Real drivers use spiked skinny tyres, and drive it like a Ford works rally car with plenty of sideways fun. Great fun, but only with the tractor unit.
Ken.
Extra food and drink and plenty cooking gas and an extra blanket for me.
Dont carry salt bt do have jumpers and i clean out the threads on the tow eye socket!
keeping fuel tanks topped up is good idea.
not looking forward to monday 
bazstan009:
keeping fuel tanks topped up is good idea.
All right for you, I have eight hundred litres of tank! even though I am not paying my eyes still water when it comes to the checkout!
Drift:
I know bus companies play it by ear, if there is a likelihood of accidents or damage they assess the local area (mainly driver feed back) and act upon that.
AFAIK its usually down to the fact that under the terms of the O licence, the bus companies are obliged to keep to their timetables, so as soon as the weather turns sour and the buses start failing to keep to schedule, its highly likely they`ll amend or terminate that route.
With trucks as previously stated, its just a case of driving as you should do, with care and consideration, within the limits of the trucks capabilities and weather conditions.
If you feel outside your comfort zone while driving, ease off or be prepared to park up, also learning how to trick an auto box into going into a higher gear so that it doesn`t spin in snow helps. but that’s down to each individual truck make etc
When we were approaching M Blanc the rule was if its raining downstairs its snowing on the Blanc & if we only had a coupla hours to do we would park up at our fave Routiers & tackle it next day. Mostly if snow chains were needed I would park up until the road cleared. Nothing is more important than your own health & safety. You have to make the right decisions because nobody is going to look after you.When I started I used to take chances in snow & fog but after coupla near misses I became much more laid back about Winter deadlines.
The only advice I can give is don’t brake and steer at the same time in ice or snow. If you have to brake and steer at the same time then you are going to fast and sooner or later you’ll end up just being a passenger as it slides into a wall or such like.
(brake) 
harry:
(brake)
Oh I dunno; brake+steer= break. 
Sorry chaps school boy error, blame it on me being cream krackered 
You’re braking ma’ heart!!
drive as quick as you can flat out ,nose against the screen,with your ringpiece twitching like a rabbits nose,so none of the paddys can overtake you and cover your cab with slush…works for me…youl know what to do easier once youve had bigger skidmarks in the cab than the ones in the field.as a general rule,if you cant see the trailer wheels in the mirror,and it dawns on you that you can see them through the windscreen,then its time to open the cab door and kiss your bum goodbye.
Engine/exhaust brake OFF!!! (There’s a switch in the centre bank of the MANs to diasble it. 
) *sits back and waits for the usual arguement to erupt over whether the Yanks or the Scandinavians have it right on this one - stating now for the record I’m with the European side of the “debate” *
(Technical bit/Why I stand where I stand on the subject: Main cause of jacknife = More braking from unit than trailer. Exhaust brakes and retarders only slow the drive axle, therefore increased risk of jacknife. Having had a near-fatal (for me) jacknife in the past I have no wish to repeat the experience. If we ever run the S/Bnd M40 together I’ll show you the hole I made in the embankment which is still there over a decade later… 
)
Slightly off topic, I`ve just got the spare set of winter tyres for the car sat in the garage ready
Lucy:
Engine/exhaust brake OFF!!! (There’s a switch in the centre bank of the MANs to diasble it.
As usual with these sort of debates their will be a balance somewhere in the middle, engine break should not be totally off but on a low setting (in my opinion) so it gently kicks in the moment the accelerator is released thus knocking a few mph off in a very gentle manner before the break pedal is touched.
Don’t rely on an auto box in tricky conditions as it can only adapt to what is happening rather than what is about to/or could happen so use the manual setting if possible.
Also ABS only reacts when grip is lost, a good driver can foresee when grip is about to be lost and employ some cadence braking before hand.
Forward planning is the key and expect the unexpected.
That said the debate between engine break on or off is so finely balanced I would happily sit in your truck Lucy if you chose to have it off all the time 
Snow is better than fog, at least you can see what you are going to hit!
Snow chains ? Never seen the point. If it’s that bad then it doesn’t move! I know alot carry chains for the drive axle but forward motion is no good if you cant steer! Think they give a false sense of invincibility! Used to carry them for Italy but never once used them.
rgt1973:
Snow chains ? Never seen the point. If it’s that bad then it doesn’t move! I know alot carry chains for the drive axle but forward motion is no good if you cant steer! Think they give a false sense of invincibility! Used to carry them for Italy but never once used them.
That same logic has long been my opinion too - if it’s that bad, park up!
Dipper_Dave:
Lucy:
Engine/exhaust brake OFF!!! (There’s a switch in the centre bank of the MANs to diasble it.As usual with these sort of debates their will be a balance somewhere in the middle, engine break should not be totally off but on a low setting (in my opinion) so it gently kicks in the moment the accelerator is released thus knocking a few mph off in a very gentle manner before the break pedal is touched.
Don’t rely on an auto box in tricky conditions as it can only adapt to what is happening rather than what is about to/or could happen so use the manual setting if possible.
Also ABS only reacts when grip is lost, a good driver can foresee when grip is about to be lost and employ some cadence braking before hand.
Forward planning is the key and expect the unexpected.
That said the debate between engine break on or off is so finely balanced I would happily sit in your truck Lucy if you chose to have it off all the time
And off we go again…giggles
peirre:
Slightly off topic, I`ve just got the spare set of winter tyres for the car sat in the garage ready
i got a spare pair of pants in me day bag incase i have a moment
tend to just take it easy. put box into manual mode and laugh when all the x5 and range rover drivers get stuck