During the summer months, truckers across the country prepare for the hazardous summer thunderstorms that plague the south, east, and midwest areas of the U.S.
Hurricanes and tornados are other issues during the summer months. With winds that can greatly exceed 80 mph, it’s important every trucker knows the ins and outs of protecting themselves and their cargo during hazardous weather.
Here are 5 ways truck drivers can deal with summer storms.
Check on Weather for the Day and Week
The weather can change within minutes or hours. So it’s never a bad idea to check the weather for any cities or states you know you’ll be passing through during your trip.
Here are some general ways you can keep up to date with any weather reports:
- Using the National Weather Service website.
- Downloading a Weather App on your phone.
- Watching The Weather Channel before a trip.
By staying in the loop with local or distant weather, you’re setting yourself up for a secure trip and avoiding any unnecessary emergencies that may be life-threatening to you and those around you.
Be Aware of Hazardous Conditions
If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of being caught in the aftermath of a natural disaster, you will still need to be cautious. The reason is that there is likely irregular debris and other hazardous conditions scattered about the road and general streets.
When driving through heavily impacted areas, here are some things to consider and to be on the lookout for:
- Downed power lines or uprooted trees
- Impacted building debris or other broken material
- Injured people or stray pets
- Abandoned vehicles in the middle of the road
Delay Trip if Thunderstorm, Hurricane, or Tornado Warning
Being on time or ahead of schedule for your delivery, is not worth your safety or your life.
Here are some detrimental events that can occur during any type of thunderstorm, hurricane, or tornado:
- Electrocution by a lightning bolt
- Excessive overheating of vehicles and your body
- 80+ mph winds/rain
- Dangerous crosswinds or dust storms
These are just a few of the problems you could potentially face during a natural occurrence.
Keep a Distance from Other Drivers
If you find yourself in the midst of a thunderstorm or hurricane, your best option is to find a relatively safe spot to park your truck and wait out the storm.
But, if you’re in the midst of driving while it’s going on, your second best option is to make sure you’re far enough away from other drivers.
This is because you could cause an accident that leads to a pile-up. Due to the potentially blinding conditions of a hurricane, for example, other unfortunate drivers who are caught on the road as well won’t have clear enough visibility to see what’s ahead of them.
Examine Your Truck Regularly for Problems
It’s probably a good idea to regularly check your truck and freight to see if everything is in order and as it should be.
Here are some things to be on the lookout for when examining your truck and trailer.
- Check the coolant level of the engine.
- Make sure your AC is working properly.
- Clean your headlights/backlights and any other lights.
- Examine tires and exterior of truck for any unusual marks/dents.
- Make sure brakes and signals are working.
Conclusion
Whether it’s preparing for a deadly storm beforehand or withstanding a particularly difficult storm in the midst of a natural disaster – it’s best to always have safety in mind.
If you’re looking to transition to a new freight provider, we at Elder Logistics can help discuss an action plan to help you transport your goods safely. Reach out to us here to communicate with one of our customer service representatives.
If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to any of our management team members here, and we’ll be more than happy to help you find the best transportation solutions for your business needs.
Reference:
“7 Truck Driving Safety Tips for Storms.” Mid South Transport, 29 Apr. 2019, https://www.midsouthtransport.com/safety-tips-for-driving-in-storms-%EF%BB%BF/.
“7 Truck Driving Safety Tips for Thunderstorms and Other Storms.” Service Tire Truck Centers, STTC- Service Tire Truck Centers, 9 June 2022, https://www.sttc.com/7-truck-driving-safety-tips-for-thunderstorms-and-other-storms/.
Amonahan. “Tips for CDL-a Drivers during Summer Severe Weather.” Carletontransport, 11 Dec. 2021, https://www.carletontransport.com/post/tips-for-otr-cdl-a-drivers-during-summer-severe-weather.
“Safe Summer Trucking Tips and Tricks for Truck Driver.” Mytee Products Blog, 13 May 2022, https://www.myteeproducts.com/blog/tips-for-safe-summer-trucking/.
The Schneider Guy. “Top Summer Safety Tips for Truck Drivers.” Schneider Jobs, https://schneiderjobs.com/blog/summer-driving-safety-tips-truck-drivers.
Stinson, Jim. “How Trucking Firms Prepare Drivers for Severe Weather.” Transport Dive, 1 June 2021, https://www.transportdive.com/news/training-truck-drivers-severe-weather-safety/600404/.