Extreme Cold Impacts Semi Truck Performance – What to Know
As climate change continues to fuel winter temperature extremes, trucks and truckers shoulder an increased burden. Though your powered trailer movers will push on through such extremely cold temperatures, your hauler may not, pulled down by the weight of fuel gelling.
Frozen in Time
With extremely cold temperatures, diesel fuel and diesel exhaust fluids freeze. More than an inconvenience, this poses a rather large problem as the regeneration process necessary from an emissions control standpoint cannot sustain at certain temperatures. What’s your best chance of keeping vehicles on the road?
Weighty Matter
In colder climates such as in Minnesota and Canada, drivers understand the risks of temperature extremes, swapping their usual fuel for a winter-weight diesel fuel mix and additives that allow them to keep their vehicles moving. Fleet drivers in warm to moderate climates, however, are often ignorant of this need, watching their progress literally freeze as soon as they go north and their vehicles come to a stop.
Half Empty/Half Full
When driving in winter conditions, it is strongly advisable to keep the fuel tank at least half full. This will allow drivers to keep rigs running long enough for the vehicle to hit the temperature necessary to go into its regeneration cycle. Otherwise, haulers may get stuck due to emission controls.
When Push Comes to Shove
In normal weather this is not an issue, however sub-zero weather requires more energy (fuel) to sustain the vehicle’s temperature necessary for regeneration. Idling overnight or warming the block with a heater are not enough – the vehicle must be driven, even if it’s just a few yards at a time.
Are your operations stuck? Get things moving with a powered trailer mover from DJ Products today.