The Essential Equipment You Need for Winter
Driving in the winter is rarely an ideal situation. Between poor road conditions, challenging weather, and a decrease in visibility, it can be hard for your drivers to stay safe and efficient when they’re out on the road.
But with the right preparation and frequent maintenance, you can help to stay on top of the difficulties of winter driving — and give your fleet the best possible chance of hitting its targets through the harshest of weather.
Here’s the kit that can help you do it:
HEADLAMP TESTERS
As the days get shorter in the winter months, your vehicles will be spending more time on the road in the dark — especially early in the morning and late in the afternoon.
On top of that, you’ll be driving in worse conditions, both in terms of the weather and the roads. With a higher chance of fog and snow (and slushy roads that kick up grit and salt onto your vehicles’ lights), your headlamps will need to work harder than ever.
And that means you need to be sure they’re in top condition and working at full strength.
With an electronic headlamp tester available in-house (like our own Totalkare 2500 Headlamp Tester), you’ll be able to accurately assess the intensity and orientation of your vehicles’ headlamps — without the constant expense of outsourcing your testing to third-party companies.
You’ll know exactly which vehicles are fit for the road and ready for the low visibility of winter conditions.
And you’ll get an early warning to help you pinpoint the vehicles that need repairs and maintenance — to help them stay safe and stay seen in risky weather and challenging situations.
TYRE CHANGERS
The winter months are notorious for poor road conditions — from wet roads and thick snow to the dangers of poor traction on slippery ice.
And with the UK’s famously unpredictable weather, you can never be sure what you might be up against on any particular day.
So for fleets and workshops that make trips at short notice, you need to be ready for anything before you start your journey. And that could mean switching your vehicles over to winter treads at the first sign of difficult weather.
Without an in-house solution for changing tyres, that usually means booking an external company. And if you’re caught off-guard with a sudden shift in weather, that could mean adding massive delays to your journeys and your jobs.
(Or even worse, the temptation to take a risk by not using winter treads at all!)
But with your own dedicated equipment (like our range of Totalkare Tyre Changers), you’ll be able to react immediately to any sudden changes in the weather — switching your vehicles over to winter treads on the fly, as and when you need to.
There’s no need for emergency appointments with third-party companies, and no reason to keep adding on the extra costs of changing back and forth. You’ll have everything you need to keep your vehicles prepared and ready — all within the walls of your own workshop or depot.
BRAKE TESTERS
No matter the season or the weather, regular brake testing is a crucial part of your vehicles’ safety checks.
But in the winter months, keeping your brake testing up to date becomes even more important.
It’s not just about the wet and icy conditions that reduce your vehicles’ grip on the roads. It’s also about the mechanisms of the braking system itself:
Those same wet and icy conditions act as a lubricant between the brake pads and the wheels, requiring more pressure from your drivers in order to get the same braking effect — which can lead to overheating and reduced effectiveness of the braking system.
Any water that might have entered the braking system can freeze in cold weather, expanding and causing damage that could lead to brake fluid leaks.
Any grit or road salt can build up on the undercarriage, accelerating the effects of corrosion and rust and damaging your brake pads.
And the result of all that?
Your brakes and braking system experience more stress and damage in the winter months — at a time when you absolutely need them be in top working condition.
That’s why smart workshops and fleet owners carry out additional brake testing in preparation for (and throughout) the harsh winter weather. And with your own dedicated in-house Brake Tester, you can carry out as many brake tests as you need, without the extra cost and hassle of outsourcing to another company.
LOOKING TO GET SET UP FOR WINTER?
The coldest months can be the hardest on your vehicles. And if you want to stay safe and efficient out on the road, you need to keep up with the right regular checks and maintenance
Check out our full range of in-house testing equipment in our online shop — or talk to one of our experts to find out just how much you could save by investing in you own dedicated kit.
This article was originally published by Totalkare.
