Winter Tips for Truck Drivers

Now that winter is close to full swing, Trucking Partners would like to offer some tips and tricks to make driving in harsh conditions a little easier. Driving during the winter can get pretty rough, especially for those of us from the south who may not be used to some of the crazy snow our trucking friends in the north see. Regardless of where you’re from, here are a few pointers to help conquer the snow and chilly weather this winter.

• Inspect Your Vehicle

Before anything, always do a full inspection of your truck and trailer and confirm it’s capable of making the trip. When facing cold weather, it’s always a good idea to check the brakes and tires, tire pressure, engine oil and antifreeze levels before packing up for a long road trip. Remember in colder weather, tire pressure can go down, so keep an eye on that periodically as well!

• Watch Your Speed

During the winter, temperatures tend to fall to below freezing regularly in some places. Research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has shown winter storms and bad driving conditions are a factor in nearly half a million crashes and more than 2,000 deaths every winter. Slowing down a few mph could be the difference in avoiding a wreck and possibly something worse!

• Visibility

When inspecting your vehicle before your trip, it’s a good idea to check your lights and remove any debris or ice from your windshield. Along your trip, if your windshield starts to build up with more snow or ice, you should take some time to pull over and remove it.  If conditions worsen, waiting out the bad weather may prove to ultimately make your drive easier in the long run.

• Plan Ahead

Before your trip, look ahead at the roads and areas you’ll be going through. In other words, check the weather on your laptop or download a weather app on to your phone.  This way, you’ll know what you could possibly encounter along the way.  Not only should you look ahead at your route, it’s always a good idea to pack enough warm clothes and other supplies (ice scraper, sandbags, traffic cones, etc.) that may come in handy should you encounter other problems.

For more information about Trucking Partners and how we work with truckers to solve cash flow problems, visit www.truckingpartners.com.