Winter truck driving can be one of your most dangerous tasks. The snowy, icy roads, lack of visibility, and treacherous traffic all contribute to it being one of the most challenging jobs in America.
What Is Winter Truck Driving?
Truckers who work and live in the United States face a handful of challenges that they wouldn’t usually have to deal with if they only drove during the summer months. The most difficult challenge by far is winter truck driving, which includes operating large vehicles on icy, snow-covered roads and navigating around other trucks and cars. Trucking in the winter comes with a host of challenges and dangers.
How to Stay Safe During Winter
During winter truck driving, you have to combat danger from the weather on top of the risks that always surround truckers. There are a lot of things to consider when you’re out on icy roads during the winter months, and here are some tips for staying safe:
Slow down
It would be best if you slowed down during the winter because you don’t want to lose control of your truck. If you lose control, there is a greater risk of rolling over or sliding off the road and causing an accident.
Don’t tailgate
Tailgating is always dangerous, especially during winter. You need space between you and the vehicle in front of you, so you have time to react if something unexpected happens.
Check your tires
Winter trucks have special tires designed to handle the icy roads and prevent wheel slip. But remember that you also need to check your tire pressure during the winter. You risk having one of your tires blow out if you don’t.
Make sure your brakes work correctly.
Many truck drivers like to start their winter months by putting on new brake pads and rotors, but they should also ensure that their brake lights are working correctly before hitting the road.
Keep your windshield clean.
If you don’t keep your windshield clean during the winter, it can still defrost and cause you to lose control of your truck. So it’s essential to always keep your windshield clear, especially if you’re going on long trips. A simple solution is to use snow blowers or windshield wipers that will blow the ice off the glass so it can be cleaned without touching it.
Keep a winter survival kit in your truck.
You should always have a proper kit in your truck. You should have extra blankets, water, food, and flares during the winter. If something happens on the road, you want to be able to get what you need to stay safe.
Always have emergency contacts with you.
If you get into an accident, you might not have access to your cell phone. Ensure you always have emergency contact information, for example, truck accident attorney Colorado contacts.
Work with a distributor partner that understands trucking.
If you’re going on a long-haul road trip this winter, you should work with a distribution partner that understands the importance of keeping you safe and comfortable during the winter months. A good partner will have all the proper equipment, blankets, water, food, and other necessities to ensure you can stay safe while they deliver your shipment. It would help if you always took the necessary precautions when catching your shipment or making any deliveries during the winter months.
Taking Control of Your Driving Safety
New truckers are always looking for ways to improve their driving and make sure that they stay safe. Not only do you need to be careful about what you do in your truck during the winter, but you also have to keep in mind how traffic is affected by the weather.
Your truck is just a big vehicle at the end of the day. It can carry your cargo safely, but that won’t matter if you get into an accident and suffer significant injuries because of the danger of driving in winter weather.