Winter weather advice from veteran drivers please!

not all trucks have a setting option tho, its either on or off

 

The awnser to your question is, If YOU think your going to fast, SLOW the heck down. Driving is common sense. You will know what to do.

 

10/4 Can't add to it.

 

Snow and Ice equal NO ENGINE BRAKE, if you persist with playing with the engine brake in the ice and snow you will (just a matter of time) crash he onl people you seem to think this is a good idea is the unexperienced. Start off slow, stay relaxed, take your time, leave plenty of room in front of you, brake early and very gentle same with your throtle, easy does it it. And leave the engine brakes off.

 

no jake. first driving job was from NC to Canada and back every week.

the jake almost killed me in the mtns of WV, on route 19,between I-79 and I-77, yrs ago. learned my lesson.

truck jack knifed so fast it was like magic. pulled it out. scared the crap out of me. luckily I was only going like 20 mph.

 

never drive faster than you can brake. If you think you need 15-18 seconds following distance in GOOD weather, double or triple that in bad weather.

Don't run with the traffic packs.

When you are running in snow and ice, keep taping the brakes enough just to dry the brakes out. If you have to get on them, you'll find out they are useless when they are wet.

Let someone else break a path.

If you aren't comfortable in it, park it.

Always carry a spare set of wiper blades.

Always carry a bottle of Powerservice 911 and bottle or 3 of regular PowerService fuel additive.

Always carry 2 spare fuel filters and the wrench to change it if needed. If you don't know how to change the filter, get taught. NOW.

Always keep over 1/2 tank of fuel. (buddy just got parked on the highway for 18 hours straight due to weather)

 

I like this post...it has 'survivalist' all over it.

There is a finesse that you learn along the way, a smoothness that comes with experience from driving in extreme weather. See, bad weather can pop up suddenly. You cant always park as soon as it hits. Sometimes, you see a truck roll by and the trailer is wagging. In dry weather, thats fine. In bad weather, its lethal. Sometimes, you see a driver switch lanes, and the trailer swings. Again, okay in dry weather, but lethal in bad.

What makes the trailer wiggle? The driver is sawing the steering wheel, trying to stop the trailer wiggle by countersteering. This only makes the wiggle worse. This is why we usually see a set of wiggle wagons rolled over in bad weather. Some drivers can pull wiggle wagons so smoothly that the rear trailer doesnt wiggle. The drivers who can pull the triples without the 3rd pup whiplash around are probably the smoothest drivers in the business. In bad weather, the smoother you are at the controls (STEERING AND BRAKING), the less likely you are to put the truck in a ditch.

To add to MNDriver's list:

Watch out for the ice fog! The stuff can freeze so suddenly and so thick on your windshield that you're instantly blind. Plus, every inch of asphalt is coated with black ice instantly.

In a blizzard, avoid the rest areas. The snowplows will block the entrances and exits off trying to clear the highway. If you're in there when they make a pass, you're stuck.

Keep your CB on. Traffic going opposite of you will be chattering about any dangerous road conditions.

 

This is all very good advice! Only thing I'd add is....

When yer not sure if your on ice or the road is just wet,,,look at the surface of your drive tires in the mirror. If ya can't see em, look at someone elses.
When it's water the tire surface will shine. If it's ice the tire surface will be dull. Watch for spray off of other vehicles tires. No spray, it's ice.
Sometimes there's water on top of ice so this isn't fool-proof, but will help you.

 

Some really good tips, especially keeping your tanks at at least half full. If the highway gets shutdown or the power goes out and the fuel pumps don't work you won't be stranded.

Also I like the advice about using finesse. This is very important. Finesse when you are upshifting/downshifting, finesse when you are breaking, taking corners, speeding up/ slowing down, changing lanes etc... You want to really do everything in almost a slow motion and avoid all herky, jerky movements.

Jake brakes.... I would advise NO. If you are experienced then you know what you are hauling, what the road conditions are and what you can get away with but otherwise I would really recommend you don't use them. The road conditions could be great and it be clear skies and your coming down the mountain with the jake on and hit black ice! Now you see your trailer start passing you! So just use extra caution and go down those hills extra slow.

On the topic of black ice, of course you know you need to use caution when coming to bridges and over passes. Just about everyone has a sign that says so. You really need to use extra caution though on those bridges and over passes that curve or have curves on them. Slow way down and do it ahead of time not wait until you hit the bridge to start slowing down.

Get out of your truck! Take the time to stop, get out and check out the snow and or ice. Is it fluffy? Is it wet? Icy? This will all determine how you are going to be driving. Before hand you also want to monitor your mirrors. Most trucks have thermometers so keep an eye on them. Remember that once they dip below 40 that you can have ice. Your truck throws a lot of heat so they maybe off by 10-15 degrees. Check your mirrors for ice. Watch the way the snow flakes and or the rain hits the windshield. This will help you tell the road conditions. Watch the spray off your tires. If you start to see minimal spray then you know its freezing up on the road. There can be ice on the road without any of these signs so be aware! Also keep in mind that conditions can change back and forth very rapidly while you are driving. There are spots, valleys, low points etc... as you travel that can be warmer and colder just within a few miles.

Freezing fog! This is bad! Oregon is most famous for this. Pennsylvania also. Can happen anywhere but more common in these areas. Keep an eye on powerlines, fences, signs etc... You can drive into a foggy area and it can instantly freeze the road or lay down a fresh coat of ice in front of you.

Be courteous to your fellow drivers too! There are many things you can do to help them avoid situations. Also before you leave the truck stop, rest stop etc... knock off as much snow and ice as possible from your truck. Remember to bang off your landing gear, they can often hold some really good size ice balls. If one of these comes loose while you are driving at 70mph it could kill someone!

Make sure to give everyone else ample notice of what you are about to do. Be a little more courteous in letting drivers in and moving over. Use hazards if you see a problem ahead so drivers behind you know what to expect. Use hazards at scales if they are backed up. In general just try to help out your fellow driver. Maybe even help a newbie struggling with throwing chains!

There's so much you can so out there to be safe and help others be safe. The important thing is don't let the thought go by the wayside. Keep it fresh in your mind every mile marker you pass!

Take it slow, drive safe...

 

This has got to be my favorite tip of all for guys giving tips...like me.
Why the hell didn't I think of that? I've hung some iron in my day and this never occured to me.
You can bet that there will be a couple short 2x4s on the truck for this purpose. Thanks!