let me start by stating im half [zb]
ive just had a disagreement with my daughter.
re the bad weather,in scotland, ie;snow
i work for a large uk company .in scotland. we dont do overnights.
our trucks are day cabs
the news reports state drivers should have all the gear to cope.
in case you get stuck.
such as shovel.blanket.sleepin bag.etc.
my argument is who should suply this.
even more [zb] now
In truth, personal stuff like winter clothing and survival stuff is all down to you. The thinking is that if you don’t feel safe then don’t go out in the first place. A good coat, really good hat and a sleeping bag are pretty much essential if you have any chance at all of getting caught out.
I have seen some awful situations in the past… Whole families stuck in cars without any hot drinks or good warm clothing… I have had to take one couple back to a truckstop in the middle of the night when they broke down, and they were starting to get in real trouble when I arrived.
Winter clothing is something you should have. Even in day trucks you should always have a bag of clean, dry clothes with you because it is easy to get wet and easier to get cold. Once hypothermia sets in, it needs to be sorted as it will only get worse if you do not get warm right away. Hypothermia will not get better on its own, you need to be warmed up. Frostbite, although unlikely in the UK, is also a real danger, and that doesn’t get better at all. Once the skin has frozen, it will die and doesn’t ever regenerate without grafts, not really. Also, you should have real wool clothing as it retains thermal properties even when wet.
To be honest, I have not put any of the winter stuff in the cars this year. Best do that this weekend… But even in the cars there are usually blankets, coats and things.
bobthedog:
In truth, personal stuff like winter clothing and survival stuff is all down to you. The thinking is that if you don’t feel safe then don’t go out in the first place. A good coat, really good hat and a sleeping bag are pretty much essential if you have any chance at all of getting caught out.To be honest, I have not put any of the winter stuff in the cars this year. Best do that this weekend… But even in the cars there are usually blankets, coats and things.
Rob, I was coming back from the yard tonight, it was really bad on HWY23, -12c and blowing 80km/h from the south east and snowing like a [zb]tard, I did laundry in AB so threw my bag in the car and set off home, as I was coming along the road I thought, [zb] if I fall off the road or breakdown I’m in big trouble, all I had on was trainers, jeans, t-shirt and a hoodie (yeah I know 
) I had left my bedding in the lorry, all my clothes save for yesterdays and didn’t have a hat or gloves, it was a long drive home I gotta tell ya, if I had a misfortune I would’ve been dead within 20mins with that windchill, a scary thought 
As bob says personal stuff is down to you .
Other essentials such as shovel , bag of grit , de icer and screen wash etc should be supplied your company but i supose in the real world the chances of getting this type of stuff out of some companies is slim.
I think the clothing is down to the driver same with plenty of fluid & food day cab or not. The company should supply everything else IE a shovel & bag of rock salt, de-icer etc. Its the first few weeks of this that ■■■■ everybody up no matter where in the world we are but soon enough we’ll all get used to it & be better prepared setting out & just generally slow down & get the job done in our own way & time.
I’m lucky having my own motor & keep all my cold weather gear in it all year round in a huge kit bag, TBH with you an extra T-shirt is a good start to keeping the chill off a few thin layers under your coat does the trick for me. I do wear overalls too whilst chaining up etc & this helps. I always have a light beanie that goes under my helmet (no jokes req 
) when on site & a thin balaclava for when its freezing & for stalking duties too
I’m a fan of “The Hoody” too NMM but maybe a base layer or 2 under it in that wind/temperature FFS you’d have perished in 20 mins in that would’nt ya.
