Question:
Like it or not winter is here in force in some parts of the country and on its way in others. Now is the time to start to adjust your thinking and driving habits before you find yourself in 6 inches of snow and no where to go.
Some tips for safe winter driving:
1. Slow down when roads or snow covered, icy, or just wet.
2. Do not use your jakes in the above mentioned conditions.
3. Bridges can and will freeze before roads.
4. Watch out for areas of the road that are in shadow. Ice will form and stay around in these areas longer.
5. Beware of black ice. (Road looks wet but is really icy. Often due to a thin layer of water over the ice.)
6. Leave yourself a greater following distance.
7. Avoid any sudden movments. This includes accelerating, braking, lane changes, turns, etc.
8. Ice and snow will add weight to your vehicle. (Right Hoss
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9. Try to keep at least a half a tank of fuel in your vehicle.
10. Know your company's policy on when, and how to use fuel additives, etc.
11. Keep snacks and water in the vehicle for emergencies.
12. Keep extra blankets and/or a sleeping bag in vehicle.
13. NEVER use a propane or kerosene heater inside your cab. This can be deadly.
14. Do not use your trailer brakes to park. Use only tractor brakes. Use wheel chocks if needed for extra stability.
15. NEVER park on ramps when there is snow, ice, or the chance of it.
16. Listen to the weather forcast often. Winter weather can change in a matter of hours if not minutes.
17. Know your limits. Do not push it. Shut down if you feel the conditions of the road are getting too bad for YOU. Shut down when you start to feel tired.
18. (May get some disagreement here) Try to run heavy on your drive tires. Stay legal but if possible put some extra weight on the drives and steers for better traction.
19. Make sure everything is working properly. Keep lights clean and clear.
20. Carry xtra washer fluid, and plenty of window cleaner and paper towels.
21. NOTHING will improve your traction on ICE!!!!!
22. When it is snowing visibility is lower than it would be during the same snow during daylight hours due to the snow reflecting light back at you. (Just like fog)
23. Make sure you have plenty of warm clothing including but not limited to coats, boots, and gloves.
24. If you have chains on your truck (even if you plan on never using them) make sure they are of the proper type and size and in good repair and that you have enough sets. Do this NOW not later. (Personally I never chain up. I feel if the roads are bad enough to require chains then I have no business being on them)
If anyone has anything more to add please chime in.
Always remember that there is no load that is worth your life. SLOW DOWN, TAKE it EASY, BE SAFE, and LIVE!!!!.
I have a name not a number. I am not cheap but I am resonable.
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Answer:
Make sure you keep up with your services for your truck and trailer. ALso make sure there is plenty of grease on your 5th wheel.
I have a name not a number. I am not cheap but I am resonable.
_________________


Answer:
A remark was made about putting more weight on your drive axles. THIS IS TRUE! Slide your tandems as far back as legally possible! (this also helps when snow builds up under your trailer, less weight on the trailer, the more weight in your wallet --> and the less YOU may have to chip off at a scale house --> )
Meaning;
If you have 29K on the drives and 33.5K on the trailer tandems, slide 'em back!
The weight on your drive tires will help you with the traction you need.
A word of caution tho......that 'weight' can and will work against you. It can put you further 'out in the cabbage' if you're not careful. ©

Answer:
That's right.
Some wonder if keeping weight on the trailer tandems would help keep it from jacknifing if it lost traction.
Lighter trailer tandems might lose traction faster than if you left some extra weight on them.
But if you lose traction with your trailer tandems heavier than your drives, you've got the heaviest part of your truck swigin' around trying to pass the rest of you. Get your weight forward. The trailer might dog a little more, but there's less chance it'll try to pass you if it loses traction when you decel.
Same for strong cross winds. Silde your tandems back as far as you can make your drives the heaviest part of your truck.
Then go slow, watch your mirrors and pray
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[This message was edited by Shuffler on October 29, 2002 at 02:38.]

Answer:
1) Pack some winter clothes
2) Boots , gloves
3) When parking on SNOW or ICE if at all possible let your tires cool then roll ahead abit , this is so the WARM tires do not melt the SNOW / ICE then refereezes after tires cool off.
4) Grab a pail of KITTY LITTER it helps on ICE.

