Georgia winters may not be the worst the country has to offer, but they can certainly take you by surprise. As any experienced trucker would tell you, once the temperatures hit freezing, the risks of the road increase.
Of course, you can and should get through the winter months in Georgia without an issue. So long as you know the winter problems truck drivers face, you should be able to take steps to avoid them, and if not, our mobile truck repair in Gainesville, GA is here for you.
Let’s dive into the three biggest winter-related threats for truck drivers.
Clogged Fuel Filters
You can end up with a clogged fuel filter in any season. However, in the winter, this is significantly more common.
The diesel in your engine turns into an unmoving sludge when the temperatures drop low enough. And here in the South, we don’t treat our diesel with additives to prevent this like the northern states do. Without the right approach, you can end up in quite the pickle.
One way to prevent this is to keep your truck idling, causing the fuel to move and preventing clogs in the filter. However, we also suggest that you keep spare filters on hand as well as a plug-in heater you could use to thaw out your filter if you don’t end up having any extras around.
Ice on The Roads
Truck driving in snow is bad. Driving on ice is worse. When you are trying to make precise turns in a large vehicle or navigate steep grades, ice on the road is a recipe for disaster.
While you can’t eliminate the ice yourself, there are things you can do to make your truck better able to handle it. Before winter, replace any tires where the treads are getting too low. Then, just take it slow and steady until you arrive at your destination.
Excessive Traffic
When bad weather hits, people naturally tend to drive slower. However, this causes traffic clusters, which leads to a lot of stopping and starting—something that isn’t easy in a big rig. Your inertia makes it difficult to stop, and your weight makes it hard to start. Make sure your brakes are at their best prior to winter and exercise additional caution when in stop-and-start traffic.
Of course, there is only so much you can do to mitigate problems faced by drivers. Should you run into problems, our mobile breakdown service Gainesville GA is here to help.
For more information on winter prep, check out our winter truck maintenance tips.
