They drove from as far as Pennsylvania and Missouri, headed for Colorado, Nebraska and Salt Lake City. As Tuesday night’s winter storm rolled in, however, they wouldn’t make it further than the Love’s Truck Stop off Interstate 80 exit 168.

Harvey Miskiman of Cedar Rapids and Gordon Fouche of Bruce, Wis., were just two of the countless long-haul truckers stranded overnight as blowing and drifting snow moved through central Iowa causing pileups, fender benders and ultimately, delays.

Truckers and travellers alike stayed warm inside McDonald’s, Chester’s Chicken and the Love’s convenience store. With not much else to do, many kept busy simply chatting with other stranded motorists.