Driving in the wintertime is challenging for everyone, including the most experienced drivers. Truck drivers must know the best ways to avoid downtime for their trucks and reduce safety risks on the road. Preparing for harsh winter conditions can go a long way in protecting yourself from potential issues that appear on the road. Here are some tips and tricks to keep you moving safely on the roads during the winter.

• Perform A complete Pre-trip inspection: Check to make sure your vehicle is in ideal condition before hitting the road. Schedule an appointment with our service team to make sure everything in your vehicle checks out before driving on the roads. Pay close attention to the fluid levels, tire pressure, and visibility through the windows. Cold weather can cause the inflation of your tires to decrease at a faster rate than warm weather. This can cause your tires to be less stable on the road and risk harming other drivers. By simply taking time to check your tire gauge you will help prevent dangerous driving conditions.


• Watch for Low Tread on Your Tires: Driving with low tread is unsafe in warm weather conditions, but even more dangerous in winter weather conditions. Low tread during the winter months can put you at high risk of hydroplaning on wet roads, having a blown-out tire, and more safety risks. Make an appointment at one of our Thompson Tire & Retread locations to make sure your tires are safe before you go on the road. The roads during the winter are unpredictable, they can go from slush to sleet to ice in just minutes of being on the road. Make sure your steer tires have at least 4/32 inches of tread depth and all other tires have 2/32 inches. Buy a tread-depth gauge, they are an inexpensive tool that will keep you safe on the road and your truck out of downtime. If you are thinking of purchasing brand-new tires for the winter, consider exploring a retreaded tire, which can be up to half the price! Contact us or check out our website if you want to learn the process of how we retread tires and explore the additional benefits of retreading.


• Pack a Winter Driving Kit: Even the safest drivers can get stuck in bad weather conditions from time to time. That is why it is so important to pack a winter driving kit to keep you protected during the harshest winter conditions. Items you should include in your kit are a blanket, flashlight, non-perishable food, water, a bag of salt, jumper cables, a cell phone charger, a windshield scraper, and anything else you believe will help benefit you in the situation. Make sure to check the kit before each trip to make sure you have everything you need and keep it in a secure place that is reachable in the vehicle. If you need to keep more fluids or parts on hand for the winter check outRepairLink on our website or give us a call at one of our 6 locations.


• Brake & Accelerate Slowly While Allowing Extra Space Between Vehicles: Winter driving can have a huge impact on how your vehicle will handle the conditions of the road. The winter weather can cause it to be more difficult to control the vehicle due to losing traction on the tires. Make sure to brake slowly when you are approaching a stop and accelerate slowly with caution when the light turns green. Especially take turns slowly so you do not overturn and lose control of the vehicle on the road putting others’ safety in harm’s way. Due to the slick roads and weather conditions, collisions are more common so making sure you leave extra space between you and the vehicle in front and behind you is critical.

It does not matter if your fleet is traveling across town or the country, you can significantly improve the safety of drivers and the community by guaranteeing your vehicle is prepared for the harsh winter conditions. If you follow these tips, you will be prepared to take on any winter conditions that are thrown at you. Make sure to check out both our truck and tire websites for all your service needs to keep you from future downtime.