Learning to drive in the winter?

given that many times, we all read here on this site, the students sitting at home, due to no trainer(s). as it is, if i were a trainer, i'd NOT want a student driver in my truck, during winter.

i'd tell the company, as it is, the students don't always pay attention, or think they know it all. and I HAVE SEEN THAT, especially at the 2 schools i worked at, the students thought they knew more than us instructors. .

nope, stick out the current job, got to CDL school in later winter/early spring...get time/miles under his belt till the next first snow falls.

 

Winter is time to run i10.

 

I see a lot of trucks and cars in the ditch on days when it’s blue skies and sunshine so it’s not so much the weather as it is common sense

 

There are a few considerations when making a radical career move like this. Make sure you have enough money in the bank to cover yourself for several months until you achieve actual driver status and start receiving decent pay checks.
Driving is Driving regardless of the season, you can encounter as many hazards in the summer as you can in the winter. We all had to learn to take it in stride.
If need prescriptions or anything like that, make sure you have an ample supply as you may not see home for awhile once you start training.
Look sharp, act sharp, be sharp. There is a tremendous amount to learn in this business, pay attention and absorb it like a dry sponge and you will do well.
Welcome to trucking, I wish you all the best in your new career.

 

Remember the speed limit is the maximum speed not the minimum speed.
On ice be gentle no brakes.
Freezing fog kills sleet is a close second.
It's better to chain up BEFORE you get into trouble.
After the chains are on you're just trying to get OUT of the trouble.

Also if you have the experience of going down Snoqualmie pass and it starts to sleet half way down, don't freak out. You'll make it down one way or the other lol.

 

Yes Sir!

 

Just get it over with . Might as well be with a trainer in the truck to guide you through the winter driving .

 

You'll be fine. I got mine in December. We all went out to a big empty lot and practiced how an empty trailer behaves in the snow. I'm glad I learned in the winter

 

Sometimes people will say "only drive as fast as you are comfortable with."

If you're doing that, and everyone is passing you, you're a hazard. Get off the road. Throwing your hazards on is also not a free excuse to put everyone else in danger. Driving too slow is just as bad as driving too fast.

Jakes are not the devil on snow and ice. If they engage and the engine drops to idle, you've got a tire slipping. Don't panic. You've got nine other sets that aren't. Choose a different stage. If they still slip on stage one, you should have probably put chains on miles ago.

Opt for the heavier loads if you're faced with a choice.

If there's light snow sticking to the pavement at the bottom of the pass, it's probably a whole lot worse halfway up.

Keep half a tank of diesel at all times if you can. Never know when you're going to be stuck three days on an interstate because FedEx Ground was playing on his phone instead of driving to conditions.

 

This 1000%. You create even more of a hazard. You'll get better with experience knowing how fast you can go. All of us have probably done that your first winter out but it's safer for everyone for you to park it til it's safe. The closer to 32 degrees the slicker the snow is. On a real cold day you can actually get decent traction on snow.

Real heavy or real light be extra careful. Lots of people say oh 45k is perfect in the snow. Not in my book especially in the mountains when it starts pushing you down hill. Imo 25-30k is a happy medium, but ya can't choose your weight most times Lol