Winter driving in Midwest and Northeast

Get your self some insulated coveralls, gloves would help too but I always found gloves felt restrictive to me. Keep your RPM 's high going up hill and and low going down. Don't gas it going over bridge decks. And drive slow. Most recommend shutting down when it gets icy, me, I just call them a bunch of wuss' , but that's just me.

 

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast...... Keep the chains and learn how to use them. Don't be intimidated to ask a trucker at the truck stop to show you how to put them on, do it now, before it snows and you need them. Me, I don't use them unless I have no choice.. As far as driving on ice or in snow, drive as slow as you need to, don't make any sudden direction changes or sudden anything for that matter. Make sure you have food in your truck, anything and water. Get you an electric blanket or just plenty of blankets. The coveralls is a great idea and gloves too. Hope for the best but, plan for the worst, like being stuck on the side of the road and the truck won't start.

 

I don't drive on ice or heavy fog. I'm a wuss, I guess.

 

Have a box of MED. rubber gloves to put on under the 2 pair of work gloves you can carry so you can keep your hands dry! Put the tire chains on an off in the yard a few times to get the hang of doing the change out, cold and wet hands make for flapping chains at times where there no safe place to pull out to fix them in a snow bank?

 

Had that happen to me once. Got to the customer at night. My alternator went out and I was stuck there for a while. No blanket and no jacket at the time. Cold took the heat over half an hour later. That was a fun night at least until the tow truck got there...

 

The best advice i can give is, don't let anyone drive your truck. If you don't feel safe get off the road.When Iit's icy I only go as far as it takes to get to a safe place. There is nothing and I mean nothing you haul that is worth losing your life or killing someone else.

 

A butane torch comes in handy when those strap wenches freeze up. Saved me in N dakota last winter when it was -16.

 

Everything said is good but no one said a winter hat that can be pulled over your ears. Remember most of your body heat is lost thru your head.
Also a good pair of boots if you have to climb thru snow banks to chain or even to tarp/un-tarp.
Dave ----

 

Good point. You should also have a good basic tool kit, that includes screw drivers, pliers, 2 adjustable wrenches and a hammer. I also carried a bag of kitty litter.