Winter Truck Driving: Delivering Safety During the Holidays

As winter approaches, road safety becomes even more important than usual for truck drivers. In addition to the increasing number of travelers on the road visiting friends and family for the holidays, falling temperatures add another layer of danger—in the form of snow and ice—to roads across many states and territories.

At Platform Science, we’re committed to making the road safe for everyone, every mile of the way. And while we may not be able to eliminate inclement weather, we’re here to help truck drivers steer clear of potential danger caused by unsafe driving conditions.

Plan ahead with preprogrammed routes

For many truck drivers—especially those up north—driving on icy roads is unavoidable. One way to help drivers arrive safely and on time is by planning and preprogramming truck-safe routes before each trip. Apps like PS Navigation connect drivers with access to live weather updates and onscreen alerts, making it easier to prepare for adverse conditions before they arrive and giving them time to adjust their routes accordingly. 

Regardless of where they’re headed, drivers need to know they can depend on their maps to get where they’re going. With turn-by-turn directions programmed along truck-safe routes, PS Navigation connects fleets and their drivers with the safest possible ways to get the job done throughout every season and in any type of weather.

Find and report potential vehicle issues early

While most deliveries are completed without any issues, certain factors occasionally affect drivers’ vehicles and, in turn, their routes. One of the best ways to prevent accidents is by keeping an up-to-date safety status for each vehicle, with regular checks before, during, and after trips. For drivers and fleets alike, detecting, capturing, and reporting potential vehicle issues before they become a problem is an essential step in safer driving.

To ensure driver and vehicle safety, we developed an intuitive tool called PS DVIR (Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports). Using this tool, drivers can easily track and monitor potential safety issues while maintaining compliance with inspection mandates and improving overall truck maintenance. And with mobile photo uploads, drivers can quickly capture vehicle defects and easily report them to their back-office team in real time.

Make communication a priority for your fleet

Maintaining an open line of communication with dispatchers is the key to safe and timely deliveries, regardless of the trip’s distance. From updates and delays to emergencies and re-routing, any changes to drivers’ trips need to be communicated as quickly as possible—preferably with little to no interruption to the trip itself. If your fleet doesn’t have a consistent plan for staying in touch, you may want to consider a messaging application that keeps your team connected around the clock.

With the PS Messages app, dispatchers have the option to send alerts—which flash quick, readable notifications on drivers’ tablets—and prioritize messages as ‘urgent,’ which reads the text aloud to the driver. That way, drivers can easily receive messages from dispatchers without taking their hands off the wheel or pulling over to read the message(s). Whether your fleet uses our tools, your own, or a combination, we hope you and your drivers’ messages get delivered safely and quickly. And with the holidays in full swing, we wish all our fleets and their drivers a season of safety on the road ahead.

To learn more about how Platform Science ensures a safe driver experience, visit our Safety page. And if you ever have any questions, feel free to connect with our Customer Support experts through our contact page.