• Do NOT Use Engine Brakes: When you encounter slippery conditions, do NOT use your engine brakes. This can lead to a jackknife.
THE SAFETY MESSAGE
• Do NOT Drive if You Don’t Feel Safe: Do not outdrive your experience. If you don’t feel safe, then find a safe place to park and stop. Keep Operations informed. • Always Use 3 Points of Contact: This is a must, particularly in cold, snowy or icy conditions. This should be second nature to you at all times, but especially in winter months. Again, the above tips should be followed year-round, whether you are driving a CMV or your personal vehicle. Also, during the winter months, make sure to pack warm clothes, extra blankets, a good sleeping bag, extra drinking water, and nonperishable foods in case you get shut down in an area without accommodations. These are just a few suggestions that will help make driving in winter weather safer and more successful. Again, if you don’t feel safe then don’t go! Also, make sure you have your mirrors adjusted correctly and your seat is adjusted high enough that you can see all your mirrors so you can regularly scan them. This will help eliminate or reduce any lane change or sideswipe accidents. It is a good rule of thumb to maintain your lane unless you just have to change. Each lane change increases the chance of a lane change accident.
I hope each and every one of you had a merry Christmas and happy New Year’s Day and that this newsletter finds you and your family doing well. The beginning of January means that winter weather is either already occurring or is right around the corner. As beautiful as the snow can look (I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder), it can bring challenges to the trucking industry. If you haven’t already done so, it is time to equip your truck with winter gear and supplies as well as take some precautions. Most of these tips are to be used year-round but are extra important during the winter season.
• Slow Down: Reduce your speed on wet roads and especially on snow-packed roads.
• Do a Vehicle Inspection: Perform good pre- and post-trip inspections.
• Increase Your Following Distance: It takes a greater distance to completely stop your vehicle in inclement weather. Following distance is controlled by you and is an easy way to help avoid accidents.
• Avoid Sudden Maneuvers: These include fast braking, sudden acceleration, and abrupt lane changes.
Until next time,
–Tim Clark VP of Safety
• Watch for Black Ice: Watch the vehicles around you. If you see spray coming off their tires, then it is wet. If you don’t see spray, then it is ice and the roads are freezing.
• Make sure your emergency triangles are in good order and have some kitty litter on hand — it’s an inexpensive way to gain traction when stuck in ice and snow. Keep your tanks on the side full and always keep your phone charged. • Protect your batteries! Battery power is critical any time of year, and cold weather will put a strain on the best of batteries. Keep the power in the battery by turning off the main switches beside the seat when leaving the truck parked for a few days. Inverters should only be turned on if it is being used and turned off when not in use. You should always be thinking about saving battery power so they don’t leave you stranded in the cold. Winter weather can reach up and bite you when you least expect it, so be prepared. Thanks again for all you do, and remember we are always here for you if you need us. Don’t hesitate to give us a call if you need us, and I hope to see you at one of our facilities soon!
SHOP TIPPS
Hello, drivers! Winter is here, and we hope you are ready for the frigid temperatures we will be seeing during the cold season. Please remember to plan ahead, know what the forecast is at your destination, make sure you are prepared if you are stranded. We want you to be safe all winter! Here are a few things you can think about before you head out. • Tires, brakes, and engine oil and coolant checks as well as an air tank purge and ice removal off the trailer air lines and radar are things that should be done daily. • Keep your windshield washer bottle full and keep your wipers in good condition. You can extend the life of the wipers by keeping the ice cleaned off of the blade and the glass. • Keeping the cooling system in good order is critical in surviving the winter season. Scan the ground for leaks daily and keep some tools around so you can tighten up those clamps. Cold temperatures will cause rubber and silicone hoses to contract and start leaking. Simply tightening the clamps a little will stop the leak, protecting the engine.
–Tim Tipps VP of Maintenance
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