Winter ahead; Tips anyone?

Items to have:
- a push broom to clear that 6 inches of snow off your truck. The wind will not blow it off.
- a full size snow shovel (I recommend a flat 2.5'x2' simple shovel). To dig two tracks for your wheels to drive through that mound of snow the plow left in front of your truck. Snow really doesn't push out of the way like you think it will. Also to clear the snow out of trailers when customers leave the doors open. Snow doesn't sweep as easily as you would think it might.
- a 5 gallon bucket of rock salt. For traction. Some people say kitty litter. But for those moments you are really stuck, litter turns to mud.
- a small scoop to throw the rock salt/litter under your tires
- a bottle of air line conditioner for those moments your brakes don't release or work when you press the pedal. How to add it to the trailer, put the truck glad hand on the catwalk, hole facing up, pour an amount into the glad hand. Raise the gladhand up a bit so you don't spill any when you attach the gladhand to the trailer.

Tips and tricks:
- when it is precipitating enough to use the wipers, don't have the heat cranked to the max. Doing so, will heat the outside of the window so much it'll dry. With the liquid salt they use on the roads now, it will be difficult to see and cause you to use more washer fluid than necessary. The trick is to warm the windshield enough to melt the snow but not dry the windshield. It is a balance, heavier the snow, more heat. If you are seeing dry spots at the bottom of your windshield, cool it down a bit.
- when hooking to a trailer on snow or ice, do not do a 'tug test'. Doing so may cause you to spin your wheels enough to dig them in a hair and sometimes that is enough to get hung up on.
- visually verify that your fifth wheel is locked by looking into the jaws. Especially important when it gets colder.
- keep your fifth wheel lubricated. Keep spray lubricant on hand if you find the fifth wheel sticking. WD40 IS NOT A LUBRICANT, it will help out in a pinch though.
- if you can, park your truck with the nose away from the wind.

 

Cordless LEAF BLOWER works great in CLEARING SNOW off your truck and trailer and if your parking and there is FREEZIN RAIN , wrap your mirrors with garbage bags helps keep the ice from building up on them and quicker to get going later on just pull off the bags no scrapping needed

 

I thought of a few more driving across the deep south of Louisiana and The Great State of Texas today.

Never try to keep up with a FedEx truck in deteriorating weather or road conditions. They got the nickname FedWrecks for a reason.

Be a wimp and be proud of it! When you hear a driver talking about throwing iron and heading out into a blizzard with a few feet of snow over a few inches of ice remember to say, " I am a wimp. See you later (in the ditch)."

Determine your limits, set your limits and stay within your limits no matter what anyone else says. Adjust your limits only when you are comfortable doing so.

If everything goes wrong despite your best plans and cautions and you find yourself going into the median DO NOT try to steer back up the slope but turn downhill and try to get it stopped upright. A big draggin wagon bill is far better than a job/career ending roll over.

In car vs big truck crashes the car is at fault 80% of the time. I would bet its an average of 95% winter and 65% summer. Leave room for the 4 wheelers to do stupid things that not even radial tires can save them from. Convince yourself ahead of time that if you are going to crash to do it straight ahead. If you try to swerve or dodge you will wipe out more than what's straight ahead.

 

stay on i-10 from nov to aprl...you should be fine. if they try to run u north of 10 just say no

 

^^^^^^
I was going to say I 40 but I 10 is better

 

If you fuel in the South and head North add a fuel additive to prevent gelling of your fuel. Have a big hammer or sledge in case your brake shoes freeze to the drums. Hit the drums not the brake shoes. Air line antifreeze will help with ice build up in the air lines and valves. Winter windshield washer fluid poured over your tires will help you when your tires have frozen to the ground. Don't set your brakes if you can when it is freezing. Look ahead and stay out of the packs. Keep you reefer running on continues to prevent gelling and no starts. Good jumper cables, plenty food and water and proper winter gear to stay warm. If you spent the night out in nowhere let the truck idle as well. A couple of gallons fuel burned is cheap compared to the no start in the morning.

 

Expect the unexpected. When driving in the winter, especially at night, assume you will hit ice somewhere and drive accordingly. Assume there will be those who do not follow that practice and give yourself Plenty of response room.

 

I hate ice, I hate ice more than smelly drivers, more than DOT and more than my dispatcher. Yes I hate ice

 

Yes I hate ice most drivers do , but its funny how many still head south to get away for it then pay $ to have it in their drinks