Driving in the latter months of the year presents unique challenges. From navigating heavy rain or windy conditions to adjusting your tyres and checking your antifreeze levels, bus and coach drivers have a lot to consider.
As fleet operators, your role is crucial in ensuring a seamless travel experience for passengers as the weather changes the road conditions. Your proactive measures can prevent delays and effectively communicate key changes to your customers, making you an integral part of the process.
As experienced road transport consultants, we understand that your ability to adapt to the changing weather depends on how well you prepare for every eventuality. Our expertise and stringent contingency plans can give you the confidence to cope with whatever the winter may bring.
With this in mind, here are our top winter driving tips for managing your logistics operations effectively over the coming months.
Tip #1 - Now is the time to order your antifreeze
Your buses and coaches must have the right level of antifreeze to regulate their engines. Failure to do so could lead to serious engine issues, resulting in high maintenance costs.
As part of your antifreeze plans, we recommend that you make sure that your drivers know which type of coolant is needed for each vehicle and what dilation is required.
Different types of vehicles may need different antifreeze options. If this is the case, you should have a written plan to ensure that you have the right antifreeze delivered in time.
It’s also important to consider how you plan to store your antifreeze.
Coolant should be stored securely in a metal or plastic barrel with contingency measures, such as plastic tarps underneath, in case of a leak.
Within your storage facility, consider investing in protective gear such as gloves, goggles, and facemasks for those working directly with the coolant.
Consider how you plan to label new antifreeze containers so they can be distinguished from older containers that may have already been opened.
This will help you effectively plan and prepare your budget and minimise waste.
Tip #2 – Consider your tyres
Now is the time to consider whether your fleet needs winter tyres. Having the right tyres readily available is crucial for ensuring the safety of your vehicles and passengers when driving in difficult conditions.
As part of your planning, you should factor in the time when each vehicle will be taken out of circulation for the replacement tyres to be fitted. Booking a specific time for each vehicle as part of that planning process will mean your fleet management will be far more effective.
Remember your snow chains.
No one wants to be caught out by cold weather, and snow can quickly transform road conditions from perfectly driveable to dangerous in just a few moments.
If you are driving abroad, snow chains are taken extremely seriously in countries such as Andorra, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. Failure to use snow chains correctly could lead to heavy fines. Use your time now to plan training sessions for your drivers so they know how to install the chains correctly.
As a transportation consultancy, we highly recommend that you book in additional training with your drivers to refresh their awareness of how to drive in tricky weather conditions.
Tip #3 – Check the temperature controls
Right now is the perfect time to check your cab and coach heaters. For optimum driving conditions, your driver and passengers should feel cosy and comfortable.
Ideally, you want to aim for a consistent temperature throughout the cab and coach. In addition to checking that your Webasto heater systems are working correctly, you should also conduct a thorough service of your air conditioning units. They will have worked extremely hard over the summer, but they are integral to de-misting and de-icing your windscreens over the coming months.
Tip #4 – Look at your staff uniforms – are they suitable for the winter?
As it gets colder, your drivers will need to wear more layers to keep warm. But multiple layers can still look professional.
Your drivers' appearance is important—after all, they are the customer-facing aspect of your business. Our dedicated transport consultants can recommend branded hats, jumpers or coats. These seamlessly combine functionality, practicality, and professionalism.
As part of your uniform updates, double-check that each vehicle is kitted out with high-visibility clothing. If there are any signs of wear and tear or you have specific items missing, now is the time to order replacements.
Tip #5 – double check your lights are all working
It's been a while since we've needed to use our headlights. It's critical that you double-check that your exterior and interior lights are all functioning correctly.
The last thing we want is for your drivers to get caught out – so make sure that you test your lights on full beam and dipped mode. You also want to confirm that your hazards and indicator lights are working correctly. Focusing on the roadworthiness of your vehicle is essential to the ongoing maintenance of your fleet.
Your internal lights should also be inspected – your passengers may rely on them to have a comfortable journey.
As part of your procurement, you should have a ready stock of replacement bulbs available for your drivers.
What about your yard lights?
Nights are not just a concern for drivers; the conditions should also be factored in when your vehicles return to your yard.
Our transportation consultancy services are designed to think about all of the small details that you may have yet to consider. We recommend investing in suitable spotlights in your yard to help your drivers as they return from a late shift. Those spotlights are essential for safety and security. They can also be strategically placed to help you spot any defects or issues on your vehicles during your cleaning processes.
We can recommend specific spotlights and suggestions for where to install them in your yard for maximum light coverage.
Tip #6 – Add in extra time for those last-minute winter essentials
You need your vehicles to run on time. After all, your passengers have expectations that need to be met. However, changing weather conditions could add a few unexpected delays that you should factor into your scheduling plans.
For example, in the morning, you may need to allocate a few minutes for your drivers to de-mist or de-ice their windscreens. Similarly, you may need to give time for additional cleaning – if your vehicle has been covered in salt or mud, you will need to tackle this.
Our best advice to avoid delays or overtime issues is to factor these additional timescales into your planning schedules. Adding ten minutes to the start of each day is significant to helping you remain on track.
Tip #7 – Is your yard prepared for winter?
Not enough emphasis is placed on preparing the yard for winter.
Would you be prepared for icy conditions in the morning?
Could you pre-empt any issues by gritting or salting your yard?
Have you got enough grit or salt in storage that is easily accessible?
Another area to consider is your wash areas.
How likely is it that any standing water could turn to ice?
Your risk assessments need to consider staff safety when washing vehicles. What steps are you taking to prevent staff from slipping on the ice?
How will you protect your hoses this winter? A frozen hose could cause issues for your cleaning and maintenance teams and, if it splits, costly repairs.
Putting policies and protocols in place now could prevent any accidents caused by ice over the coming months.
Our role as external transport consultants is to help you prepare and implement those policies. If you need additional help and advice, please ask.
Tip 8 – The hidden dangers of snow.
Our final tip is to consider contingency planning for any heavy snow.
If your vehicles are due to travel in difficult driving conditions, do you have paperwork in place that gives up-to-date contact information for your drivers, your staff, and your customers?
We advise that you prepare for worst-case scenarios. Your contingency plan should allow you to contact customers in the event of delays or cancellations. As part of this planning, you should routinely consider your external communications. For example, can you quickly brief your social media teams or the press about any changes to timetables?
An easy tip is to create template responses for a range of scenarios. That way, you have readily available communication that you can update and tailor at short notice.
With pre-emptive planning, you can be ready to tackle the upcoming months with no issues.
CJC Transport can help you prepare for challenging weather conditions
We hope this list helps you think about how you can improve your logistics operations over the coming months.
As transport consultants, we can help you with your preparation and contingency plans. Thanks to our independent advice, we can examine the little details that are often overlooked and create effective policies to keep your business running during challenging weather conditions.
To find out how we can help you, please get in touch
Comments