Severe weather can be both frightening and dangerous for auto travel. Slippery conditions can make traveling extremely treacherous. Make sure your fleet is properly serviced and maintained before the winter season begins. The following tips will help you ensure that your vehicles are as prepared as possible to weather the winter roads, and to keep your drivers safe.
Add fuel additions and blends. When temperatures drop below 20 degrees F, add a diesel fuel anti-gel additive to your fuel tank. Anti-gels drop the freezing point of diesel fuel so that it is less likely to freeze in cold temperatures.
Make sure your vehicles are in good condition before each trip. Check all equipment before each use. Make sure to inspect lights, brakes, windshield wipers, defrosters, plow bolts and chains, spreader and auger, flares and other safety equipment. This includes, inspecting their vehicles for frozen components.
Make sure to have a FULLY stocked winter emergency kit in your vehicles:
- Flares or reflectors to signal for help and warn other motorists
- Sturdy scraper, snow brush, and snow shovel to clear snow
- Battery or crank-powered radio to listen to emergency broadcasts
- Cell phone and a charger
- Extra washer fluid
- Flashlight with extra batteries or crank-powered flashlight
- Survival blanket or sleeping bag
- Chemical hand warmers
- Extra set of clothes, including coat, hat, mittens, boots, etc.
- Gallon jug of water and nonperishable food
- First-aid kit and essential medications or required prescription medication
- Tire chains and tow strap
- Non-clumping kitty litter or sand for traction
- Jumper cables
- Extra cloth or paper towels for cleanup if necessary
Understand winter tire essentials. The advanced tread designs of Mud and Snow tires will significantly improve your vehicle’s ability to grip the roads under severe weather conditions. Examine tread depth; look for signs of uneven wear, test air pressure and inflation. Having correctly inflated tires in good condition will help prevent breakdowns and accidents.
Adjust delivery times. Include a plan for storm response so you can adjust delivery times accordingly. Integrated and advanced navigation solutions with up-to-the-minute weather and traffic data are the best ways to ensure that routing is optimal.
Don’t ask your trucks to do more than they can.
Have we missed anything? If so, share your tips/experiences in our comments section below!