december2022 - 28

Winter weather preparation
Finally, although not every route takes place
in seasonal areas, drivers in the Midwest and
northern regions need to be prepared for winter
weather. Even typically warmer areas can plunge
to much colder temperatures overnight, let alone
mountainous regions where warm clothing is key.
Having a good jacket, gloves, and handwarmers
may be the difference between a comfortable
roadside experience and a miserable one.
" It's important to have some extra clothes in
the vehicle, " Hahn emphasized. " I always had an
extra change of clothes thrown in the back of the
vehicle when I worked the road as a state trooper. "
As far as staying warm goes, it would also
behoove most drivers to make sure they have
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good bedding as well as warm clothes, including
at least one emergency thermal blanket. Mylar
blankets are cheap and light, making it a strong
choice for easy packing.
" I [also] would add to carry tire chains for winter
weather, which is the law in many states, " Taylor
said in regard to preparing for winter driving.
States such as California, Colorado, and
Idaho require that vehicles
have chains in certain areas,
with Colorado's Department
of Transportation mandating
chains for medium- and
heavy-duty vehicles.
But beyond making sure a
vehicle's tires are equipped for
cold weather, drivers need to
have the tools to make sure
the internal workings of their
trucks can handle drops in
temperature,
too. To that
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.
end, Mustafa recommended
that drivers keep air line antifreeze
on hand.
" If you find yourself in that
situation where you have
ice in the lines, and now air
cannot get to the appropriate
place at the appropriate
time, this product, which is
pretty much just alcohol, will
thaw the truck out over time, "
Mustafa explained. " So, at
least while you're stuck there
waiting on the air to build,
you can pour this product in
the lines and help to thaw the
vehicle out. "
In a similar vein, both
Taylor and Mustafa advised
drivers to keep fuel conditioners
handy when heading into
colder temperatures.
" When driving in the northern
states, you will need a fuel
additive that will prevent fuel
gelling, " Taylor added. " Many
times, a driver will fuel up in
a southern state, which doesn't
have winter additives, and then
drive north into cold weather. "
Also, if a fuel filter ends up
waxing because of the cold, a
driver may need to change it to
get back on the road. However,
this endeavor can be tricky,
Mustafa warned.
" The driver can have the tools
and equipment to change the
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fuel filter, " Mustafa explained.
" [But] you do have to have the
right filter wrenches for your
specific filter, not necessarily
by brand of the truck but by
brand of the manufacturer of
that filtration system. "
Finally, if snow is piling
high as it was in the Vail
blizzard that stranded Bray,
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28 Fleet Maintenance | December 2022
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december2022

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