How to Drive a Truck in Winter-Pre Trip
Good day everyone. It’s been a while since I have written here. I have some good info on how to drive a truck in the winter. Please read through this and drive safely.
Before you Begin your Trip
In the winter you will need many things with you that could save your life. When you do your pretrip inspection make sure you have these items.
In your winter survival kit you should have some stuff to help keep you warm, a first aid kit and some flares. Tire chains are a must if you drive through mountains. Make sure you pack your warm clothes and some long underwear. Spare fuses are important also as your truck uses more power in the winter to keep it warm. Also, when its cold it takes more energy to get it moving. A head light is important anytime but especially in the winter because its dark for longer periods of time. Extra blankets are a must in case you break down as with the food. You are constantly using your washer fluid in bad weather to keep your view clear, I recommend to keep 2 gallons on hand at all times.
Other things you should check before you start your trip are the weather along your trip, you own personal mental and physical health, and your alertness.
It is important to check your weather. The roads you are on now could be clear and weather is sunny however two hours later the highways and weather could be total opposite. If you know this before hand you can plan your route better to be most efficient. There are some great applications for your phone to check the weather, you can find reviews of some of them at Gadget Trucker. Also, there are some great websites for the states you traveling through to help you know the road conditions. Just search the e511 for the states you will be crossing.
Your your mental and physical health and alertness are very important in inclement road conditions. The bad weather demands more of your attention and takes a lot more out of you. Make sure you eat a healthy breakfast and get plenty of rest when you venture out in these conditions.
Plan your trip and allow plenty of time for the weather. All too often we are forced to plan to the last minute and get into a rush. Rushing opens the door up to making bad or even fatal mistakes. Make sure you plan in bathroom breaks, fuel stops, driving slower, mental breaks, and maybe a nap.
Thank you for reading this as my purpose in this site is to help make the roads safer. I will be writing more on this subject at a later date. Also I plan on posting a few videos. Please comment and drive safely.
Thanks
Paul Eigenheer
