Let It Snow Copyright Sandy Long There are two things that one cannot change in this world, death and the weather and winter is sure coming on this year. Snow is beautiful watching out of the window while sitting by the fire, in a nice warm house, sipping hot chocolate while the harshness of bare limbed trees and brown grass is being covered by a pristine coat of snow. Watching it out of a windshield while driving is not such a wonderful thing. When driving in snow, a driver’s mind is filled with concerns about being delayed for deliveries, road conditions, other drivers and when will the danged stuff stop. The windshield wipers are freezing up with ice and snow and one cannot see clearly. Fatigue sets in as one tries to see even the barest hint of white or yellow line to guide by and as speed drops. One becomes stressed thinking about all of the worse case scenarios that could occur. It is not pleasant to say the least. What can a driver do to feel a little more secure? Preplan for winter. I cannot take the wheel for you when you are driving in snow and ice, but I can give you some tips to prepare for those worse case scenarios. For windshield wipers clogging up with ice and snow, one can either climb out there and use an ice scraper to clean them off or one can grab the wiper and let it slap back against the windshield. With the huge windshields now prevalent on most trucks, I find that I have a hard time reaching the wiper without tipping the hood and climbing. I sat down and thought about it and came up with the perfect tool…my pin puller. I can roll the window down lean out and grab the wiper with the hook end, pull it away from the windshield and let it slap gently back against it to knock off the snow and ice. There have been instances of drivers being marooned for a couple of days along the highway in blizzard conditions. Always carry non perishable food items such as: peanut butter, honey, plenty of bottled water, canned fruits, vegetables and meat, snack crackers, energy bars, canned juices, or those heater type meals. A lunch box cooker is great to have to heat water for tea or soups and to heat other types of canned goods. Make sure that you have some reading materials or a hobby you can work on to relieve boredom. Make sure that everyday you will have at least ½ tank of fuel at all times and that your coolant and oil levels are up in case you have to idle for long periods….use and carry antigel additives. No, truck stop fuel for the most part is only treated to get from the tanker to the holding tanks…not to stop from gelling. Plenty of windshield washer fluid is a must too. Very worst case scenario: you slide into the ditch and/or the truck won‘t run for some reason: Carry extra blankets. I carry a heavy comforter along with my regular blankets. A packing quilt is probably one of the warmest covering there is, carry one or two under your mattress for emergencies. Do not depend on a sleeping bag alone no matter how low cold rated it is. Extra blankets can be used to block off the cab from the sleeper to help insulate the bunk and if someone else is stranded with no way to stay warm. Have a metal coffee can with holes punched around the bottom and emergency candles or one of those huge candles in a glass container. Burning one of these will help keep at least the bunk warm enough so you can survive. Remember to keep a window or vent cracked a little though. Always have an idea of exactly where you are located so you can direct emergency help to you. A lot of cell phones have the capability of calling 911 even if the battery is low. Stress and fatigue while driving in snow: Plan ahead. Listen to your satellite radios and weather bands to find out where the snow and ice hazards are. Don’t wait until it gets too bad to drive before shutting down. Parking will be non existent and the accident possibility statistics go up…and not in your favor. Do not be distracted by talking on the phone unless parked safely watching it snow. Instead listen to some easy listening music that does not distract you. Remember this little known fact from the little green book of FMCSA regulations that companies don’t point out to you: “If hazardous conditions occur that might affect visibility or traction, one MUST slow down and if conditions become sufficiently serious, the commercial vehicle must SHUT DOWN until conditions improve. “ No load is worth your life nor risking damage to the load or equipment…none! I don’t care if dispatch is screaming…the regulations and wisdom are on your side and that dispatcher sitting in their warm room has no clue to the weather conditions you are working in. ONLY YOU can decide when it is safe to stop or go…it is your life at stake. Besides; sitting in your warm truck, safely parked, sipping a nice hot cup of coffee, watching the beautiful snow fall while listening to the DA’s that are sliding all over the place out on the highway scream about it on the cb, is much more enjoyable than being the one doing the screaming. So plan ahead, be prepared, slow down and park up early…that way you will not have to face that other unchangeable thing in this world…death…before you have to. Ya’ll be safe out there!
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 13:25:06 +0000
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