Clark: Top 12 winter preparation tips to keep your fleet safe and operational
Key takeaways
- Proper winter prep, which includes fuel, batteries, tires, and maintenance, reduces breakdowns and keeps fleets operating safely.
- Daily inspections, air system care, and block heaters prevent cold-weather failures and minimize costly downtime.
- Driver readiness and emergency planning are essential for maintaining deliveries during snow, ice, and harsh winter conditions.
Will this winter bring milder temperatures with fewer snowstorms? We certainly hope so, but fleets still need to be prepared for the worst by properly winterizing their vehicles. You can’t control the weather, but you can control how you prepare for it by making sure that every vehicle in your fleet is in the best condition possible.
Snow and ice storms mean more accidents, more closed roads and highways, and less product delivered on time. Less product delivered on time can wreak havoc on your fleet’s customer relationships and negatively impact the bottom line. There’s also the cost of necessary weather-related repairs.
Don’t wait for the first freeze to take these steps.
1. Choose the right diesel fuel
Diesel contains paraffin, which causes fuel to gel as temperatures drop. Check with your fuel supplier to be sure it has the right blend of winter fuel. Also, anti-gel additives can be used during the winter months. Be sure to check with your engine manufacturer to get recommendations on fuel treatment, as some can cause damage to high-pressure fuel systems.
2. Check your water separator daily
Diesel fuels have water suspended in the solution. The water comes from condensation, which forms on the inside of a cold fuel tank that has warm fuel. To minimize the risk, check your water separator on a daily basis.
3. Test your coolant system
If you haven’t done it already, make sure your local service provider performs a comprehensive winterization inspection of the cooling systems. A coolant test will make sure your coolant is at the optimum freezing point protection for your needs. The inspection should also include the radiator, hoses, belts, and coolant filter replacement.
4. Use a block heater when the truck is parked
Diesel engines are harder to start than vehicles that run on gasoline because of the diesel engine’s need for higher cylinder temperatures and cold engine oil. That’s why, when the vehicle is parked for any length of time in cold weather, you should use a block heater to minimize cold-starting conditions.
5. Perform air-dryer maintenance
The air dryer is designed to remove moisture and contaminants from entering the vehicle's air system, including the brake system. Drain the moisture from air tanks routinely to help prevent water from freezing in the lines and contaminants from entering air valves. Excessive moisture can be an indication of an air dryer malfunction or a bad filter. Air dryer maintenance is imperative and should be performed according to the interval schedule listed in the owner’s manual.
6. Check battery age and life cycle, and frequently check the health
Cold engines are harder to turn, which requires more power from the battery. Cranking a cold engine increases amperage draw and decreases voltage—not a good combination if your battery is not fully charged. So, check the battery frequently.
7. Keep battery charged to extend battery life
Battery life is greatly affected by temperatures, vibration, and the number of deep discharge cycles. The deeper the battery discharge and the greater the number of discharges, the shorter the battery life. A discharged battery can start to freeze at around 32 degrees, but a fully charged battery will only start to freeze at very cold temperatures.
8. Allow for reduced psi due to cold weather and inflate tires accordingly
Tire pressure can change by as much as 2 psi for every 10 degrees of temperature change. As the temperature falls, so does the tire pressure. Underinflated tires reduce the tire load capacity, wear faster, and generate more heat, one of the major causes of tire failure. But overinflating can increase impact breaks and road debris damage. To get tire pressure just right, refer to the tire manufacturer’s data chart for the weight carried and make sure you put the right amount of air in the tires.
9. Perform preventive maintenance
Always follow the OEM’s recommended maintenance schedule. Even if you follow all of the steps listed above, breakdowns can still happen during treacherous winter conditions.
10. Choose a breakdown service provider you can count on
Find a breakdown service provider that has your servicing area covered, experienced technicians, and provides 24/7/365 service.
11. Be prepared
Each driver should be prepared for the worst in the winter. Be ready for road closures, gridlock, emergency breakdowns, etc. An unexpected blizzard in whiteout conditions could occur when you’re in the middle of nowhere with no one around, and your truck breaks down.
12. Take care of yourself
Drivers need to take care of themselves as well as their vehicle in case of an emergency slowdown or breakdown. Make sure you are prepared with safety gear, such as flashlights, beverages, food, extra days' supply of medications, blankets, snow preparation, spare cell phone battery charger, etc.
Remember, there’s only so much time to get prepared.
About the Author
Jane Clark
Senior VP of Operations
Jane Clark is the senior vice president of operations for NationaLease. Prior to joining NationaLease, Jane served as the area vice president for Randstad, one of the nation’s largest recruitment agencies, and before that, she served in management posts with QPS Companies, Pro Staff, and Manpower, Inc.