OSHKOSH — Most Wisconsin drivers are familiar with winter weather preparations like ensuring tires are inflated and driving slow, and it turns out that truck drivers take a lot of similar precautions, but also have a whole list of other checks they have to make before hitting the road.
Tom Darge drives for West Bend Transit & Service Co and Monday was hauling used appliances for recycling. He explained that he begins every day with an inspection of his truck required by the Department of Transit.
“You check the lights, you check the bottom of the trailer…" he said.
"[You] check the tires… you check under the hood and make sure everything’s safe under there, no broken springs or shocks, or worn belts or anything like that," he continued.
After the checks are done, Darge is set to hit the road.
Fellow trucker Robert Stone—who Monday was picking up a cement mixer from Oshkosh Corp. and driving to Pennsylvania—said drivers need to be vigilant for hazards they might not see coming.
“To me, the black ice [is the most dangerous thing], because you can’t see it and it looks like a wet surface,” he said.
Stone knows winter driving conditions can be difficult to navigate and asks drivers to exercise a little patience on the road.
“Give trucks the benefit of the doubt," he said.
"Remember, we’re out here too with you, and we want to share the road with you," he continued.
He also warned drivers to be prepared for snow, ice and other hazards, and urged drivers to "stay safe out there, as much as you possibly can.”
