any advice for winter driving

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by spartan, Nov 14, 2013.

  1. MZdanowicz

    MZdanowicz Light Load Member

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    You said it right. Sounds like you have plenty of snow experence. Snow will have traction, but ice, forget it! If only 4 wheelers would slow down, there would be 90% less problems in a snow storm. My speed in snow and vis only 50 yards, I run at 15 to 20 mph in 5th. Fully loaded, I have no problems, empty, I use a face-cloth to wipe the sweat off my face. Be safe, Mike
     
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  3. Mountain Hummingbird

    Mountain Hummingbird Medium Load Member

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    You know the speed limit signs on the interstates and highways are for sunny dry weather, This goes for the upper and lower limits. The load is only late if you end up in jail, hospital or dead the rest of the time it is just delayed.
     
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  4. Saddletramp1200

    Saddletramp1200 Road Train Member

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    Houston Texas,USA
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    Have plenty of Depends on hand, I still use them. Black ICE can also look milky brown, with swirls in the texture. If & when you see it, you will know what it is.
    I can help it, Know haw to tell winter is here? CF & Yeller is in the ditch. I didn't mean nothin'.
     
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  5. pattyj

    pattyj Road Train Member

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    Heres my advice,take a brk till the snow melts,lol.Seriously though nothing wrong with driving like a granny in snow.Better that then chanceing it and drive normal then end up in the ditch.Because your company may charge you for the wrecker to come pull you out.So just drive the speed your're most comfortable with and don't let the traffic make you nervous.They don't like you going slow then they can pass you.
     
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  6. Saddletramp1200

    Saddletramp1200 Road Train Member

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    Houston Texas,USA
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    Ok, here it is, the cure to winter fears. Your truck is NOT that much less stable on snow. Snow don't care, truck don't know any better. Ice will get you IF, you don't use your training. If You think it's too fast, It's too fast. That's it. No big secret from beyond, just something I found out over time.
     
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  7. camaro68

    camaro68 Medium Load Member

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    If you begin to slow down and see your trailer start to come around on you. How do you correct it?
     
  8. KW Cajun

    KW Cajun Road Train Member

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    Hopefully, you will already have known road conditions are far from good, and be going at a slower speed when this happens.
    But typically when it happens, you're already going too fast for conditions.

    Hopefully you also have PLENTY of safety cushion distance to the next vehicle ahead.
    Things NOT to do: Don't touch that johnson bar. Don't touch those brakes.
    Maintain your speed and HOPE that trailer straightens out. Too many variables to tell you to gently press on accelerator.
     
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  9. unloader

    unloader Road Train Member

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    Here is something my trainer imparted on me. When it would get dark and you would think the road was just wet, look at the tires of the vehicles passing you. If they are leaving a trail of mist behind them at the tire your just on a wet road. If there isn't any mist? YOU'RE ON ICE! Slow down.

    Another thing, and this comes from many years of Colorado driving experience (in cars/passenger trucks). Just because the road has a couple inches of snow on it, doesn't mean you can't skid out of control. You wouldn't believe how many people end up in the ditch because they thought they could do 55+ on just dropped snow. It's slick, it's wet, and all's it takes is one axle to lose traction before your ### is headed towards the ditch on the side of the road.

    SLOW DOWN.

    unloader
     
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  10. S M D

    S M D Road Train Member

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    sacramento ca
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  11. Lepton1

    Lepton1 Road Train Member

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    Yukon, OK
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    Remember that usually the right lane on a two lane freeway will be much more clear of snow. The left lane will have a couple inches of fresh snow when it is actively snowing.

    One of the worst winter accident scenes I came across happened when an SUV thought that passing a truck going 60 mph or more was a good idea. The left lane had small snow drifts (about 2-4 inches). This was westbound in New Mexico just before the Arizona border. The SUV lost control and clipped the truck in the right lane, causing that truck to jackknife off to the right (truck driver OK). The SUV then cartwheeled across the median and struck a Fedex truck head on (truck driver OK), impacting so hard on the bottom of the SUV it was bent at a 90º angle with the roof bent down so there wasn't any more space between the top of the doors and the top of the roof (SUV driver dead).

    When in doubt and you are behind a slower vehicle, just stay put. Transitioning into that deeper snow in the passing lane can create problems, let alone any variance in snow depth, chunks of ice, or uneven ice underneath the snow that can grab hold of your steers in a hurry.
     
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