The winter season is here again bringing with it cold temperatures and inclement weather. For many fleet managers and drivers in Europe and around the world winter presents new challenges. Wise managers and drivers implement strategic plans, utilize tools and equipment to be safe and productive during these times.
The holiday season is upon us which means it's "go time" for professional delivery drivers. Unfortunately, along with the stress of seasonal demand the winter weather can create additional challenges towards completing your daily schedule on time.
Experienced driver or beginner, driving on snowy and icy roads is a risky situation for everyone. These risks, however,can be reduced by applying the following advice.
Here is what David Anderson, Director of Transportation & Fleet at Adams 12 Five Star Schools in Colorado has to say about Onspot automatic snow chains on their school buses:
“Onspots are great tools! Give them some general maintenance and they last the life of the bus.”
Automatic tyre chain systems can be discussed in two ways: 1) The physical properties of the system, and 2) What the system provides the user.
We should pay special attention to bridges and overpasses when driving in temperatures around the freezing point. Over the years we have heard that bridges may be icy while the road is not. We have also seen signs posted before bridges and overpasses which state this for safety reasons. This condition however is an important one that should be given some consideration. So how could the bridge be icy when the road is not? Here’s why.
The first winter storm of the season often catches many of us by surprise. Soon most of us will have had our first big burst of winter weather. The snow-covered roads and plow trucks are an obvious indicator that we should be vigilant while driving. But what about when ice is present without these visual cues? Black ice is the winter threat many of us fail to observe until it’s too late.
The automatic snow chains are genius when you encounter adverse road conditions in the colder seasons. With just a flip of a switch you have instant traction added so that you can get up in speed or if you need to stop, you get improved braking power. But what about the rest of the year, when you are not in the winter season? In the middle of the summer or in autumn?
Nothing is a direct route in trucking and we had to attend a recertification class in January. We carry a lot of hazardous materials, hazmat for short. As a result, we are required to attend classes every two years, have a background check, provide fingerprints, and take a hazmat test to keep our commercial driver’s licenses compliant. This year we had to attend the class which was held in my birthplace of Tucson, Arizona. We had to be in class on January 13th and our route was anything but straight.
Whether driving a small go-kart or a heavy hauler, you must have traction to move forward. Actually, you can’t even walk without it. Traction is a commonly used word and many believe it’s just another word for friction. But is it really? Let’s have a closer look at friction and traction – what it is and why it’s so fundamental to safe driving.
We all know the feeling when tyres lose grip and the vehicle starts skidding. Controlled skidding in a go-kart could be fun, but a heavy vehicle unexpectedly skidding on a road could cause a very dangerous situation. The skidding is due to the vehicle losing road grip and obviously, this has to do with tyres and road surface.