Answer:
This is all great info and thanks.
What are most of the companies policy on driving in snow and ice? That would be one of the most toughest decisions is when to shut down and under what conditions especially if it would make the load late. I would rather shut down than not make it at all. But who decides when the roads are impassible? I have driven up north during a snowstorm at nite when visibility was zero and there was no where to pull off. That was pretty stressful when you can't tell the difference between the side of the hwy and the hwy and no vehicles in front of you to guide you. Truckers really are under paid during those conditions
Charles

Answer:
Originally posted by Charlesx:
This is all great info and thanks.
What are most of the companies policy on driving in snow and ice? That would be one of the most toughest decisions is when to shut down and under what conditions especially if it would make the load late. I would rather shut down than not make it at all. But who decides when the roads are impassible? I have driven up north during a snowstorm at nite when visibility was zero and there was no where to pull off. That was pretty stressful when you can't tell the difference between the side of the hwy and the hwy and no vehicles in front of you to guide you. Truckers really are under paid during those conditions
Charles
What a companies policy IS and what they want you to do is sometimes two different things. Dispatchers don't want late loads, they have more
work to do if its late.
The various highway depts. close the roads but it differs from area to area.
Ultimately its up to the driver. Your idea of impassible (NC resident) and mine(Ak. growth and skier) might differ.
I change my schedule according to weather radar.
I'll drive long into the night if a storm is coming and I'm headed east.
In order to stay in front of it. But not to the point of exhaustion. Being tired will only make bad conditions worse due to reduced reaction time and poor decision making abilities.
If running into a storm I'll stay with it and see what its like. Quite often I find shelter as its as bad as predicted. But sometimes its not.
If there has been a fair amount of snow on ice dumped overnight, I'll wait acouple hours past rush hour to leave. or leave earily am and stop before the traffic builds. Then I let traffic, the weather and the plows and shakers clear the worst of the road. While I have a big breakfast or do other tasks.
There is a rush hour even in BFE, MT, ND, etc.
And I am RARELY on the road then.
Always take your gross weight into consideration.
Being heavy is nice expect remember its a killer on downhills and corners on ice. If light watch the wind. You can always slow to a crawl and put on four ways to get to a exit, rest area or Tstop.
Turn down CB so you won't be prevoked into a mistake.
For better vision I carry lots of rubbing alcohol and add 1/2 pint or more to washer tank.
Its cheap and keeps the fluid from freezing in washer lines. It will actually melt ice alittle in warmer weather.
Keep washer tank topped off. Nothing worse than losing vision. When approaching populated areas I make sure tank is full to clean spray from other vehicles.
Clean your taillights often in snowy conditions please. I hate being suprised -->
When passing in remote country and theres alot of flying snow plan your pass out if possible. Wait until you can see all traffic and plan accordingly. Try not to pass on corners or downhills.
When being passed slow down and let the overtaking vehicle get it done quickly, Bear to right as much as possible and avoid looking in your mirror to watch pass. Don't know how many times I'll talked with other drivers about coming around them and only have them steer my way as they looked in their mirrors.
When caught in heavy snow and little to guide you,whited out roadway, no traffic etc. there is alot to go by. Rumble stripes almost always can be felt. The reflectors, mileposts and fence lines will give you bearings. As will the slope of the roadway and the distance to ditches,median strip etc.
Mainly I try to make my luck and watch the weather and stay way from traffic. If that means parking past a town or large Truck stop area, I do it.
And I rarely take much heed on aproaching trucks road reports. Its always different!!!!!
A driver that sees snow regularly might have a different take than a driver from the sun belt.
Good Luck out there,
Happy sledding TC
Love my 18 wheel taboggan! 40 tons+snow,ice and wilderness will let you know you are alive!!

Answer:
It's hard for the driver or the company to have a fixed rule.
The driver has to weigh the options and take a calculated gamble. I think you tend to manage each situation as you go along. The decision to stop is easier when there's a truckstop right up ahead -- out in the middle of nowhere it may be harder to find a safe place to shut down. You wing it as you go along, and it gets easier with experience.
You'l learn how weather patterns move across various parts of the country -- USA Toady has a good weather page. A cb or scanner with NOAA weather channels can give you lots of forecasting information. You talk to other drivers on the cb.
But basically you just keep driving as far as you can. In the meantime, you've been planning places you can shutdown along the way.
But you can't shut down for every little snow shower you run into.
You will drive on snow and ice.
You're required to carry chains in the northwest during the winter months for the passes.
If you're on one of these passes when they put up the chain restriction, you're expeced to install those chains and move your truck over the top, for example. This is usually the only time you're have to chain-up for the large carriers -- when you drive into a chain restriction. They have less exprienced drivers, so they error on the side of caution. More selective companies -- probably like the folks Skiffman's been working with -- may expect a little more daring-do in bad weather.
But for a Werner/Swift/US Express/Knight driver, the general rule is, if it's so bad you really need to chain-up, it's bad enough to park it. And companies like these won't give you too much grief if you want to avoid chaining.
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[This message was edited by Shuffler on October 30, 2002 at 00:53.]