October 27, 2004


Howdy Drivers!

Well, here it is October, and another month has gone by already. It’s time to hang the chains on the tractor and put together a survival kit “just in case”. Things you might want to include are some extra drinking water, some canned or dehydrated food, a can opener, matches that are contained in a water proof bag, extra blankets or maybe a winter sleeping bag, a good winter jacket, extra socks, flashlight and extra flashlight batteries, a couple pair of gloves, jumper cables for the truck batteries, magnesium Flares, (good for starting a fire to keep warm), a 25lb. bag of cat litter (great for getting traction in ice spots when stuck)and a couple pints of air dry in case of fuel freeze up.

This winter kit may seem excessive, but over the years I’ve seen several drivers stuck overnight out in the middle of Wyoming where it was-70 degrees for 1 to 2 days before anyone could get to them to help.

Here are some other things that I've learned over the years:
1.) Double your following distance if not more, especially on the down hill side.
2.) If the road is snow covered or icy, once you begin to lose steering control, it’s too late to engage the interlocks for better traction. In this kind of road conditions, slow to 55 mph or less and engage your driver interlocks before you loss control.
3.) It’s a good idea to turn your engine/Jake brake off in icy/snow covered road conditions. Engine and or Jake brakes can cause you to start sliding when you take your foot off the fuel to slow down.
4.) When in below freezing weather, to prevent your brake shoes from freezing to the brake drums after setting your air brakes, simply apply a small amount of brake pressure to the brakes for a couple blocks, causing just enough friction to dry out the brake drums. They won’t freeze when you set the brakes.
5.) If after parking, your engine starts to misfire in below freezing weather, take a pint of air dry and pour about 1/2 of the contents into the passenger side fuel tank. More then likely you have water in a cross over line that’s freezing up and casing a fuel flow restriction, starving your engine of fuel. (This has happened to me on more then one occasions.)
5.) Try and keep your fuel tanks full when you’re parked for some time off. This will limit the condensation build up.
6.) If stuck on slippery road surface, try putting your truck in 2nd or 3rd gear and slowly let the clutch out. Then reengage the clutch. Do this several times, until you get your truck to start rocking back in forth. Finally when it’s rocking in a forward motion, leave the clutch engaged and see if this won’t “walk the truck” out of being stuck. The important thing to remember is stay off the fuel. Just let the engine pick it up by itself.

OK Drivers, I wish you all good luck out there and keep the shinny side up! I don't know everything so hope to hear some of your ideas and tips from time to time.
Editor’s Note: This is the first installment in a several part series on Winter Driving Tips from our road pro.

Fred is an OTR driver who has 24 years experience hauling a multitude of freight including dry van and refer. He has trucked in all 48 States as well as every province in Canada. Trucking as both a company driver and an owner operator, Fred brings to the GTA the kind of success story many drivers would like to experience including the last 15 years trucking with his own rig.
If you have a question for Fred just forward it to him through the contact page on the website.

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