The winter months can be tough on truckers. A little planning ahead can save a lot of headaches once you hit the icy roads. Of course, bringing extra clothing, water and food (and a can opener if applicable) is a wise move. But there are some truck-specific supplies that can make the difference between a good winter and a bad one for truckers.
6 supplies to carry during the winter months:
1. Washing liquid. When you hit winter weather conditions, you will use more of your washer fluid. And, chances are, so does everyone else. So if you run out and need to buy some at a truck stop, you’ll likely find they’re out of stock. Even if they still have something in stock, you may end up paying double what you would at a discount store if you bought it ahead of time.
2. Windshield wipers. The more you use your wiper blades, the sooner you’ll need to replace them. And if you need to replace them during a snow storm, you’ll find out just how important those wiper blades are. Take an extra game with you. If you can, get a set of winter wiper blades for your truck; These are wiper blades with a protective rubber cover that are more durable in winter weather.
3. Antifreeze. Diesel is not the same as gasoline, and one of the main differences is that when cooled, diesel fuel can gel. If your truck is running, you are much less likely to have a gelation problem. But, just like windshield washer fluid, you’ll want to buy your antifreeze ahead of time. When the temperature drops, truck stops tend to run out of antifreeze additives. Some popular antifreeze additives are FPPF, Power Service, and Howes.
4. Melt. If you do make it back up, you’ll save a lot of time and money waiting for a service truck if you have FPPF Melt Down with you. This is different from antifreeze additives, which are intended to prevent gelling. Only use a product like Melt Down if you have already frozen it.
5. Bleach. When you’ve been parked and want to get rolling, sometimes you’ll find you don’t have traction. There are tricks to try to avoid this, such as pulling into a parking spot and driving back and forth several times to compact the snow that will be under your tires when you try to get out. But when all else fails, a little bleach on your tires can give you a little more traction if you get stuck on ice. Bleach isn’t meant to melt snow, but it does make the tire tread a bit sticky temporarily. Don’t overdo it, it’s not very good for the truck tire.
6. Jumper wires. Your best bet is to make sure your batteries are up to the task before the winter weather hits – one bad battery can drain all your other batteries. And cold weather makes the batteries work harder to start your truck. But if you end up stranded by dead batteries at the truck stop, you’ll be glad you took jumper cables with you. Even if you don’t end up stranded, chances are another driver will. Don’t buy a set of flimsy jumper cables; thin cables may work fine on a Volkswagen, but a heavy-duty truck will need heavy-duty jumper cables. Buy the thickest and longest jumper cables you can find.