how to better prepare yourself for winter trucking

With winter fast approaching, Canadians are slowly preparing to accommodate colder and harsher weather. From winter tires to commercial snow cleaning, to better isolating your old creaky windows, there is always a buzz before the first snowflakes fall or the first sub-zero temperature hits. 

For drivers, a few necessary items like a snow brush or an ice scraper are kept in the car to maintain safe and clean windows. For truckers, bags of salt are kept in their booths in case of emergencies. Although all precautions are taken, there are still some extra steps that could make your life easier, either as a trucker or as the client receiving their deliveries.

Winter Preparations: How to Better Accommodate for Receiving or Delivering Merchandise

Source: EFS Logistics ©

The Measures you can take as the client

1. Ensure your dock or driveways are clean of snow

This one seems obvious, but you would be surprised by how many times we’ve encountered an inaccessible delivery area. Whether you are a particular or a commerce, and you have a dock or a simple driveway at home, make sure it is cleared enough for the truck to back up safely and easily.

By doing so, you will avoid the truck getting stuck at your dock or at home in the snow, creating delays not only in the driver’s itinerary but also in your upcoming deliveries to be received. 

2. Shoveling is good, but make sure you always have salt

Not only for the trucks but also for your own safety. While shovelling the snow does a great deal in clearing the way, ice can be even more treacherous for both of you. While we strongly suggest that any truck drivers carry salt with them, it is also the receiver’s responsibility to create a safe environment for deliveries.

At home, salt your entryways, stairs and driveways after shovelling. For commercial spaces, do the same for your receiving areas and front entrances if you have no docks. 

3. Prevention is key

If you receive shipments regularly, an important part of ensuring your deliveries will go swiftly is allowing enough space for the trucks to pull into your dock area. Winter sun is always brighter, and glares from cars around, added with accumulating snow banks, could prevent the drivers from parking properly.

If you are a shipper, these tips are also important to relay to your clients as they put in their orders. The more people are aware, the better your shipments will be handled. 

Source: EFS Logistics ©

The Measures you can take as a driver   

1. Make sure you have the essentials

If you are a seasoned driver, chances are you already know all this, but it is still important to remind yourself before you end up getting stuck in a predicament that could’ve been easily avoided. 

Before starting your shift, ensure you have enough salt to last you however long you plan to be on the road. A shovel and an ice scraper (as mentioned prior), are highly recommended to keep on you at all times. It can happen that salt on its own is not enough to get you out of melted snow puddles and ice.  

2. Stay warm, covered and protected

We talk a lot about the trucks, but your well-being is as important! Winter days in Canada can drop to below -30 °C, and although your truck is heated, you need your hands and feet to work to do your job properly. Make sure you carry gloves, good socks and good boots to keep you from getting frostbite; for wet days, carry extras.

We would also highly recommend looking into ice cleats for when things get icy, as you could easily slip during a delivery and injure yourself. The safer you are, the better you can avoid workplace incidents.

3. Replenish your emergency supplies

For overnight or long-haul trucking, roads can be especially treacherous. Before leaving, verify if your emergency and first aid kits aren’t missing things beneficial to your safety. Here is a list of common things to have: 

• Food and bottled water

• Heated blankets 

• A battery-operated radio and extra batteries

• Commonly used first aid supplies like band-aids or alcohol wipes

• Flashlight and flares

• Regular or tire chains

This also includes the items mentioned in point 1. 

4. Do preventive maintenance and inspections

While you need to do daily inspections of your trucks before driving off, winter is when you’ll really want to double down on them. The harsh conditions of the roads and the overall weather might affect parts of your truck that were already needing replacement and they might not make it through this winter. Prevention is key in this situation. 

United Truck Driving School mentions: “This includes your fuel filters, battery, cooling system, tires, lights, chains, windshield wipers, along with others. If you’re not sure something will make it through harsh conditions, consider replacing it ahead of time.”