Tips for Winter Truck Driving

From pickups to semis, if your truck is your livelihood, it’s a year-round job. While plenty of folks slow down over the winter months, you and your truck barrel right through it—but low visibility, slick roads, and less daylight can make it risky. We here at Truck Defender Bumpers want to help you keep on trucking and safely, so we’ve put together some suggestions on the gear your truck needs this winter, below. To learn more, or to see the custom truck bumpers we have for sale, contact our expert staff.

Preparing Your Truck

Both you and your truck need a little help to get ready for the cold winter, so we’ve put together some items that will get you there. Ask truckers along your route for more, but so start you’ll want:

• Winter windshield wiper blades.
• Winter-specific engine fluids, including windshield wiper fluid, motor oil, and stabilizer for your fuel.
• Jumper cables to jump-start cold batteries, both for your and other truckers’ engines.
• Extra blankets and clothes to help you layer up, helping you save gas by laying off the heat.

Preparing Your Tires

Your truck’s tires get their very own category here. First, make sure to regularly check tire pressure and tread levels, since traction is a constant issue in the winter. Winter-specific tires can be a good investment, but an expensive one, so there are a few methods for making your usual tires more winter-ready.

• Wrap them in chains or cables (specifically ones designed for tires, of course) to ensure traction if you hit thick snow or ice, or which you can lay in front of your tires to help you out of a rut
• Cat litter, which is a clean and compact way to get some extra traction if you’re stuck. We recommend getting a resealable bottle or two to avoid spills and to keep that litter smell contained.

Keep Up With Maintenance

As obvious as it may sound, one of the best ways to prepare yourself and your truck for driving in the winter is to stay on top of your regular and preventative maintenance. Missing checks, oil changes, and other regular maintenance mishaps can lead to serious complications when road conditions go south. The sooner you find and fix any real issues, the safer you, your truck, and those around you will be.

Finally, and most importantly, if you have any doubt about your ability to safely drive, pull over and wait the weather out. Your health and safety outweigh your schedule! For more winter tips, or to get a custom truck bumper, contact our experts here at Truck Defender Bumpers. Our dealership is based in Vale, South Dakota, and we serve those throughout North America—let us serve you today!