Truck driving in winter weather can be especially challenging.
It can take a truck 3-12 times the distance to stop on winter roads versus dry roads. Thankfully, you can prevent accidents by checking that your truck is working properly before you begin hauling this winter.
Get Your Truck Ready for Winter Roads
- Make sure you have proper winter coolant and your radiator isn’t leaking.
- Winter roads provide little traction, so check that your tires have good tread depth.
- Keep your windshield clear in the event of a heavy snow, sleet or hail storm.
- Cold weather lowers battery power, so check that yours is working properly.
- Use a winter-grade lubricant, because a summer-grade lubricant could cause steering issues in low temperatures.
Winter Driving Tips
Here are some things to keep in mind if you are driving in snow or on icy roads.
- If you get stuck in deep snow, don’t spin your wheels. Instead, move them from side-to-side to push the snow away and pack it down. That should help you get unstuck.
- Accelerate slowly and gently to ease out of a patch of ice or snow.
- Leave a larger following distance and gear down if you need to stop.
- The best way to stop on ice without antilock brakes is by a rapid, light pumping of the pedal.
- During heavy storms with low visibility, take time to pull over and occasionally wipe your headlights, stoplights and taillights, so that other vehicles can see you.
- Watch out for low underpasses in the winter. Ice or packed snow can pile up on the road and increase your vehicle’s clearance height.
- To recover from a jackknife on ice, rely on steering rather than the accelerator or brakes.
Do you feel like your cash flow is frozen? Factoring your freight bills can help you keep your trucking business running smooth. Plus we have a free load board, fuel discounts, and roadside assistance programs to keep your trucks on the road. Call 855-369-APEX (2739) or get started here.