Any hints or tips on driving during the cold weather?
adam79:
Any hints or tips on driving during the cold weather?
ALWAYS KEEP MORE DISTANCE IN FRONT NO MATTER WHAT.
Plan ahead earlier so that all the controls can be done slower and smoother.
Make extra sure that everything works before setting off.
Extra bedding - many truckers take some for others who may be in cab with you (ladies with kids) if stuck for hours
Extra water, tea/coffee/sugar/milk and water boiling facilities for you and possibly others if stuck for hours
I turn off the auto exhaust brake… don’t want it locking the wheels.
I enjoyed the joys of the snow in Luton last night, made sure I was going slow enough to react it needs be used the gears to brake more than the brake pedal. Had some ■■■■ of a taxi driver thought I was going too slowly he overtook me, then proceeded to skid on the roundabout in front of us, ended up skidding past the turn off he wanted, then gingerly trundled round the roundabout back to where he wanted to come off and I followed him up the road and he started driving a bit more sensibly 
garnerlives:
I enjoyed the joys of the snow in Luton last night, made sure I was going slow enough to react it needs be used the gears to brake more than the brake pedal. Had some [zb] of a taxi driver thought I was going too slowly he overtook me, then proceeded to skid on the roundabout in front of us, ended up skidding past the turn off he wanted, then gingerly trundled round the roundabout back to where he wanted to come off and I followed him up the road and he started driving a bit more sensibly
gears to slow down ?
so you prefer to use the gears and brake on 1 axle ?
Report to ROG for more driving lessons …
I seem to be doing ok, just take my time on the bends and round abouts.
But the jets on my wipers froze, any tips on clearing them? I tried to tip some hot water over them but that did bugger all, if I used a lighter would that work? Not putting the flame on the plastic or rubber parts just using the heat?
Thanks
adam79:
But the jets on my wipers froze, any tips on clearing them?
Put more screenwash in as it contains anti-freeze
ROG:
adam79:
But the jets on my wipers froze, any tips on clearing them?Put more screenwash in as it contains anti-freeze
I did that this morning and it was full 
adam79:
ROG:
adam79:
But the jets on my wipers froze, any tips on clearing them?Put more screenwash in as it contains anti-freeze
I did that this morning and it was full
The problem is, the screenwash is fine until you get on the motorway then it freezes…
use neat screenwash. smells good too 
I think our place uses nat’s Pee screen wash
I had the same problem, had to hold on washwipe for 5 mins to empty the bottle to put neat screen wash in, but it did the trick. Made the snow blue tho!
All modern vehicles now have the exhaust brake system linked with the abs sensors, if the wheel starts to lock it will turn off the exhaust brake, that’s why the exaust brake will not work if your abs is faulty. Still tho, I wouldn’t use it on snow if unladen.
Also, if your driving an artic on snow and it starts to jacknife you can pull slightly on the handbrake, this will only apply the trailer service brakes, more you pull the more the trailer brakes operate. Pull it too hard tho and the unit handbrake comes on! It’s called the secondary brake, this is why you get two hisses of air on an artic when you put the handbrake on. The first is the sound of it operating/releasing he service brake on the trailer and second hiss is the application of the handbrake on the unit. Rigids don’t have this feature. Best trying it out in the yard first, when you apply slight use of the secondary brake it will feel like the trailer brakes are pulling you back. This is suppose to be why it pulls you back into line on a sloppy surface, never tried tho but I imagine it could work and it’s designed to help the driver.
adam79:
I seem to be doing ok, just take my time on the bends and round abouts.But the jets on my wipers froze, any tips on clearing them? I tried to tip some hot water over them but that did bugger all, if I used a lighter would that work? Not putting the flame on the plastic or rubber parts just using the heat?
Thanks
When you need to release your warm water know what i mean 
(takes more than 5 mins)or just keep a bottle of hot water in the cab to sparingly clear yer screen when required-last year i drove from frome to littlehampton and back with this method but had to avoid the hills-take gert care anyway and if in doubt dont do it 
One of the top 10 tips from roadtransport.com!!! :-
- 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.
The others can be found here:-
Smart Mart:
One of the top 10 tips from roadtransport.com!!! :-
- 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.
The others can be found here:-
Unfortunately, that one is SPECTACULARLY wrong.
Jacknife is caused by more/all the braking being done by the unit. Slippery conditions make the tendency worse. Braking using your gears/exhauster/retarder means you are slowing the vehicle from the drive axle only, leaving the trailer unbraked. THAT is a sure way to jacknife.
Once upon a time in the days of yore, there was a delay between putting your foot on the brake pedal and the air system actually applying the brakes, which is where this old chestnut about using engine brakes comes from, as they were more predictable. Since that is no longer true on European trucks, the advice no longer stands. Gentle, steady braking - no snatching or sudden foot movements - is by far the safest way to go.
A few more from experience:
- Crack the window open a touch. If you can hear noise under your tyres you’re on snow/slush. If it goes quiet, you are on ice.
- Virgin snow on outside lanes will often give you better traction than compacted snow or slush that has frozen overnight on inside lanes. Don’t be afraid to use it.
