Trucker Tips for Driving During the Spring Season – Part II

You’ve kept your winter tires on, and your underbody tool box is full of helpful gear. Come rain or high water, you know that you’re ready for whatever springtime conditions may lay ahead on your trucking journey. And by rain or high water, we aren’t talking metaphorically. In fact, our last article on Springtime driving dealt with some general precautions you can take to face the thaw head on. But spring is an untameable beast, so here are a few more tips to ensure your safety and maximum efficiency.

Keep Key Accessories (such as your underbody tool box) at Hand

There are a few semi truck accessories that will serve you above the rest during the springtime, and although they may not seem as important or expensive as everything else in your underbody tool box, you’ll be happy to have them. First up are wipers. These should be changedKEEP THE SNEEZING AT BAY every 6-12 months, and will get their biggest workout during spring rains. During torrential downpours, they are literally a lifesaver. Second up are your headlights! Make sure they are not burnt out and switch on and off reliably. Snow, fog, sleet, rain, and all other forms of mother nature’s whims can descend upon you at any moment, and not only do you want to be able to see, you want to be able to track the vehicle in front of you and see their lights. So help yourself, and other drivers safe too.

Keep the Sneezing at Bay

Spring has sprung and so have the flowers! So has the pollen! Now your eyes are puffy! Now you’re sneezing twenty times in a row and can’t see the road in front of you! You get the idea. Springtime allergies can be a major hazard not only for your sense of stability and wellbeing, but their side effects such as a congested head, sneezing, and puffy eyes, can have an adverse effect on your driving efficiency and your ability to make undistracted decisions. Please keep your medication close by, and if necessary invest in a cabin air filter! This excellent add-on will allow you to breathe freely and sneeze sparingly.

The Roads That Keep on Giving

We talked in our last article about flooding on the roads and shoulders that seem to give way. If only that was the last there was to say about road quality in spring. Unfortunately, the freeze/thaw cycle that is inevitable this time of year causes cracks and holes in the roads—read: potholes. There’s no quick fix for this, no rollout carpet you can keep in your underbody tool box that will make these annoyances go away. The only key is vigilance. So avoid these holes as if your life depends on it, because one big shock to the truck can cause damage to alignment, suspension, tires, and more. The extra weight of a truck makes potholes especially risky. Another thing to keep in mind is hydroplaning. Wet roads can cause your truck to glide on the water rather than make contact with the road. Let your imagination run wild, but it can obviously only lead to disaster. Keep these tips in your back pocket, or taped to your mirror, or with all the gear in your underbody tool box, and review whenever you feel yourself growing complacent. No matter how much experience you have, or how many hours you’ve clocked, we all know that nature knows how to pull a fast one. So breathe deep, stay sharp, and drive safe! Trebor Manufacturing is proud to be serving dealers, retailers, manufacturers and distributors in the trucking business, including truck parts dealers, across North America. Please feel free to call us, contact us or request a quote in regards to any of our semi-truck accessories including aluminum tool boxes, semi headache racks, custom semi-truck accessories and other products such as dump bodies and flatbeds. Not a dealer, retailer, manufacturer or distributor? Tell us what you need and we’ll help you find the closest dealer or retailer near you. Keep these tips in your back pocket, or taped to your mirror, or with all the gear in your underbody tool box, and review whenever you feel yourself growing complacent. No matter how much experience you have, or how many hours you’ve clocked, we all know that nature knows how to pull a fast one. So breathe deep, stay sharp, and drive safe! Trebor Manufacturing is proud to be serving dealers, retailers, manufacturers and distributors in the trucking business, including truck parts dealers, across North America. Please feel free to call us, contact us or request a quote in regards to any of our semi-truck accessories including aluminum tool boxes, semi headache racks, custom semi-truck accessories and other products such as dump bodies and flatbeds. Not a dealer, retailer, manufacturer or distributor? Tell us what you need and we’ll help you find the closest dealer or retailer near you.