Beating the winter road woes

Taking care of yourself and slowing down.

As a Senior TRUCKTrainer of four years and previously a military and civilian trucker trainer, Alistair Colquhoun has seen his fair share of seasons and is well-equipped to deal with the most challenging conditions. He understands how difficult it can be for busy drivers, especially in the run up to Christmas, so wants to stress the importance of truckers slowing down, taking care of themselves and utilising the truck technology available.

First up he discusses the best way to handle snow and ice. “Whatever the weather, always try to maintain the right speed for the conditions; remember stopping distances are up to 10 times greater in snow and ice,” he explains.

It’s important to be in control of your vehicle at all times. Alistair recommends braking, steering and accelerating as smoothly as possible to ensure a smooth, safe journey. This is particularly important when driving on ice: “Avoid any sudden actions, especially on bends, as these could cause loss of control. Slow right down before you reach the bend to make it easier.”

Keeping your eye on the road, even in poor visibility.

Fog and mist is another major concern for drivers at this time of year as it can impair visibility. Alistair suggests maintaining a good safety distance from vehicles in front; particularly as rear lights don’t always signal what a driver is planning to do. “Don’t tailgate, both you and the vehicle ahead need plenty of space, in case either of you have to brake suddenly,” he says.

Also remember the importance of using the correct lights, “Turn your headlights on and set them at dipped beam – use front and back fog lights if necessary but remember to switch them off once the fog has cleared as they can dazzle other road users and obscure your brake lights.”

He continued, “Be wary that some drivers may not turn on their headlights. Also don’t forget to use your windscreen wipers and demisters.”

- Alistair Colquhoun, Senior TRUCKTrainer, Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK

Truck technology assisting in treacherous conditions.

Truck technology is available to assist drivers and make their jobs easier. This couldn’t be truer than in treacherous conditions, when a trucker is most likely to need extra help.

Mercedes-Benz trucks are no exception, with our vehicles offering a whole host of technology to make your journeys safer, like the revolutionary MirrorCam on the new Actros and Arocs models, which provides panoramic views around the trailer to help the driver on busy roads and when making manoeuvres in tight spots. In addition, there is the latest version of Active Brake Assist 5 (ABA 5) which uses radar and camera technology to detect stationary and moving objects in the trucks path and apply partial or full braking if needed.

“The Powershift 3 transmission also has rocking free function which can be used to rock the vehicle out of a hollow or snow in all permissible start-off gears, really useful if you get stuck,” explained Alistair.

Alistair mentioned Proximity Control Assist in conjunction with cruise control, which helps the driver to always maintain a safe separation distance from the vehicle in front and can be adapted to weather and traffic conditions. In addition, Attention Assist monitors driver characteristics and behaviour patterns as well as steering and braking, advising the driver to take a break if required.

“Finally there is Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC), which automatically takes topography, course of the road and traffic signs into account, meaning unnecessary braking, accelerating and gear changing are avoided, allowing concentration to be directed where it should be.”

- Alistair Colquhoun, Senior TRUCKTrainer, Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK

Festive frenzy.

The festive season has begun – it can be super fun but difficult for truckers. As Alistair points out, “This time of year can become a more stressful time for drivers as work load increases as well as the pressure to get goods there to tight load deadlines, truck parking issues and in some cases being away from home and family more.”

It’s therefore essential that truckers remember to make their own health and wellbeing a priority so they can get the job done safely.

“Drivers should try to get plenty of sleep, have a balanced diet, stay hydrated and move around if feeling tired - you can feel a bit stiff after driving for hours – sitting for long periods means blood doesn’t flow to the legs and other parts of the body. A basic solution for this is to pull over and stop when safe to do so, then get out and stretch your arms and legs.”

Stay safe and in control.

We want all drivers to be safe this winter; by considering the above advice hopefully everyone will have stress-free journeys.

Remember road conditions can change over relatively short distances, so be prepared to adapt at little notice. Listening to travel bulletins and taking note of variable message signs about road conditions are also very useful.

For more winter driving tips, including a list of cab essentials to pack, check out this other RoadStars article > https://roadstars.mercedes-benz.com/en_GB/magazine/2019/january/top-tips-for-winter-driving-from-chris-keen-senior-truck-trainer.html

Are you an experienced driver?

Do you have some essential tips which could help other drivers on the road this winter? Share them below or send a private message.