Through rain, snow, sleet, or shine, truckers have to keep going. While battling bad road conditions can be frightening for any motorist, it is especially nerve-wracking for truckers. We hope that you’ll contact L.L. Carter & Son, a heavy wrecker near Doswell Virginia, if you need expert heavy towing services on the road. But ideally, we want everyone to stay safe and sound on the road. Here are some winter safety tips to help.
Slow Down
One of the best ways to avoid a trucking accident is by slowing down. There is a saying that speed kills, and sadly there is quite a bit of truth to that, especially in poor weather conditions. One of the easiest ways for truckers to avoid accidents, and therefore avoid calling for a heavy wrecker near Doswell Virginia, is to simply reduce their speed. Even following the posted speed limit can be risky during the winter. If the road conditions are dicey, it’s okay to slow down and take your time.
Keep a Safe Following Distance
While you might still be within legal following limits, the distance that you keep between you and the car or truck in front might not suffice in winter. As a heavy wrecker near Doswell Virginia who responds to winter trucking accidents, we can tell you that many truckers are caught by surprise when they have trouble stopping and accidentally hit a vehicle in front. In poor conditions, the truck in front of you might veer off the road by mistake. If you follow too closely, you will too.
Don’t Follow Tail Lights
While you might be tempted to follow the truck in front of you, experts say that you should avoid the temptation to follow another vehicle’s tail lights. If you’re trying to drive through a snowstorm and the truck in front of you gets stuck, you will inevitably find yourself calling for our semi truck towing services if you’re not careful. It might sound extreme, but being able to see the lights of the truck ahead of you in heavy snow means you’re following too closely.
Avoid The Shoulder
Although it might be tempting to pull off the side of the road and wait until conditions clear, this can actually cause more harm than good. When roads are slippery, other motorists on the road have less control over their vehicles. While they might be able to maneuver around your truck with no problem on dry roads, they run the risk of sliding into your truck if they can’t steer or stop. In the end, this means you’ll have to call for our heavy towing services. To avoid that, it’s best to exit or find a quieter spot far from the main road to stop.
Mind the Bridges
If there’s one thing that surprises motorists on the road, it’s that bridges (as the warning signs indicate) do actually freeze before other road surfaces. Any area that’s exposed to wind, such as highway overpasses, bridges, and other elevated open surfaces, tends to freeze more quickly than sheltered roadways. If you’re traveling on these surfaces, slow down to avoid spinning out or crashing and ultimately needing semi truck towing services.
Carry Extra Supplies
So you find yourself stranded on a road, waiting for a heavy wrecker near Doswell Virginia to arrive. Now what? Since it can take some time for help to arrive, especially in remote areas, the best thing a stranded trucker can do is have extra supplies of emergency provisions on hand. Your “cold weather essentials” kit should include items such as rain gear, windshield washer fluid, blankets, tire chains, jumper cables, snow scrapers, and at least one flashlight.
The winter weather can certainly be frightful, especially for truckers. While it’s important for any motorist to practice safe driving in the winter, it’s even more important for truckers, who are dealing with much larger and heavier vehicles than other motorists. By using common sense and following some practical safety tips, you can avoid needing heavy towing services, and therefore calling us, when you need a heavy wrecker near Doswell Virginia.