5 Ways to Prepare Your Semi Truck for Winter & Snow

1). Washing Your Big Rig Often

When it comes to keeping your rig ready for winter one of the best things you can do is keep your rig clean by using truck washes often. By using Truck Washes often you can help remove some of the iron that is trapped along the sides of your rig that is caused by road debris, brake usage, as well as tires picking up road surfaces that could ultimately cause rust. Things like coating your truck with wax or by using detailing products such as Iron Remover around the wheels on your rig can greatly help to prevent rust from starting. Truck Stop Washes are a great way to protect your investment as well as a great way to keep your rig clean and normally range between $100-200 CAD per wash.

2). Checking Tire Pressures Often

Something that should be found under your semi-trucks general maintenance procedures is making sure that your tire pressures are filled with air correctly. You want to make sure that all of your big rig’s tires are all holding air as well as filled with the same psi in each tire to make a smoother ride and to help prevent against wheel spin. Did you know that having the correct pressure for the tire & equal tire pressure along all wheels is proven to help increase fuel distance? Help your rig and other motorists stay safe this winter by keeping your tires inflated properly and inspecting your wheels for defects often.



3). Keeping Warm Clothes Stored Inside of Your Rig

It is always a good reminder that during the colder winter months to always keep a set of warmer clothes such as a jacket, extra set of pants, boots, gloves, and a facemask inside of your rig. This will keep you ahead of bad weather by having an extra change of clothes or an extra layer of clothes in order to keep you warm during the winter cold. A few good alternatives to keep inside of your rig during the winter months would include some snacks, forms of entertainment for weather delays, ice scraper, chains for wheels, shovel, fluids for your big rig, and a tow strap. All of these make for the perfect combination to get you through the winter months without failure.



4). Jumper Cables

As the winter cold approaches batteries tend to have a harder time keeping charged and you should begin to carry an extra pair of jumper cables or a jump box that is fitted for a diesel engine. Diesel’s rely on more battery power in order to start than most traditional car batteries and will need to remain charged during the winter months to make starting up easier. Keeping a good battery backup with a jumper cable or diesel jump box can keep your rig moving down the road. If you notice any voltage drops or starting up in the cold becoming harder make sure to check your batteries as they do tend to wear out over a period of time.



5). Keeping a Half Tank of Diesel Fuel

Did you know that diesel and normal gasoline are very different when it comes to the way they react in the cold? Diesel in the cold can easily gel up keeping your diesel engine from starting easily which could cause delays or a much harder and rougher start on your engine. By keeping half a tank of fuel at a minimum you can help delay the gel process by keeping more fuel in the tank which makes it harder to freeze or gel up. This is incredibly important especially as the temperatures get extremely cold.