Winter driving

DO NOT use cruise control in slippery conditions. Also the jake brake, although it may be turned down a notch or two.

 

Pavement is better than slush, slush is better than snow, snow is better than ice. Hard pack can be good when it's nice and cold out there, like 10 degrees. Or it can be slicker than owl ####, like around 34 degrees. When it doubt, drive the snow.

Slow down, stay off the cruise, be careful with the jakes, know how to put on chains. Spinning out is going to happen, know how to recover from it.

Equipment needs to be in tip-top shape, with excellent tires and brakes. Chains inspected, with tensioners and repair links readily available as needed. Emergency supplies available and in good shape. An additional source of heat in case you gel up.

Pay attention to the environment, signage, and fellow travelers. Cars in the ditch are a good sign things are getting interesting,

 

Driving in snow is easy. Earlier posts already said what needed to be said. Just take your time and feel the road through the truck and vice versa.

Driving on ice.... Well.... I do what I have to. And I know my limits. You have to know yours.

Watch out for the snow on top of ice.

 

You never want to be comfortable driving in the snow, only confident. Try to remember that. When you get comfortable, that's when you do stupid things.

Also, use your clocks to your advantage. Those roads will eventually get plowed and salted. If you can take take 10 hours off, or use the split rule, and still get the load delivered on time, it's not a bad idea to get off the roads so that the crews can get them plowed and salted and cleaned up.

But ultimately, remember, that load can be replaced, those xboxes can wait an extra day to get to walmart's warehouse. You don't get a do-over at life. If it's that bad, just park. If you have to chain, and there's a truck stop, take your 30 minute break and have some coffee. Typically, if it's that bad that you have to chain, it's bad enough that it's safer to just stop and park until it clears up. With experience, you'll start pushing through bad weather. It's just those first times that get to you.

Me, personally, if there was snow or ice, I didn't drive. I trusted myself, but my first experience with ice in one of these trucks, It was freezing rain and I was pulled over on the shoulder because my truck decided to start overheating, I was about 20 feet from being killed by a trailer that jackknifed because some idiot didn't realize you don't drive fast on ice. As soon as the truck cooled down a little, I poured water in to hope that'll keep it cool enough to get to an exit, got lucky and made it to an exit ramp, and never drove an 18 wheeler in the ice again. And that's the other thing to remember about winter driving, don't be afraid of the weather, be afraid of the other people driving.

 

With all the experience and perperatation, your day can go to sbft in 100 feet. I've done it & so have 99% of the rest of the drivers. You drive right into your next big adventure. Corners, bridges, down grades, shadows there all possible places for a bad day on the road. Slow down where you need to and pay attention to what you doing. That's how you become a seasoned hand.

 

Ice will get you killed. You can drive on snow all day long.. no problem.

You can drive on ice only until the first gust of wind catches your trailer , or someone does something stupid in front of you.

 

Last year in Indianapolis, I had to leave during rush hour in the morning. There was a thin layer of ice and traffic was stop and go. I had no problems until I got to a on ramp that was also a down grade of about 2 percent. The trailer started to come around my left side. Heavy traffic. No way they could get out of my way. I was only going about 5 miles per hour but a crash was coming. Somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered to stomp on the CLUTCH. Trailer pushed me ahead and straightened out. No problem.

Clutch not brake on ice.

 

Where's the fun in that?

 

If you're driving in rain close to freezing temps watch for water spray off your tires. If there is no spray, you should know it's freezing to the road surface and you are probably driving on black ice.

 

No clutch in automatic trucks.Now what?