1. Preventative Maintenance & Supplies
Winterize your commercial vehicles by taking them to your preferred maintenance facility. Check vehicle fluids to ensure your engine oil, antifreeze, transmission, brake and power steering fluids are clean and at optimal levels. Speak with your maintenance professionals about defending against fuel gelling, cleaning fuel injectors, testing batteries, and preparing your tires for extreme conditions.
While your vehicle is at the shop your drivers can prepare an emergency kit. An emergency kit should include safety supplies, personal supplies and supplies for your vehicle. Consider including the following: blankets, first aid kit, flashlight & extra batteries, warm clothing, snow boots, bottled water, snacks, chargers for electronics, road flares, tire chains, washer fluid, coolant, engine oil, WD-40 & a tool set.
2. Driving Cautiously
Ensure safe driving before taking to the road by warming the engine and clearing snow from windows, mirrors and cameras. Once on the roadways, reduce speeds and try not to follow vehicles too closely because it is harder to stop in extreme weather conditions. Refrain from sudden reactions such as hard braking, accelerating or turning corners too fast. These maneuvers often lead to collisions, rollovers, and getting stuck in a ditch. Lastly, be mindful of black ice which can cause your vehicle to lose traction.
3. Accidents and Vehicle Failures
Review your commercial vehicle insurance to ensure coverage in the event of an accident. If your insurance doesn’t include emergency roadside assistance, sign up with a commercial emergency roadside assistance provider. An emergency roadside assistance provider can provide accident management and respond quickly to vehicle failures to reduce vehicle downtime.
