Ok, so there are reports of ‘severe weather’ ‘heavy snow’ and such like. Which by our media’s standards means a couple of CM.
Are there any tips for driving a Rigid in the snow.
I’ve been driving tesco vans about in it for years and never had any real problems round the country lanes etc. Actually i found it fun and a challenge.
Is there anything different i should be aware of with an 18 tonner though?
Obvious ones are more understeer and dont use the exhaust brake too much.
Regardless of the vehicle…its about being smooth, anticipating, planning and appropriate speed.
dennisw1:
Ok, so there are reports of ‘severe weather’ ‘heavy snow’ and such like. Which by our media’s standards means a couple of CM.Are there any tips for driving a Rigid in the snow.
I’ve been driving tesco vans about in it for years and never had any real problems round the country lanes etc. Actually i found it fun and a challenge.
Is there anything different i should be aware of with an 18 tonner though?
Obvious ones are more understeer and dont use the exhaust brake too much.
Don’t use the exhast brake at all
hold distance in front of you as well as to each side
same question but artics. im off to kent tomorrow and from what the radio was saying today, that is the worst hit area so far 
CM:
Regardless of the vehicle…its about being smooth, anticipating, planning and appropriate speed.
That just about says it all CM.
Or, one of the old phrases.
“Prior Planning and Preparation Prevents [zb] Poor Performance” 
Avoid using your exhauster or retarder in slippery conditions. There’s a good chance that you can effectively lock up your drive axle, possibly with disastrous consequences. The Scania 4 series retarder/automatic brake system is possibly one of the worst for this.
I just spent ages trying to find this thread from last year. Have a look in here
scanny77:
same question but artics. im off to kent tomorrow and from what the radio was saying today, that is the worst hit area so far
Smooth and steady in everything you do, dont ease off, brake or accelerate in corners, just keep the same speed going. Do all your speed changing in straight lines if possible.
It’s not as bad as you might think, just takes a bit longer to get to places thats all, oh and if it is cold you can normally forget about your windscreen washers working so take plenty of water in bottles with you to clear the screen.
Simon:
Or, one of the old phrases.
“Prior Planning and Preparation Prevents [zb] Poor Performance”Avoid using your exhauster or retarder in slippery conditions. There’s a good chance that you can effectively lock up your drive axle, possibly with disastrous consequences. The Scania 4 series retarder/automatic brake system is possibly one of the worst for this.
good tip si, another old adage for basicall any situation, “forward planning and observation” it always helped me out.
dont know about the rest of you but i just love driving in snow
neil46:
dont know about the rest of you but i just love driving in snow
So much so that you spent most of the year in Iraq. 
ya boo ■■■■■
And switch your tyres to the type with studs in.
Well it works on the Swedish rally for the rally teams…
Ken.
leave the retarder on full especially in snow leave exhaust brake on toe as much as possible and enjoy the doughnuts
PS PLEASE DO THE TOTALLY OPPOSITE AS STARTED ABOVE ITS A JOKE
Pretty much as i thought then. 
I’ve done all the sideways stuff along country lanes in a .com van At slow speeds obviously! The lesser ‘drivers’ that i worked with always refused to go out in it!
Learnt a lot from doing that job for years.
And yes great fun driving in snow!
same question but artics. im off to kent tomorrow and from what the radio was saying today, that is the worst hit area so far
Well there is snow here, but TBH even the A roads are clear enough. Most of the time when they say “terrible driving conditions” and “impassible” it just means when they tried they couldnt hammer along at 90.
We dont have ‘heavy snow’ here, we just get a ‘bit’ of snow. I’m 26 and can’t remember ‘heavy snow’ that’s what they have in places like Sweden!
I guess though in an artic if you see the back end of the trailer coming past you side window, you are a little ■■■■ ed
scanny77:
same question but artics. im off to kent tomorrow and from what the radio was saying today, that is the worst hit area so far
Just let it go and hold distance,and,ehhh,be happy if you have a old Tractor with seperate Trailerbrake,which helps you to hold the Trailer straight back
As far as I see it the only difference between ‘normal’ driving and driving in snow is leave a bit more distance and avoid using engine/exhaust brake. Surely all the other stuff such as forward planning, observation, anticipation and appropriate speed apply regardless of the weather?
I wish we had much more of this type of weather, I love it and love driving in it.
Quinny:
And switch your tyres to the type with studs in.Well it works on the Swedish rally for the rally teams…
Ken.
Aint got any Studs Ken (BTW Hi Chris Hi John )
Dont think Chris would be too happy if I improvised with around 100 6" nails hammered into the tyres,
So I’ll just stick to taking it easy and excercising my ■■■■■■ muscles coming down Leadenham Hill on the A17
Well went out in it last night.
Took our nice new Actros. Just the same as driving the van in snow, still great fun!
Our depot is quite rural, one of the sprinters was trying to get up the slope into the depot wheels spining like hell. I just hit diff lock and steamed past him in 16th like it was summer! Well i say steamed, i must have been doing atleast 15mph!
The Actros seems good in snow, big torqey V6 lump lets you keep it in the top gears most of the time, so you avoid spinning it. Glad i didnt take one of those crappy MAN TGA LE’s we’ve got, they understeer at low speed on a dry road!
As far as I see it the only difference between ‘normal’ driving and driving in snow is leave a bit more distance and avoid using engine/exhaust brake. Surely all the other stuff such as forward planning, observation, anticipation and appropriate speed apply regardless of the weather?
I wish we had much more of this type of weather, I love it and love driving in it.
I’d agree on both points, just wondered if there was anything else that applied specifically to trucks.
Best thing about this weather is laughing at those who’re stuck when you can just drive straight past them with no trouble at all on the same patch of road in a similar vehicle. Seeing the 4x4’s stuck when i can drive past in a mini with sports tyres is the best I guess i’m just the better driver
Worst thing though is at night when it’s falling diagonally across your path, it feels like you’re going sideways and you have to resist the temptation to correct the steering! your brains telling you one thing, your eyes are telling you another.
smcaul:
scanny77:
same question but artics. im off to kent tomorrow and from what the radio was saying today, that is the worst hit area so farSmooth and steady in everything you do, dont ease off, brake or accelerate in corners, just keep the same speed going. Do all your speed changing in straight lines if possible.
It’s not as bad as you might think, just takes a bit longer to get to places thats all, oh and if it is cold you can normally forget about your windscreen washers working so take plenty of water in bottles with you to clear the screen.
excellant advice. thanks for that mate. i obviously made it back safe and sound although i did leave a brown trail along the A264 and A25. its not grit, its the aftermath of me pooping myself every time i felt the wagon slide
smcaul:
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Smooth and steady in everything you do, dont ease off, brake or accelerate in corners, just keep the same speed going. Do all your speed changing in straight lines if possible.
All the above is true, but, you can use the exhaust brake (or 1st position on a retarder) on downgrades if you can leave it on all the time lightly feathering the foot brake at the same time. After all you have to have some means of holding your speed, otherwise you won’t make it round the first bend.
It’s not as bad as you might think, just takes a bit longer to get to places thats all, oh and if it is cold you can normally forget about your windscreen washers working so take plenty of water in bottles with you to clear the screen
Good idea but you must have plenty of washing up liquid in the bottle as well otherwise it will freeze as soon as it hits the screen. Gives it a good clean too.
Above all, take it easy 
Salut, David.