Early November, just a few degrees below the freezing point. Strong wind and the first snow has been fallen since the night and it has started piling up. It´s time to go to work and start your scheduled route throughout the city.
These first days with ice, snow and slippery conditions are always interesting. Everyone seems surprised about the rough conditions and you have to be prepared and drive more intelligent. Watch out for the extra slippery junctions and roundabouts where the thin layer of ice is polished by other vehicles to an even more slippery surface. Be sure to have enough space in front of you to be able to stop before hitting someone or something.
Be prepared
To get the traction and having the margins you need to be prepared. Equip your vehicle with the right stuff. Maybe regular snow chains, a bucket of sand or something else to put between your wheels and the ground. Having tires in the right quality for winter use is something you already have prepared for since weeks. They are already in place.
A lot of trucks and busses are equipped with automatic tire chains. With those ones you only need to flip a switch inside the warm cabin. Then you have the traction similar to regular snow chains, but instantly, without the hassle of getting out in the cold putting things on and of your tires. Without leaving the safety of the cab. You get the traction to go up that hill, to stop by the red traffic lights. To start and go directly when the traffic lights turn green and to be able to have a god control of the truck the last few meters when you back up to an unloading ramp.
During the day you recognize the other professionals who also are prepared. The delivery van with the young driver, who always is in a hurry, zooming by the competitors van that got stuck on the ice in the drive way out from a customer. The refuge truck going up and down the narrow, unplowed streets in the suburbs. The fire truck on call to save people.
When you arrive home in the afternoon, as scheduled, you can tell your family that you have had yet another great day at work. Everything delivered on time and no accidents, just as it is supposed to be. Every day of the year regardless of weather.
Here you can see and listen to what some drivers say about automatic tire chains:
