Top 10 tips for hauliers this winter
Back in February 2009 Peterborough haulier PC Howard lost more than
£40,000 when heavy snow and ungritted roads prevented its vehicles from making
deliveries.
In January 2003 heavy overnight
snow caused havoc across the South-East with 12 jack-knifed lorries and dozens
more stuck on the M11 in Cambridgeshire.
The Met Office expects heavy snow falls across East Anglia and the
South-East. Andy Page, Met Office chief forecaster, says eastern parts of
England will get most of the heaviest snowfall.
Here are Roadtransport.com's top 10 tips to avoid being stranded:
1. Use the Highways Agency and Met Office websites for primary reference
and get regular feedback from any drivers already out in affected areas.
2. Transport managers should make alternative plans to get trucks moving,
and if a truck is stranded keep customers informed of vehicle movements.
3. Make sure drivers are well armed with night-out stuff or at least have the basics: a torch, food and drink, and
a mobile phone. A truck's night-heater should ward off the cold but blankets
are also important.
4. Get drivers to do a thorough check of their vehicle, checking all
light bulbs, topping up washer fluid and de-icer/scraper and making sure tyres
are properly inflated.
5. Truck drivers need to double their usual stopping distance from the
vehicle in front; don't be afraid to travel slower.
6. When you are trying to slow the truck down, employ the engine brake
and/or retarder before the service brakes. This will slow the vehicle before
applying the brakes. Most trucks will have ABS but that is no guarantee of
stopping inside the usual stopping distance for a truck. Articulated truck
drivers should avoid braking procedures on corners - a sure way to jack-knife.
7. Take your time. Keep to the main roads; they are more likely to have
been gritted. On motorways and dual carriageways use the clearest lane and keep
away from slush and ice.
8. Don't use the cruise control - this is no time for efficient running.
Keep the truck in high gear as it will slow the vehicle more quickly once you
take your foot off the accelerator.
9. Concentrate. Avoid, if possible, poorly lit roads and shortcuts
through country lanes. There is a greater risk of ice where the road changes
elevation or is exposed to the elements, where it passes under a bridge, and
where the sun is blocked out and the surface doesn't melt.
10. Tune into the local radio station - its traffic updates will be more
regular, comprehensive, and up to date compared with national radio.
Source: roadtransport.com
