Challenges for truck drivers in winters
2018-19 is supposed to be a real white walker winter for the people in most of the parts of Europe. Handling winter conditions can be a major safety challenge for any professional truck driver. Slippery roads, low visibility, the unpredictability of other vehicles and most importantly the covered snow . But before getting behind the wheel, you’ll need to prepare your vehicle to hit the road.
Winter truck maintenance check
- Clean the snow – First thing first is cleaning the snow off your trucks or trailers before you start the long ride.
- Tire tread – Examine tires for remaining tread life, uneven wear, bulges and cuts. For trucks exceeding 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight, the minimum tread depth is 1mm, in a continuous band throughout the centre three quarters of the tread width, as well as over the whole circumference of the tire.
- Wiper blades – Check and replace old wiper blades.
- Washer solvent – Check levels and stock up on windshield washer solvent.
- Light bulbs – Check all light bulbs and replace burned out bulbs.
- Tire pressures – Check these are in line with the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended limits
- Coolant – Check the coolant and replace if over 24 months old.
- Battery – Check the battery, which is more likely to fail in winter under high starting loads.
Tips for truck fleet owners
Fleet owners ought to have a well-thoroughly considered process for keeping trucks that are not in activity from solidifying amid to a great degree cool temperatures so they are prepared to go when required.
They additionally need to frequently keep drivers up to speed on preparing for winter driving, beginning as right on time as October to talk about these challenges with drivers. All drivers, including new drivers and drivers who are situated in hotter atmospheres that may go through winter climate, ought to have consistent boosts.
For drivers, there are obvious steps they can take to stay safer in winter:
- Wear a seatbelt
- Watch the dashboard lights for maintenance problems
- Be mindful of current conditions
- Give 20 or more feet of additional space for safe stopping distance
- Avoid hitting the brakes suddenly
- Be careful about trucks idling at extremely low temperatures
- Get snow and ice off of the roof for the safety of other motorists
- Have a checklist to stay prepared for the worst
- Have an emergency supply of water, blankets, clothes, and non-perishables in case they get stranded
It is also important for drivers to perform a high-quality pre-trip inspection to make sure their trucks are ready to go. The most important thing in that is making sure that your vehicle is not covered with snow. Some of the major issues related to trucks with covered snow are like decrease in mileage, instability, over weights and of course a huge penalty in some countries. Its true that ice removal is a very time consuming and even costly most of the times, hence its not the most important in the list. But now, with the help of Durasweeper, its no longer the same.
Durasweeper allows truck owners to remove snow from their trucks in just minutes and efficiently. Also, its comparatively cheaper than any other machines available in the market.
So, this winter take care of your trucks and they will take care of you in the long journey ahead.