4 Safe Driving Tips For Commercial Drivers During Winter

Posted by One West Insurance Services Inc on October 21st, 2019

During winter, even experienced drivers think twice while taking turns on wet cold roads. If you are a seasoned veteran or just got out of a truck driving school, driving in winters can be a little risky. As you cannot predict the weather, you have to stay prepared. You can follow a few safety tips that we have shared here to make sound decisions to drive safely on the roads.

Sign up for weather alerts

Before hitting the road, always check the weather forecast so that you can plan. You can think of which route to take to avoid harsh weather. But weather condition sometimes changes suddenly. Sign up for weather alerts to receive notifications on your smartphone or email address. This will help you alter the route on time. In addition to this, you will be able to avoid road closures and traffic delays.

Check equipment

Pre-Trip inspection of vehicles is a must for commercial drivers, especially during cold climate.  This includes treating the fuel with an anti-gel, checking the weight of the load is distributed evenly, keeping an extra pair of wiper blades. Following these are necessary as icy roads make it difficult to control the vehicle and freezing temperature congeal diesel fuel. Also, clear snow for brake lights, headlights, and hazard lights whenever you stop to avoid. As visibility gets low, keep windows and mirrors free of ice. When the weather gets bad, you have to do these inspections more often for extra precautions.

Keep speed in control to avoid skidding

Snow and ice decrease the tractions of tires. When you put sudden brakes or take turns, it becomes difficult to stop the vehicle or slow down the speed. To stay safe, keep your speed under the limit and maintain a distance with other on-road vehicles. This will give you more time while making an instant decision and react accordingly. When you put sudden brakes when the road is slippery, the vehicle skids. Therefore, always remember to pump the brakes, shift to neutral, and control your vehicle by turning the wheel in the direction you have planned to go. When your vehicle end to skid, instead of coming to stop, slowly accelerate to keep the traction and put the vehicle in gear.

Always stay prepared for worst

Even if the weather forecast tells you the sky will stay clear, be readily prepared for every challenge as things can change in no time. Always keep rain gear, an extra jacket, additional food and water, sand and salt, plenty of gas, tire chains, windshield scraper, jumper cables, and extra batteries. These things will help you dodge unwanted situations.

Unfortunate events arrive without announcement. The best you can do is be ready with a backup. For your truck protections and risk covers, get quotes from commercial transportation insurance companies to buy the best insurance, without delay.