"When I get a call from a driver saying 'Today I was saved by Onspot' it's already paid off"!
This quote is from Rolf-Olav Tenden, owner of Thor Tenden Transport AS in Norway. It is a quote that sums it all up quite well. When you, as an owner of a transport company can relax, knowing that your drivers are using vehicles with the right equipment. Equipment that is reliable and makes sure that the driver makes it to the delivery point regardless of the weather. And also brings them home safe.
We all know that friction and traction is crucial to avoid sliding vehicles and spinning wheels. (To learn more, read the blog post What is traction, friction and road grip?) When driving, we have a sense of whether road friction is high or low. But is there a measure for road friction? If so, how could that be calculated since there are several different variables summing up as road friction? Let’s have a closer look at this “road friction”.
Black ice on the road is rightly considered very dangerous when driving. Still, many drivers are not watchful enough in weather conditions where there is the risk of black ice. But, what is this black ice – and what should I know about it?
Typically, black ice is invisible. It’s a thin coating of glaze ice on the road surface. Since it’s thin and transparent, the black road surface is clearly seen through it, and that is why it’s called black ice.
The typically low levels of noticeable ice pellets, snow, or sleet surrounding black ice means that areas of the ice are often practically invisible to drivers. Accordingly, the driver is not prepared for the slippery road area, and there is a risk of unexpected loss of traction. This in turn may result in a subsequent accident.
Black ice sometimes forms from super-cooled rain which freezes into ice and constitutes a particular risk to winter traffic because it is extremely slippery and hard to spot. The temperature may be above freezing but the road surface may still be slippery.
The road surface can be well below freezing temperature – while the vehicle thermometer suggests it is not freezing.
As soon as your day starts, habits are put in place and follow each other. From the alarm clock that rings in the morning, the daily work missions, to the evening trip back home.
Are others habits / routines present in your work day? Let's look more closely at the advantage and the inconvenience of these habits.
Get a grip – one way or another
Yes, you need traction when driving. Losing traction and getting stuck could cause stressful delays, possibly with serious consequences. Find out what different methods there are to increase traction below.
Drivers ruling under the laws of nature
We live in the era of automation. Have you ever thought of all these things that used to need a lot of human involvement, but today are seemingly automatic? Buying things for example. We have access to a global supply of products and services that are just a few clicks away, and we get our deliveries with very little human involvement. It’s different systems that communicate and automate that provide this convenience.
Also today’s vehicles are stuffed with systems to make usage safer and more convenient. Actually, automation technology develops at such a pace that self-driving vehicles are no longer a futuristic dream. They are here soon…
When purchasing a new vehicle, 4x4 is an option to consider. No wonder, it’s a familiar and well-tried solution with good features for safer driving – but it’s easy to ignore its weaknesses believing there’s no better alternative. However, when reflecting on those situations where traction is really crucial for your operations, you may conclude that 4x4 is not the perfect solution, but rather a compromise.