Newbies!!! It's almost winter!!! Here's some tips.

I think I'll stay home by the fire. T6 is right. I've seen 2ft of snow and 40mph winds in Wy. In AUGUST. Trucks on their sides, jackknifed ect. Truck stops full,rest areas a cluster. A real s#*^show. I'll leave the light on for ya.

 

Well, the good news is, it looks like we're all going to get at least a 4-5 week delay from the norms of any significant snow accumulations in the CONUS, if not longer. Mid October and still no snows anywhere and none in the short term forecasts. Colorado peaks are all still completely snow-free since this past early summer.
http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/wwd/winter_wx.shtml

Not saying it won't get bad at some point, but the longer fall snows can be pushed back, the better. That's another month of easy driving, unless winter is late to exit next spring.

 

As a southerner that had never driven in snow before I started driving trucks, I want to add some stuff that may or may not have been stated to my fellow fair weather staters.

-Buy some GOOD boots, what they sell us in the south is made for mud/water. Not for snow. Wet feet will make you absolutely miserable. I suggest buying the boots in a cold state.

-Buy a GOOD jacket, again the stuff we get generally isn't ready for the temps you get in the northern states. Also at least mild weatherproofing. A nice fuzzy jacket can be warm, right up until the water soaks through.

-Little wd-40 on headlights/tail lights can keep them clear of snow.

-Keep your cellphone charged, you may -really- need it. A battery pack may also be useful.

-If you see someone go off the road don't stop, you may join the accident. The shoulders are not generally safe to get on when snow and ice are present. But CALL IT IN. The person involved may have been injured, the local response teams will be more able to assist if you aren't there blocking a large portion of the shoulder/road near the accident.

-Be careful about turning the truck off and adding fuel additive, I had my tanks gel my first year in the snow and the only thing that could be done was to tow it inside a shop and let them warm up, took a very long time!

-Wear gloves when working out of the truck, good gloves. I have found that a pair of wool glove liners plus the generic wal-mart leather gloves most of us use offers adequate flexibility for strapping loads, lowering/lifting landing gear, pretripping, etc while giving a good amount of hand warmth. I also personally carry some chemical handwarmers.

-A good hat/face mask. I generally use a Carhartt face mask, a hoody jacket is not a hat. And you will be surprised at just how sick the wind can make you in 30 minutes.

-An extra pair of boots/shoes. I take my boots off after getting into the truck (I have a deep channel floor mat) so I don't track snow/mud/road treatment into the truck. A second clean pair of shoes inside to keep my feet warm unless I have to get back out in the elements soon.

-A window scraper, Non Freezing Wiper Fluid (several gallons, you will use it frequently). An extra set of wiper blades won't hurt either (you should know how to change them also).

-Get the ice off your truck when you stop for fuel/bathroom/food. Be careful when you do, I pulled a sheet off the hood once that must have weighed about 200 pounds, it all came off in one piece and might have seriously hurt me. The main reason I mention to de-ice your vehicle is because the pieces can dislodge during travel and damage/injure other vehicles/persons. Same from snow on parked van trailers, which is something you should be wary off. Follow to close after snow, and you may get a busted windshield from a huge clump of frozen snow off a trailer.

-A tip I got from a gent in North Dakota: Don't use the heat to defrost during snow/freezing rain. It will make your wiper blades into ice chunks. Use the outside air to defrost, it will do the job and stop your blades from clumping up as fast.

-Be wary of fuel islands during winter months, they get super slippery. Use small steps, and try not to hurry, there is nothing funny (other than to the people who see it) about a slip and fall injury, it may haunt you for the rest of your life.

-Shut down when you don't feel safe. Just cause others are rolling doesn't mean you have to.

-Avoid the BST (Bull Spit table) super truckers who will advise you to drive in conditions you don't feel safe. You're the lord and commander of the ship, they are not.

-Prepackaged no-prep foods are great to keep on the truck. I personally keep peanut butter, crackers, bread, pickles, bottled water (2 cases), and chocolate bars. I got snowed in to a rest stop in Wyoming and could not move or run the truck for nearly two days.

Last, and not really a tip. Don't be afraid to learn, if one of the northern drivers is giving you advice try to listen. They can really help you out, especially if they are very familiar with the local weather. Stay safe guys.

 

This whole thread could be summed up in three words. "USE COMMON SENSE"

 

You would be surprised who out here has non of what you say sums this thread up.

 

No thank you, you can have it
I'll stick with my Phoenix to LA run

 

i leave no light on, as there is no room at my inn.

 

There were a large number of chain reaction wrecks last year involving trucks......

Hopefully this year will be better..

 

IMHO it's best to park early if there's a weather issue. I'd rather not drive around all the riff-raff on snowpack. Most of my winter trucking excursion were at night over mt. passes/woods so, it might be the beer talking.