Tag: driving in the rain

driving in a flood

Why You Should Avoid Driving Your Truck In Flood Water

When it is raining or after heavy rain, you should be extremely careful when driving your truck, not because of reduced visibility but also due to problems related to driving in a flood. No technician would advise you to drive through a flooded road. Doing this will damage your truck and also put your life in danger.

It would help if you don’t drive in flood water for the reasons below.

You Never Know What is Below the Water

It is not easy to determine the condition of flooded roads. Below calm water be extremely damaged pavement, manholes without covers, or even deep potholes. A massive sinkhole could be on waiting to sink your truck.

Your Truck Can Be Swept Away

It is dangerous to drive over flood water when it is in motion. A foot of moving water is adequate to float your truck. If the current is strong, then your truck will get swept away. When this happens, your truck can be swept into deeper ends, damaging it. 

When driving a 4WD off-road, you are not immune. If the water level increases, your heavy 4WD will be swept

Your Engine Can Hydro-lock

The engine needs a continuous air supply for the combustion process to continue. Water will likely get into your engine if it gets close to the intake. When this happens, your engine will receive water instead of air, which can destroy it. 

Water should not be deep to get into your engine, as the engine hydro-lock is costly to repair. 

Can Interfere With the Electronics

Regular exposure to flooded water can damage your truck’s wiring and electrical system. The alternator is an essential electrical part that should not be exposed to regular flooding. It is the electricity generator for the entire electrical system. When water damages it, your battery will not be able to charge, and even the engine control unit will not function adequately.

Contaminates Vital Fluids

Water entering the engine compartments will contaminate vital engine fluids such as engine oil, transmission fluid, and coolant. Such liquids help in keeping various engine parts in good functioning condition. They might malfunction when contaminated, which can lead to various engine issues. 

Flood Water Can Corrode Engine Parts

An engine is a metallic object. Exposure to water will rust most of its parts. Water does not discriminate where it gets into, and any metallic part of your truck that comes into contact with it will eventually form rust. When your engine starts to rust, and you are not aware of it, it can lead to issues that fixing will be hectic. 

Horrible Smell

Sometimes flood waters are filthy, and when you drive your truck over it, their filthy smell can be permanent in the cabin of your truck.

Conclusion

Truck owners drive over flooded water due to ignorance. It is extremely dangerous to do this. When driving on a flooded road with moving water, your truck is likely to get swept away. When such happens, you can lose your life. Never drive in any flooded water. 

5 Safety Truck Driving Tips During The Rain

5 Safety Truck Driving Tips During The Rain

Driving in wet weather is risky compared to dry conditions and there is a need for you to learn some safety truck driving tips. Most accidents happen during the rainy season. What is unique about the rainy season? Roads usually become wet, and visibility reduces when it rains, such occurrences are why most accidents occur in the rainy season. You can make your truck driving safe after reading these tips.

5 Safety Truck Driving Tips During The Rain

Here is some of the safety truck driving tips when you are dealing with wet roads as well as how to avoid accidents.

Turn Off the Cruise Control

Cruise control saves a life, giving most drivers a sense of security on the road. This feature economizes gas as it maintains a constant speed. However, when it rains, cruise control can be disastrous and deadly. 

The cruise control locks your truck at a constant speed, limiting your ability to make an immediate decision.

Turn on Your Headlights

The visibility decreases when it rains heavily, and you may not see clearly. Turning on your headlights will enable you to see the road, apart from the driver’s visibility. Other road users will see your truck when you turn your headlights on, and this reduces road accidents.

Do Adequate Preparation

When the rainy season is around the corner, prepare your truck adequately. Ensure everything is working perfectly. Check your tire traction, as poor traction is a common cause of rain accidents. Make sure your tires have the correct tread depth. Check the brake of your truck and ensure they are working perfectly. Your mechanic can assist you in doing this.

When preparing your truck, never forget to check on your truck’s electrical system. Check if the wipers are working perfectly.

Handling Hydroplaning

Hydroplaning is a scenario where your truck is sliding on a wet surface. It happens when your truck loses grip and starts to ride on top of the water on the driving surface. When your truck is hydroplaning, it will likely slide sideways, veer on the other lane, or off the road.

You will experience hydroplaning when cruising at 35 mph, and the road has a layer of water that is 1/12th inch. In such a scenario, never press down your brake pedal, as it can make your truck skid. But be calm and gradually release your foot from the acceleration pedal. This is the safest way of controlling hydroplaning.

Always Stay Alert

During the rainy season, you should be highly alert when driving. Maintain the minimum required speed on the road. Ensure you control your truck and keep a safe distance between you and other moving vehicles. Doing this will prevent you from tailgating. When turning, ensure your speed is lower than usual, preventing your truck from rolling. Be careful with the behavior of other road users. Give them space if you note a vehicle is losing control or coming to your lane. Doing this will save your life as well as your truck.

Conclusion

Driving during rain is tricky, and the slightest mistake can cost your life and other road users. It is vital to stay alert on the road. But the most important is ensuring that everything in your truck is in perfect working condition. This guide has some essential safety truck driving tips to help you drive in the rain. 

Safely Driving During The Rain

How To Safely Driving During The Rain – Trucking Tips

Safely driving during the rain is a crucial aspect that many people do not pay attention to. This is what we will cover in this guide. Rain is a common weather condition that impacts driving conditions considerably. When it rains, visibility reduces, and the roads might be slippery, so you should be cautious when driving. Some of us are new drivers while others it has been a while since they left driving school, so it is not a crime to inform you what to do when driving during the rainy season.

During rainy seasons, you need to keep your truck in good condition. Ensure your brakes are regularly checked, ensure your tires are in good condition, and inspect your entire truck. When inspecting your truck, never forget to examine your alternator and the battery. Your windshield wipers and the lights will depend on them to function. And also, check the overall wiring of your truck. Practice these safety tips when driving during rain.

Your Windshield Wipers And Headlights Should Be On

When it is raining, the visibility goes down, and it is vital to use your windshield wipers and headlight to improve visibility since the sky gets darker as water starts to come down. Turning on the headlights enhances your visibility and enables other road users to see you. When the weather changes and rain starts pouring, ensure you refill your wiper fluid and replace the worn-out wiper blades.

Drive Slowly and Signal Early

The roads become more slippery as the rains keep pouring, so you practice caution when driving. If you drive fast when it is raining, there are higher chances of your truck losing control, and can hydroplane. Use your signals appropriately when changing lanes or making a turn. Doing this will give a prior indication to other road users. 

Start Braking Early

Wet roads make brakes less responsive, especially when the rain mixes with snow and ice during winter. As part of safely driving during the rain, it would help if you started braking sooner than when driving in clear conditions to get a reasonable braking distance and slow down before crossing. Using your brakes earlier allows other cars behind you to prepare and brake. They will be able to see your brake lights.

Park Aside

When it is heavily raining, visibility becomes low even if you use full lights. Consider pulling aside, parking your truck, and waiting for the conditions to improve in such a situation. After parking, turn on your hazard for other road users to see you. When you do this, the risks of accidents will reduce. Resume traveling as soon as the rains ease, and you can see the road in front of you.

Conclusion

Driving during the rain is risky, and you should be very cautious. Besides practicing caution, you should ensure that your truck is in good working condition. The ignition and the electrical system should be sound for your truck to function appropriately during the rainy season.

These are some of the tips for driving during the rain. After reading them, you will not need to go to the driving school for a refresher course. Remembering the above principles when driving in the rain and practicing caution will keep you and other road users safe.