flatbed winter coverall?

Only under the coveralls. Driver.

 

I hear that!! Please take it in the spirit it was intended.........I've read enough of your posts to know what you are about!! I just couldn't let it pass!! LOL And it's all good.....

 

I used to wear a pair of cheap brown "jersey gloves" inside my regular work gloves when it was real cold. Worked pretty good for me! Wet is the kiss of death for most work gloves. I used to look around on Ebay for my gloves and by them by the case. Found some pretty decent gloves for $1.50-$2.00 a pair! Your mileage may vary!

JD

 

I really like walmarts blizard brand, about the only thing i buy from them. Cheap warm and seem to fit and move better than the fleet farm ones ive tried

 

I've still got my first Carhart jacket...bought it 13 years ago when I was driving wreckers, and it has been used & abused ever since. Sure, it looks a little ratty these days, but if I'm wrenching on the truck it still keeps me warm. I've bought a couple Carhart jackets since then, and never been disappointed. I prefer lighter coveralls with a jacket suitable for the temps...don't really need the heavy "arctic" coveralls...just the minimally insulated ones. I usually just get whatever "cheap" off-brand the store has for coveralls, and save my money for a good jacket. Have a light-weight Carhart for when it is cold, and a heavy "arctic" Carhart for when it is REALLY effing cold.

When you are working hard strapping & chaining loads, you won't need much insulation to keep you warm. Last thing you want to be doing in freezing temps is sweating. Lighter weight coveralls also make climbing around on the trailer easier, too.

 

the thin rubber surgical gloves will help keep out the wet , just put on wear the gloves over them. they also work wonders when working on the truck to keep the grease and oil from imbedding in your hands. a box will last a great while

 

Another vote for Carhart here, plus the jacket and the thick "Thinsulate" gloves, gauntlet style so they go up into the jacket or coveralls or over knit rib cuffs, velcro snug to my wrists (wind), and the detachable hood that goes with the coveralls, and a nice scarf to tie around nose and face and wrap around shades or nice pair of clear safety glasses for my eyes and for feet - Timberland Pro's. Folks gonna make fun, but . . .

To keep dry I Scotchguard'ed everything (camping section - spray on Scotchguard, works well but have to reapply after washing) cloth. For hands, oversized leather Wells Lamont "Grips", several good coats of mink oil and they go over my Carhart Thinsulates. I leave them over in winter and treat it like it was a single glove instead of a leather pair over the Thinsulate pair. The heavy mink oil soaked into the leather acts as a water repellent and keeps the leather softer and pliable and lasting a lot longer. My boots right out of the box and fit test get several good applications of mink oil (paste - always paste so you can work it into the leather really good - especially seams, those are weak points for water, gloves too) and I put a blow dryer on low on the inside of the boot or glove after each application to open up the pores and let the mink oil get drawn good an into the leather. Then for my boots I break out the Kiwi polish and give them several coats of polish, buffing each coat to a shine. I use the Kiwi applicator so the polish gets good an into the seams and leather edges and then an old tee shirt as an applicator to really work the polish around, dipping it alternately in some room temp water and polish. Then a horse hair or camel hair (NOT and of the poly blends - real hair) brush to buff it out to a keen shine. Like a spit shine. Ok, ok it IS a "spit" shine. I do this three times when I first get the boots, then I just wipe them down with a warm wet washcloth when I put them back on after showering. Cleans, rejuvenates the shine and smoothes out the polish. I do a regular polish when they look like they could use it. I wear a regular pair of tube socks with a thick pair of hunter's socks over them. Snug laces to comfort.


Do I look like a kid from South Park (you can only see my eyes and those have wrap around shades)? Yup. Sure do. Get teased a bit too. I take it in fun. because I'm warm, dry and it's -12 with a steady 25 knot wind and the leather on the gloves and feet keep my hands and feet warm and dry and the Scotchguard'ed Carhart "canvass" is real resistant to water, snow ect. AND to the scrapes and scratches from sharp metal like slinky coil ends (I mean really. Do they HAVE to leave them sticking out like they do?) or I-beam and rebar ends. I move around free enough too cause I size everything with this in mind so it's actually a little larger than I normally would wear on light weight stuff. Except my hands. I admit that if I have to sign something I have to take the gloves off or it looks like a cave man scrawl, but 99% of what I'm doing all suited up is securing and tarping so I don't need fine motor movement in my hands and fingers. The boots, do look real nice all shined up and I get comments about "being proud of them boots" but it doesn't have anything to do with appearance. It's all about leather conditioning. Mink oil preserves, conditions and helps waterproof leather and Kiwi polish IS waterproof. I can walk right through water, slop etc., up to my ankles and it sheds off like water off a duck's back.

I keep the " foul weather suit" on a big heavy hanger in the bunk and "suiting up" doesn't take but about 2 minutes head to toe to put on over whatever I'm already wearing. The Carhart coveralls have a long zipper on each leg so I don't have to take my boots off to fit them down and out the legs. It's more work and a little more expense up front, but for a skinny old fellow born and raised in the tropics whose body was made and conditioned all his life to dissipate heat not retain it: It sure is nice and cozy and it lasts a good long time. Several winters at least and as temps warm, I back off the layering. Just a pair of long sleeve regular Dickies, leather "Grips" the right size and my boots keep me clean and from getting too scratched up in warm weather.

BTW, it was Old Man Winter and fighting him year after year (plus a little situation with the company I'd been with a long time and our logs and a DOT audit) outside for so long at a time securing and tarping that finally got to me and I got out of flatbedding. I could deal with Lady Summer and the heat no problem, but the older I got, the more playing out in the freezing winter crud got to me. I'm digging this reefer thing I'm doing now but part of me misses my old Pete and covered wagon . . . but I DON'T miss winter as a flatbedder.

Stay warm and be safe. This year is looking to be an early and hard winter. Hope this helps you get through it nice and cozy.

Hope this helps.

 

I was just north of Williston last January. -9f actual air temp with a windchill of -55. They were sold out of fuel treatment,.. I bought 2 gallons of 87 octane to add to my tanks in order to keep from gelling up.

Cold,.. I couldnt stand out there for more than 4 - 5 mins. Basically long enough to undo 1 frozen strap,.. then run back inside the cab and hug my heater blowing full blast. So cold my nose went to drip mode instantly. It collected on my mustache and froze there. My nose was cold and numb, I didnt know my snot froze up until it started melting after I finished packing everything away. Kinda salty IIRC.

I spent the night,.. I upped my idle to 850 RPM and still barely kept warm huddled under 2 blankets and a very thick and expensive comforter from home.

I think thats probably the coldest I have ever experienced. Of course I live in Florida and I'm acclimated to Florida weather. If it drops below 60 I'm usually not very happy. LOL

Hurst

 

Walls is every bit as good as Carhart, and TONS cheaper. http://www.walls.com/clearance/walls-insulated-coveralls

I have Walls bibs, and a Carhart coat (the coat was a safety award and free). I don't care for the Coveralls either because of the seemingly lack of flexibility, I like the bibs and a coat.

 

I'm right there with you. I think I go through 5 or 6 insulated gloves per winter.

Hurst