With the Winter weather creeping in and the potential of the ‘Beast from the East’, we’re outlining our top tips for driving in this Winter climate.
Keep your vehicles stocked with supplies
While most drivers keep jumper cables and flares in their vehicles, winter weather requires a different set of supplies. To be extra cautious, stock up on things like:
- Tire chains
- A bag of salt or sand
- Extra blankets
- Ice scrapers
- Flashlights
- Gloves
- A change of warm clothing
- Non-perishable foods in case of overnight storms
Don’t follow the tail light of the vehicle ahead of you
Fog, heavy snow, sleet, and more distort light and obscure visibility. This means that if you are following the tail lights of the car ahead of you instead of the road, you are too close. Keep a safe distance from other vehicles.
Be extra careful on bridges and overpasses
Bridges and overpasses tend to freeze over more quickly than ground-level highways, gathering more black ice which is extremely hazardous.
Pay attention to yesterday’s, today’s, and tomorrows weather
Knowing the weather forecast on the day you are driving is extremely important and allows you to plot alternative routes in case of storms. But looking at the previous day’s weather will also give you alerts in case you are driving to an area that just experienced a lot of snow and ice the day before.
Pre-trip checks and diagnostics
Before you head out this winter, make sure you do a thorough once over on vehicle. Check tire pressure, lights, battery, blinkers, and everything you can think of to make sure your truck is in top condition to take on whatever the cold weather brings. If your vehicle is in good order, then the chances of you getting in an accident are greatly reduced.
Stay safe and careful! We’ll be ensuring all our drivers and vehicles are regularly checked for the road.
Get in touch with us Today to see how we can help you with your freight needs this, Winter!