Winter Survival from someone thats been standed

This is from my blog on www.truckerspaces.com
Well folks it's upon us once again, wintertime driving which leads to a whole new set of habits and things to do so you are safe out there.
It takes some time to adjust to the different weather driving conditions so make sure that you are prepared. Some of this list applies year round. I've made a list for the newbies out so they don't learn the hard way like I did, hope this helps someone.

• Extra clothes, shoes and blankets. Layers of clothes are better at keeping you warm than one heavy garment. Panty hose are good to wear if you are out side a lot.
• Plastic bags to put between your shoes and socks in the event that you have to walk through slush to get help. A couple of those 55 gallon ones make a good fast water proof covering and they will help keep you dry. Of course rain gear is better but sometimes we just forget to pack it.
• Food that that doesn't require refrigeration or cooking to eat, like beef jerky, tuna or any canned foods. You can always warm it up on the engine if need be. Make sure you put a hole in the can if you are heating on the engine so the pressure can be released.
• Try to keep at least half full of fuel.
• Water both for you and the truck.
• A can opener, plastic forks spoons, etc.
• Kitty litter, and salt for traction
• A gallon of bleach to free the wheels when they freeze to the ground, the bleach heats the rubber up and melts the ice, also works for freeing up frozen sliders.
• A spray bottle for the bleach, much easier to use than trying to pour it on stuck sliders and wheels.
• A hammer to break ice away from the wheels. The winter storm of 1993 really enforced the need for a hammer. That was the ONLY thing that kept me moving.
• Antifreeze, power service, oil, tire pressure gauge, alcohol, windshield washer fluid Try adding some ammonia and alcohol to washer fluid to get rid of the road film and keep it from freezing. Any type of soda like coke etc will also get rid of that film. Great for bugs too.
• Extra Wiper blades. I cannot stress that enough.
• Paper towels, baby wet wipes, bathroom tissue, a rubber maid bowl with lid (Gallon size) for the situations we get into that we have no bathroom. Use gallon storage zip lock bags in the bowl.
• Extra batteries, flashlight bulbs, nothing is worse than having a bad bulb when you need it.
• Extra alternator, belts, bulbs, headlights, and hoses along with the tools to install them.
• Put white lithium grease on all the electrical connections including the bulbs anywhere that there is a connection that is exposed to the weather.
• A piece of garden hose in case you have to give or get some fuel.
• Clean and check the batteries, replace if needed.
• Make sure you have all your medications refilled.
• Duct tape, electrical tape, towels, rags and waterless hand cleaner.
• Diving gloves, they will keep your hands warm and dry and still give you the most sensitivity for picking up things.
• Air hose to hook to the air supply on the truck in case you have to drop some air to get traction and to keep the tire pressure correct. I have fittings on all the tanks on the truck and my trailers. Some of you that pull different trailers or have aerodynamic fairings will need one that hooks to the glad hands.
• Rubber gloves to wear inside your regular work/fueling gloves. Cuts the wind and keeps the fuel off your hands. Good for adding oil etc as well.
• I carry books to keep me occupied; I'm not big on TV so take what you need to keep occupied when you get stuck somewhere.
• Check the weather along your route and where you are going and plan your trip. Let your family know which way you are going and the places you plan to stop. Communications are vital to keep you safe and your family from worrying.
• Pay attention to the weather, some of you have temp gauges on the mirrors, those of you that don't use a pulp thermometer taped zip tied to the mirrors or out the vent window.

I'm sure there are some things that I have forgotten. The main thing is be safe, informed and prepared. Murphy's Laws applies to trucking more than any other profession I know.
Until next time, Happy Trails
NightWind

 

For those drivers who forgot to pack an emergency candle, here's a little survival tip from me.

Place a roll of toilet paper in a metal container and soak it in methyl hydrate. Pour additional methyl hydrate in the bottom of the container but no more than 20% the height of the roll of TP. Light the soaked TP. What you essentially have now is an extremely hot alcohol bunsen burner ( remember those from high school?). The TP acts as a wick for the methyl hydrate. Just be sure you have a metal lid or other method of extinguishing the flame as this will not go out easily.

 

That was a very common sense and informative post on cold weather survival. Definately worth to copy, paste and save. Thanks. :smt038

 

Great list. Keeping the Boy Scout Motto alive. "Be Prepaired"

 

OUTSTANDING post Rev! One point though: Most people simply aren't aware that cold can dehydrate more severely than heat. Boosted metabolism to generate heat and steam in on'es breath are just 2 examples. Just this winter in Montana, my rig concked out completely. Would'nt even idle, and the temp was -20. First thing I did was drink down a bunch of water, while it was still relatively 'warm'. (all water/juice froze within an hour) It'll keep one's body temp from dropping from the water itself.

 

I always carry extra coats, a sleeping back, mittens and a first aid kit in my own personal vehicle. Being prepared is important.

 

Indeed! You can get the mylar blankets for about a $1 a piece on ebay if you buy them by the lot size of 10 or 20. One driver I know who has been giving me pointers as I work on my CDL has probably handed out that many blankets over the last couple of years coming to the aid/assist at accident scenes... unfortunately more often than not for mortality coverage than for victim warmth.