Any Winter Driving Tips For Newbies?

I peeked a little on the forums and after going through a few pages I didn't see any topic on this so I figured I would start one. With winter coming and snow and ice already here in some places do you all have any tips for new drivers on how to handle that?

Light there is a ton of winter driving tips from past threads. Use the search bar and enter "winter driving". It will return more than you can imagine.

If there is anything it doesn't cover, ask away.

If u search in the bar above you should get the topic threads.

My advice go SLOW with hazard on. Triple or quadruole your following distance. If it's ice park it and message dispatch that its due to the weather you are shutting down.

*****don't forget the anti gel in the fuel tanks on truck AND reefer. Not enough wikk leave you strabdee and too much wont hurt. You don't want to be someplace stuck in snow with no heat cause your fuel lines are clogged.

In WY last season, I was going a comfortable 25 mph with hazards on and another truck went flying past me. I kid you not he got about 1000 feet in front of me and then jackknifed across the grass median and into the on coming traffic. It took me about 2.5 hours to drive 70 miles and I passed five accidents. I was new and thought my FM would be upset. I parked that night and he said "good job on staying safe. Unfortunately not all of my drivers did as well".

In WV the snow was so bad I was in 6th gear with white out conditions.... At night....Signs were covered with snow, I couldn't find one place to pull over for at least 50 miles. Then I saw what I thought was an empty rest area. Couldn't see the width of the off ramp...just white. Felt my steers go off the road and slope and the trailer went the other way. I stopped, hit my differentials and went very very slow. I was all alone in a parking lot with ONE street lamp so I crept to it hoping others would see me if they pulled in. I told dispatch I wasn't going anywhere til morning.

Turned out I was at the top of a 7% grade and never felt the climb cause of the low gear. Dispatch messaged a little bit later "the customer really needs this. Do you know when. You will be rolling?". My response "when the sun comes up and I can see the situation. Do they want it in their door or down the side of the mountain?"

By morning I was surrounded by drivers who I'm sure had been solo for more than the three weeks I was. If they parked then i had no business driving. The streets were covered with ice and I was so happy I listened to my gut and didn't try to be some hero proving on a good driver and can make it. Part of being a good driver is knowing when to park. As our group inched down the mountain, rescue crews were still dealing with the nights wreckage.

Look out your mirrors for the "spray" coming off tires. If you can see it, the roads haven't iced over yet. Look and see if your mirrors have ice covering them.

Don't underestimate wind. In WY I saw a truck get pushed off the road and lay on it's side. I'm guessing he was light or empty. Park it in those conditions. If you are parked and the wind is rocking you really bad, drop the landing gear for stability and only park on FLAT ground. I mentioned on here before I saw a parked truck fall over.

Hope this helps.

Rainy....what are the differentials?? I drive an international and have a lot of fancy switches. Not sure which one that would be or what it does....

Rainy....what are the differentials?? I drive an international and have a lot of fancy switches. Not sure which one that would be or what it does....

The differential lockout invokes the second drive set closest to the cab so that in effect you have all wheel drive. I do not suggest doing this unless you are on untreated snowy surfaces or in a local setting or at a shipper/receiver. Remember to either enable or disable when you are completely stopped.

I do not drive an International so I am not familiar with the placement of this switch. However it will be a protected toggle switch with a red LED lit when it's on. Call you driver leader.

Thanks, G-Town!

Thanks, G-Town!

Good luck Kat, keep your cool head. You'll get through this.

If u look in the cabinet above your windshield you should find you owner manual. It will have all your buttons and gadgets listed ;)

If u look in the cabinet above your windshield you should find you owner manual. It will have all your buttons and gadgets listed ;)

Read through it once to figure things out a while back. Will use it to find the correct switch but had no idea what it did until G-Town enlightened me.

Go read ur other thread please. I just posted the shop number for u