Take Advantage of These Trucking Winter Tips

Take Advantage of These Trucking Winter Tips

The winter months present hazardous road conditions all across the country, with snow and ice covering many roads and highways. Adaptability becomes one of the most useful winter trucking skills, being able to understand the appropriate driving style on icy roads or ones covered in snow. Below are some winter driving tips for truck drivers to keep in mind the next time you find a patch of black ice on a slippery road.

Winter Truck Driving Guide

In winter weather conditions, slower speeds tend to help drivers stay safe, as they have more time to react to icy conditions. It is also important to maintain a safe buffer zone around your vehicle, whether it is the car you are following or those beside you. This will allow everyone in your proximity an ample amount of reaction time. In addition to leaving enough space between yourself and other drivers, you will have more time to react if you strategically avoid packs of vehicles on the highway.

If you are ever unsure about the driving conditions, then don’t try to brave the bad weather in order to make your delivery. Instead, call your dispatch, inform them of the situation and have them reschedule your delivery appointment. This is also true if you are nervous about the state of your vehicle and its equipment, as a truck that isn’t up to snuff can be incredibly dangerous.

Some items that you should keep at hand in your truck include cat litter to provide your tires with some additional traction, a dull tool to scrape ice off the bottom of your truck, and well-insulated warm clothing to keep yourself warm both in and out of the cab.

Hopefully, these safety tips for truck drivers will help you keep your truck on the road while performing winter weather driving.