is coming soon and further innovations are in the works.

“The primary reason we have the program is for LCVs — triples and turnpike doubles,” said Jim Larsen, linehaul operations manager for Yellow Freight in Salt Lake City.

For the full story, see the Nov. 29 print edition of Transport Topics. .