{"id":9413,"date":"2021-01-22T10:40:36","date_gmt":"2021-01-22T09:40:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=9413"},"modified":"2021-01-22T10:40:36","modified_gmt":"2021-01-22T09:40:36","slug":"drivers-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2021\/01\/22\/drivers-9\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways Truck Drivers Can Prevent Cold-Weather Calamity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photo by Jim Park<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

If wintry weather has you trapped, stay with the truck. Don’t set out looking for help.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Winter can be very unforgiving. Every year we read about drivers who perish in their trucks during extended road closures where the driver goes off the road or runs into impassable conditions. It can be hours or sometimes days before help arrives. Would you or your drivers be able to stay warm and safe if you were caught in such a situation?<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are five tips that will help keep drivers alive if the worst should happen.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Keep Fuel Tanks Full<\/span><\/h3>\n

Your engine is your only reliable source of heat, so you need to keep it running. You stand a much better chance of surviving if you have enough fuel to last a day or two stranded at roadside. Tanks that are less than half full also have greater risk of gelling or freezing, because the water that is always in diesel fuel has less fuel in which to disperse. That means there’s more water present per gallon, and that increases the possibility of freezing up.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can prevent fuel from gelling by using anti-gel additives, or even a cupful of basic rubbing alcohol (alcohol absorbs water) if you’re in a pinch, but you can’t un-gel your fuel with an additive. The idea is to prevent it from happening in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Keep Emergency Rations in the Cab<\/span><\/h3>\n

Most of us would not starve to death if we went without food for a day or two, but it can get pretty uncomfortable. In addition, eating generates body heat, so it’s important that you consume some food, and especially water, if you’re storm stayed. It’s a good idea to stock a small supply of high-calorie snacks for emergency use, such as candy bars, granola bars, easy-to-heat meals, and dried fruits and nuts (such as trail mix).<\/span><\/p>\n

A couple of cans of soup or ready-to-eat canned food is useful if you have a means to heat it (don’t forget to buy pop-top cans or include a can opener in your emergency kit), but you can always use some alternate source of heat such as the defroster, the engine exhaust manifold, or a can of Sterno. Put a small stash aside and leave it alone until you need it.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Be prepared to stay warm<\/span><\/h3>\n

A winter survival kit is a must for any driver on an irregular route where you don’t know where you might be going next. Don\u2019t lull yourself into thinking that because you run the same busy four-lane highway all the time that you might not need it. That kind of thinking kills people. Driver who run remote, less-traveled roads in winter carry winter kits, but it\u2019s usually not those folks we read about after a storm. Winter coats, boots, etc. can be purchased cheap at Goodwill stores and used clothing shops. Don’t go without because of the high cost of new winter clothing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Warm clothing is a must. It’s far better to have and not use it than need it and be without:<\/span><\/p>\n