ARE YOU READY?
By Writers and Owner Operators Rod & Kim Grimm

Time flies! It’s hard to believe, but it’s already our first anniversary of writing Trucker Talk. At truck shows this summer, drivers have come up to us and said that they enjoy reading our column. To all of you, thanks. I really enjoy writing it! And if it’s time for us to celebrate one year of stories “in the can” than it is also time to start getting ready for winter.

Think it’s a little early to be talking about winter? News Flash: it’ll be here too soon. Back in Iowa and up into Wisconsin we had a chilly August, even setting some record lows (days and nights). The leaves even started turning. September 5th it was raining and 41 degrees on I-80 going over Elk Mountain in Wyoming. Later in the day when friends of ours came over the mountain, they said that they could see the fresh snow up on the mountaintop. It wasn’t down on the road yet, but it will be soon enough. So after the summer that wasn’t, it’s time to get ready for winter - like it or not.

Personally, I dread winter more every year. The cold seems colder the older we get. But since we primarily run in what some people refer to as “cold country” most of the time, all we can do is get well prepared and hope for the best. If you’ve been on the road for a few (or a lot) of years, you already know most of the things you need to do to be ready for that first snow. If it’s your first winter on the road, or your first time driving in a cold region, here are a few valuable recommendations to help you get through winter. Even if you’ve heard this before and think you know it all, read on anyway. We might hit a point that you never thought of before and save you some future aggravation and/or trouble.

Like the recent hurricanes that hit Florida, we can’t control winter storms, but with the help of the Weather Channel, we can better plan and prepare. We always check the forecast before leaving. If I-80 is going to be nasty and I-40 is forecast to be nice, we’ll run the extra miles to be on good roads. Sometimes it’s going to be bad both ways so you just have to pick one and go. Be sure to check with your company before running “out of route” miles.

Make sure your truck is ready. It should always be mechanically sound, but give it a little extra going over before winter. Its one thing to break down when it’s 100 degrees and totally another when its 20 degrees below zero and the wind is blowing 40 mph. Be sure to pack extra blankets, coats, winter boots and gloves - insulated coveralls are a good idea as well. Think this is too much? Think of this stuff as a life raft when you break down in a really cold place and help can’t get to you quickly. I’ve seen drivers wearing shorts in a blizzard say, “It was 70 degrees in Georgia yesterday!”

Always be sure to carry some water and non-perishable food with you. Most trucks today have a refrigerator and microwave, but if your truck gels up you might not have power. Also, you never know when you might need to help people who have children along and are unprepared to be held up at a road closure in cold weather. Or, you might even want to help out a hungry fellow driver with a sandwich. Those big gallon-can sized candles not only give off light but also a little heat. If you don’t have water, they could be used to melt a little snow for a drink, but NEVER fall asleep with a candle burning in your truck.

If you run in the mountains, it’s almost time to “hang iron” just in case. I, for one, hope we are fortunate enough to have a repeat of last winter. The tire chains hung under the trailer on the hanger, never once being put on the tires. When the chain law goes up, you better have “iron” or you’re not going forward. Some drivers feel that if the chain law is up, it’s too bad to go anyway. Sometimes it’s not even the mountains that you need your chains for. I know drivers that have had to hang them just to get out of a snowy parking lot. Once in Arizona we had to put on two chains to get going up an icy hill after being stopped to wait for a wreck to be cleared. If you have a place to store it, a small square shovel can come in handy at times too.

Most cold country states offer treated or blended fuel. Treated fuel has additives like Howes, FPPF and Power Service added to it. Blended fuel is a combination of #1 and #2 Diesel. #1 Diesel has been more refined and has less wax in it to gel. “Gelling” is a condition in which the fuel gets so cold it begins to thicken and has trouble (or can’t) be pumped through the system properly. Going from warm weather states where only #2 untreated fuel is available into a bitter cold area could cause you to gel up. If you won’t be fueling again before it gets cold and treated or blended fuel is not available, you might consider adding some treatment to your fuel to keep it flowing in the cold temperatures. When the mercury is going to dip below 0 degrees, make sure your reefer has treated or blended fuel and put it on continuous. This is not the time to use the Start/Stop feature. A small butane torch can come in handy for thawing a frozen padlock.

Longtime driver and truck owner Gene Feld of Germantown, Wisconsin had a few tips he thought he would share. When it’s really cold, it’s not a good time to be low on fuel. Try to keep half of a tank or more at all times. It’s also a good time to change the air cartridge on your air dryer. He also recommended that you drain your air tanks on a regular basis to keep moisture out of the valves and lines to prevent freezing. Something else to think about doing is cleaning your light’s lenses - the new LED lights don’t get warm like the old incandescent ones. This heat would melt any snow that may have accumulated on the lens. The cool-burning LED’s are more likely to get covered with snow and get blocked.

The worst conditions to drive in are freezing fog and whiteouts, conditions that make the road both slick and hard to see. In these conditions, slow down and leave more distance between you and other vehicles. You can’t stop on a slick road like you can a dry road. That may seem obvious, but watching some drivers, I don’t think they see the difference. And don’t be one of those drivers who make sudden moves in front of someone else (that puts you both in danger). Also, in cold weather, when getting your truck moving from a standing still position, start out slower than usual - grease in the rear-ends and transmission will take longer to warm up and get to the areas where lubrication is needed.

Veteran heavy hauler Pete Briggs of Madison, Wisconsin, suggests checking your batteries, hoses and hose clamps. Be sure to check your tire pressure more often when it’s cold. Also, look for loose wires - built up snow and ice can pull them apart. Wash your truck as often as possible, because the chemicals they use on the roads are extremely hard on paint, aluminum and wiring. Even if it seems like you’re just going to get back into the snow, letting all those salts and chemicals build up on your truck will undoubtedly just cause more problems down the road. Pete also added, “Drive defensively and slow down in the cities when the streets and intersections start getting slick. And watch the temperature and road signs. When it’s raining and close to 32 degrees, snow can start falling at anytime. And those signs that say BRIDGE FREEZES BEFORE ROADWAY are there for a reason. Trust them – don’t test them.”

So get ready to bundle up and be safe. Believe it or not, winter is upon us! By taking a few extra simple precautions, your winter can be easier and more worry-free. And, hopefully, the snow will be beautiful to look at and the road will be dry.