Fly sheet
Coop,
I’ve got the full on Everest expedition gear in my truck, one of those furry hats with ear flaps (although I wear my Orange County Choppers beanie most of the time coz I look hard in that ) a few full sets of thermals and lots of clothes, including a ‘proper’ winter coat, but usually a t-shirt & hoodie are enough, if it’s super cold maybe a windproof jacket over that, but the key to staying warm is staying in the cab with the heater on
I had to lay under the trailer winding the brakes off when I ran bambi’s mum over last winter, it ripped the airlines out of all four brake chambers so I had to get creative and quickly, it was a proper winter storm, almost a white out, it would’ve been but for the wind moving the snow about, it was in the -30s and I put on my long johns, vest, a t-shirt, jumper, hoodie, waterproof/windproof jacket and trousers that zip together, gloves and my Boris hat, I could’ve slept under the trailer I was that cozy, now imagine doing that as I was dressed tonight, I would’ve slept alright…forever, it’s serious stuff the cold, you ignore it at your peril 
The main thing is to cover the extremities, so gloves, hat and decent socks, then you have to stay dry, so take replacements as snow will make you wet, and don’t rush around in a panic if you do have to get out in it, at -15c and below a big gulp of air can freeze the moisture in your lungs, your core temperature will drop very quickly if you do that and a 2deg drop in that and you’re hypothermic, you fall asleep and it’s game over
It may sound all Hollywood and overdramatic, but the cold is dangerous stuff, looking cool is not an option 
Melodramatic??
Some may think so, but there are enough of us have been to cold places that we know better. Darwins law says we will still be here after a winter storm. Something I should have put in. If you go and buy a sleeping bag, or a cheap quilt, and leave it in the original packaging then it takes less room and you can just leave it in the car or truck all year. Ideally, get some of those vacuum bags and pack a kit up with plenty of clothes and a quilt and vac the air out.
You just can’t take chances. Mark, consider your wrist slapped for doing that last night. Bet you won’t do it again though. It is scary, and the longer you are here, the more acclimatised you become generally so the less you actually think of it. That’s when things can go badly wrong.
I’m fully winterised now, got all the stuff I need in the car, including a snow shovel, at some point I’m bound to end up in a ditch, my car is so much fun on a dry road, snow will just make the inevitable happen a bit sooner I can see a pick up in my future, Cruella can potter around in the Charger, I can then go messing around in the truck, I’ve suggested it and she’s up for it, was expecting a battle, but it was easy, now I’m worried, she obviously has a plan, I’ve a feeling it’s going to be expensive
Letting the boss loose with the Charger is BOUND to prove expensive!!
Mind you, the roads are pretty dry now… You still ought to get her to walk to town…
She loves riding around in it, she’s a pretty decent driver (for a woman ) I have no worries in that department, I’m more concerned by the motive, they’re not usually so passive when pick up trucks and big boy toys are suggested, she even thinks quad bikes for me and Billy are a good idea, in the build up for xmas this can only mean one thing…diamonds, ■■■■ it, outfoxed again 
Hmmmmmm… Quad bikes■■? Well as long as you are more careful than I was…
bobthedog:
Hmmmmmm… Quad bikes■■? Well as long as you are more careful than I was…
Oh it’ll end in tears, I guarantee it, I will have full body armour though, I have no concept of the line between bravery and stupidity, well not until after the crash anyway
Neither did I… 
Now, however, I am fully aware of the dangers and have decided to invest in a cheapass sled…
Self propelled?
I did flirt with the idea, but they do 130mph, it would be a lot of money to waste at that kind of speed, I reckon less than a minute to total destruction of man and machine
Nah, I am just gonna get a really cheap, slow one. I only ever rode one once before, with Puff on the back. I leaned into a corner, she didn’t… Had to pick the poxy thing up again…
Hi bob.i’m rather surprised that you haven’t already got a sled,i would have thought it was the first thing you bought when you moved.[i don’t know if any of the other guys have them 
]when i lived in quebec we all had ski doo’s.its like having a car.we used to go over to timmins from quebec.they have the best trail system in the world in canada.
when i moved up here to lappland the first winter i bought a sled,however it is much more ‘‘wild west’’ up here being less developed.
as we both know you will have plenty of time to enjoy sledding[until about may ]take care.mike
I always intended to get one, but there was always something better to spend the money on. Now that I should have a little spare cash I will pick one up.
I don’t do nights out but Ive got a sleeping bag, pillow , dvd player , few packets of biscuits , few bottles of water. Keep loads of stuff under the bunk as ive been stung in the past being stranded with no ■■■■ giving a ■■■■ back at base.
As for shovel and salt i just took them out our yard, keep it in my passenger stairwell. Don’t really give a toss if anyone says anything , i’ll look after myself first and foremost.