- If you get stuck, the following tricks should be tried before concluding that you need help…1. Select a higher starting gear than normal and pull away with as little throttle as you can. If your wagon has idle-away then don’t touch the throttle at all. Otherwise just use a tiny amount. DON’T slip the clutch…2. Make sure your lift axle is raised, if you have one…3. Raise the air suspension on the tractor unit as high as it will go, and dump the air out of the trailer axles. This puts maximum weight on your fifth wheel and hence drive axle. If that has no effect or makes matters worse due to the angle you are on, dump from the unit and raise the trailer. 99.9% of the time this will give you traction to get out of trouble, even on sheet ice… 4. Engage diff locks, if fitted. This should be a last resort, however, as you will lose accurate steering control atthe same time…
…5. Oh, and before I forget, if you’re driving an automatic gearbox, put it in manual, or whatever setting will enable you to hold the selected high gear. If it has been blanked out (some I-shift) or disengaged, then this is the one time to rev the crap out of it and spin - but only until it gives you the gear you want, then hold the revs just at the level where it will stop it from changing. Then, on your return to the yard, give your gaffer a right royal bollocking for being stupid enough to disenable manual in the first place!!! Be sure to poitn out that if you hadn’t used your skill as a driver to get the thing unstuck, his fuel saving achieved by not allowing his drivers to use the vehicle as originally intended would have been wiped out by the cost of a wrecker to recover you. 
(Don’t forget that pesky RH/R2,3,and 4 that you’ve either been cursing all year when you select them accidentally, or using to show off your ability to back in a straight line at high speed across the yard has a PROPER use, and this is the kind of weather where you’ll find out what it is. See “pick a high gear” above. )
Lucy:
Smart Mart:
One of the top 10 tips from roadtransport.com!!! :-
- 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.
The others can be found here:-
Unfortunately, that one is SPECTACULARLY wrong.
Is anyone going to inform roadtransport of this error 
Lucy:
Smart Mart:
One of the top 10 tips from roadtransport.com!!! :-
- 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.
The others can be found here:-
Unfortunately, that one is SPECTACULARLY wrong.
Jacknife is caused by more/all the braking being done by the unit. Slippery conditions make the tendency worse. Braking using your gears/exhauster/retarder means you are slowing the vehicle from the drive axle only, leaving the trailer unbraked. THAT is a sure way to jacknife.
Once upon a time in the days of yore, there was a delay between putting your foot on the brake pedal and the air system actually applying the brakes, which is where this old chestnut about using engine brakes comes from, as they were more predictable. Since that is no longer true on European trucks, the advice no longer stands. Gentle, steady braking - no snatching or sudden foot movements - is by far the safest way to go.
A few more from experience:
- Crack the window open a touch. If you can hear noise under your tyres you’re on snow/slush. If it goes quiet, you are on ice.
- Virgin snow on outside lanes will often give you better traction than compacted snow or slush that has frozen overnight on inside lanes. Don’t be afraid to use it.
- If you get stuck, the following tricks should be tried before concluding that you need help…1. Select a higher starting gear than normal and pull away with as little throttle as you can. If your wagon has idle-away then don’t touch the throttle at all. Otherwise just use a tiny amount. DON’T slip the clutch…2. Make sure your lift axle is raised, if you have one…3. Raise the air suspension on the tractor unit as high as it will go, and dump the air out of the trailer axles. This puts maximum weight on your fifth wheel and hence drive axle. If that has no effect or makes matters worse due to the angle you are on, dump from the unit and raise the trailer. 99.9% of the time this will give you traction to get out of trouble, even on sheet ice… 4. Engage diff locks, if fitted. This should be a last resort, however, as you will lose accurate steering control atthe same time…
…5. Oh, and before I forget, if you’re driving an automatic gearbox, put it in manual, or whatever setting will enable you to hold the selected high gear. If it has been blanked out (some I-shift) or disengaged, then this is the one time to rev the crap out of it and spin - but only until it gives you the gear you want, then hold the revs just at the level where it will stop it from changing. Then, on your return to the yard, give your gaffer a right royal bollocking for being stupid enough to disenable manual in the first place!!! Be sure to poitn out that if you hadn’t used your skill as a driver to get the thing unstuck, his fuel saving achieved by not allowing his drivers to use the vehicle as originally intended would have been wiped out by the cost of a wrecker to recover you.
(Don’t forget that pesky RH/R2,3,and 4 that you’ve either been cursing all year when you select them accidentally, or using to show off your ability to back in a straight line at high speed across the yard has a PROPER use, and this is the kind of weather where you’ll find out what it is. See “pick a high gear” above.
Quite so Lucy - pity you weren’t consulted before the roadtransport.com article was published!
Afterthought - With reference to frozen screenwash, don’t forget that if you just put your wipers on full for a while they will “rub off” the muck so you can see again. Won’t do the wiper blades any good in the long term, like, but they’ll probably need replacing by the time the weather warms up anyway, after the salt and crap has had it’s wicked way with the rubber, so don’t worry about it. A new set of blades several weeks later is better than a new truck after you total one because you can’t see.
Also, whilst heated mirrors are a fabulous invention the majority of the time, in this weather they are next to useless as they simply bake all the muck onto the glass leaving you with opaque door decorations and not much else. You’ll actually be able to see more if you just turn them off and allow the spray to keep them damp. A couple of rags tied to the arms so they hang across the mirrors will also help, that’s the old way of doing it. Looks bloody awful, but who cares… If the gaffer objects, refer back to the statement above re: right royal bollockings. 
ROG:
Lucy:
Smart Mart:
One of the top 10 tips from roadtransport.com!!! :-
- 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.
The others can be found here:-
Unfortunately, that one is SPECTACULARLY wrong.
Is anyone going to inform roadtransport of this error
I suggest as many people as possible do! kevin.swallow@rbi.co.uk
I have never used one so excuse my ignorance but does a Jake-Brake act differently as I have seen this used on ice road truckers to slow down in icy conditions