Winter preparation: fleet safety and best practices on the road

Snow-covered routes, rain, and low visibility make truck maintenance essential as the seasons change.

For the road transport industry, winter isn’t just about staying warm. Snow-covered routes, rain, and low visibility make truck maintenance critical every time the seasons change. Snow and ice are constant threats to the safety of truck drivers, their vehicles, the cargo they transport, and the general public. However, with proper preparation, these risks can be significantly reduced.

The winter of 2024 is expected to be one of the harshest in recent years. Therefore, FleetOwner, in collaboration with truck safety company CloudTrucks, has published a series of tips to safely navigate this season. Below are the key points, designed to help truck drivers operate more safely during winter.

Preparing for winter: how to stay safe on winter roads

The safety of truck drivers should be the top priority for any fleet, so taking the necessary precautions—and even some additional ones—is always a good idea. To prepare for the winter season, drivers should follow three essential steps:

Have a complete emergency kit – To handle unforeseen situations, the emergency kit should include winter-specific tools such as snow chains, flashlights, sleeping bags or blankets, signaling flares, non-perishable food, water, a radio, and batteries. Additionally, the driver should consider including any other items they deem essential for their trips, such as chargers for mobile devices, heaters, and others. These items are crucial for ensuring safety in extreme conditions.
Clear ice and snow from key parts of the truck – Before starting any trip and during the journey, every driver should ensure that all ice or snow is completely cleared from the windshield, windows, mirrors, and lights. Maintaining optimal visibility at all times is crucial to avoid potential accidents.
Practice using snow chains – Both experienced drivers and those new to the industry should follow this step to ensure their safety and that of others on the road. Snow chains are a vital tool when winter conditions become severe.

Safety is not just the driver’s responsibility: fleet managers’ winter preparation

In addition to ensuring that drivers are well-prepared, fleet managers also play a key role in winter safety. Some essential actions they can take include:

Prioritize truck maintenance – It’s crucial for fleet managers to ensure that pre- and post-trip inspections are conducted thoroughly and consistently. This way, drivers can begin their journeys with complete confidence in the safety of their vehicles.
Promote a safety culture – Every fleet should cultivate a strong safety culture, with the well-being of drivers as the top priority. It is the responsibility of fleet managers to emphasize the importance of always prioritizing safety, even if it means occasional delivery delays, as long as the trip is completed safely.
Facilitate proper preparation – Fleet managers must ensure that all their drivers have the tools and supplies needed to face any weather-related challenges. Additionally, providing training on how to drive safely in winter conditions, especially for new drivers, is essential.

If additional tools are sought, technology can be a powerful ally for fleets during winter, offering solutions such as telematics with weather alerts, remote diagnostics to monitor vehicle condition, and camera and video systems that provide an extra layer of security. These tools help improve both the safety and efficiency of fleets in winter conditions.