Winter is coming, soon we’ll have to embrace the snow, ice, wind and the cold and continue our lives around it, including driving. With more and more traffic on the roads including semi-drivers, it’s a good idea to refresh on how semi-trucks operate differently in the winter months. Jordan Hopfe is the owner of Hopfe Training Centre here in Weyburn who trains drivers to get their 1A license. With Canada having some of the longest and harshest winters in the world, Hopfe provides some tips that he offers his class on ways to stay safe in the semi.
“I always encourage guys like, especially when it's first starting out like this and it's going to be that fluctuating temperature. Take the extra 5 minutes. Take a little bit longer and make sure that you are fully ready to go, no matter what life throws at you. Whether it says that it's nice out or not, you got to be ready for whatever. Every day we're actually required by law to inspect their vehicles from top to bottom.”
The old quote of an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure rings true when it comes to semi-drivers preparing to start their day. Simple things that are done every day such as checking tires and looking for air leaks are even more crucial during the winter months, as a breakdown can go from minor to catastrophic in a hurry. Hopfe touches on what to prepare before putting the pedal down.
“Look at tire treads, tire pressure, things of that nature but also, be prepared for the worst. Do you have enough fuel? Do you have some food? Do you have some water? Do you have the proper clothing?”
Preparing for the worst and hoping for the best is key in ensuring that if you are stuck in an emergency situation in the cold weather, you can stay safe. Having fuel, food, water, proper clothing, a charged phone, and tools or supplies in Canadian winters can be the difference between life or death when the temperatures plummet. Once semi-drivers are adequately prepared for driving in Canadian winters, the focus now shifts to attention while driving down the road. Being bigger and heavier means more risk of accidents if not constantly vigilant in your driving. Hopfe states that being alert and aware while driving can make all the difference.
“That is the key is to stay focused, stay alert because weather changes, road changes, anything like that can happen incredibly fast. Take notice of other people as they're driving around you. Just be aware of how your vehicle is handling the road because all that it needs is to break our traction and all of a sudden, we're in trouble because we're too heavy.”
Semi-drivers often use chains during extreme snow and ice conditions to provide extra traction on the road, however they are heavy, cumbersome, and need to be installed properly to ensure they don’t unhook while moving. Hopfe recommends watching some Youtube videos on how to properly maintain and hook up chains before attempting yourself.
Finally, for the majority of us that drive smaller passenger cars and encounter these metal giants on the roads, being aware that semis operate differently than cars do. Semis have blind spots, they kick up more snow, they start and stop slower. Hopfe provided some helpful tips for the regular driver when they encounter a semi-truck in less-than-ideal conditions.
"The big thing, give them space. They do know what they're doing, and we tend to take up a lot more room than you think. Be aware that especially with loose snow on the ground, we create a wall when we're driving down the road, there is absolutely going to be a wall of snow that you can't see around or through. If you start slowing down to anything, say 80 or under, please put your 4-ways on. The goal is to see and be seen”
Passenger cars going slower than posted speed limits creates a dangerous situation when semi-drivers approach them from behind, as it’s hard for them to gauge how fast they're going and don’t have enough time to slow down. Putting on your hazard lights as well as your headlights ensure that semi-drivers can see you, other vehicles can see you, and that everybody gets home safe no matter what the temperature.