During the winter, snow and ice on the road may pose driving challenges impeding your business’ service delivery. Depending on your business line, winter could be the most lucrative season for your business. Your business should be able to withstand such harsh weather patterns during this season.
You will need to prepare your car to get through winter to keep your business afloat. Before winter kicks in, have a checklist to reduce and prevent damage to your car’s inner workings, interior, and exterior. Here are ways to winterize your business vehicle to enable it to handle the winter road conditions:
- Switch to Winter Tyres
To get the best driving experience during winter, especially for the hard-hit cold areas, consider staying away from all-season tyres. During the cold spells, your non-winter car’s tyres harden immensely, reducing their ability to grip the road and keep steady. Unserviced wheels and tyres could endanger your life and the state of your car.
The recommended winter tyres are engineered with compounds that can resist hardening, making them safer for the cold and snow-filled environment. Switching to winter tyres will ensure that your goods are safe during transportation, keeping your clients happy.
- Service Your Battery
Most people often overlook the state of their car’s battery during winter. Your battery requires more power to start when in low temperatures. The low temperatures impede the chemical reactions in the batteries that produce a low power output.
If your battery had issues before, then it could get worse during the cold spell. The recommended temperature for maximum battery output is above 80 degrees Fahrenheit. To extend its lifespan, consider taking your car to a service station.
- Check Your Cooling system
Harsh winter weather damages your car’s rubber parts by making them brittle. Check your radiator and heater hoses for cracks, leaks, or contamination from oils or grease. Ensure that the hoses are firm yet flexible when you press them. If they feel overly soft and brittle, replace them.
You should also refill your business car’s cooling system with a mixture of water and antifreeze, typically in 60/40 or 70/30 ratios. You can go for the full-strength or premixed coolants; be sure you know what you are buying. Never use a higher antifreeze-to-water ratio than recommended by the manufacturer.
Taking such precautions will prevent your cooling system from rusting or potential freezing. If you are unsure of any of the intricacies involving your cooling system, visit a professional at their service station.
- Maintain Your Tyre Pressure
During winter, temperatures are bound to fluctuate more often. Every 10° change in temperature indicates a gain or loss of about 1 pound per square inch (PSI). Therefore, it would help if you checked your business car’s tyre pressure habitually and refill them.
To understand your tyres’ appropriate pressure, check your vehicle owner’s manual or inside the driver side doorposts. The pressure listed on the tyres is mostly the maximum allowed, and it’s not what you should consider in your case during winter.
- Use Winter-Specific Wiper Blades
Driving without visibility of the road ahead is risky and scarier and may cause accidents. Winter comes with hazards such as sleet, snow, rain, and ice, making your business trip challenging. To get your goods through to their destination in time, you will need to have efficient and high-functioning wiper blades.
About every 15 months, check your wiper blades to confirm whether they’re working and replace them if need be. As winter causes poor visibility on the road, it is recommended you use winter-specific wiper blades. After winter, you can always revert to the non-winter wiper blades.
- Carry a Winter Safety Kit
As a contingency measure, always have a winter safety kit when you travel during winter. Uncertainties on the road are inevitable, and during winter, they could get more stressful. In your safety kit, include the following items:
- Extra antifreeze
- A bag of sand and a shovel
- Jumper Cables
- Extra warm clothing and blankets
- First aid kit
- Flashlight and batteries
- Flares
- Pack of matches
- Snacks and water bottles
- Tyre changing essentials such as jack, spare tyre, and lug wrench
- Cell phone
Additionally, keep your car’s gas tank full to keep your vehicle running when stranded. The running engine serves to keep you warm as you wait for help to arrive. Secondly, a full tank reduces condensation, preventing gas line freeze ups.
- Protect Your Car’s Interior and Exterior
The dirt and salt of snow are detrimental to your car’s paint finish. To protect its exterior, give it a fresh coat of wax and wash it consistently during winter. If your car business car has alloy wheels, apply a wax coat to curb corrosion and pitting.
You may also need to purchase floor-mats for your car if you don’t have them already. The mats serve to keep off water and mud from the vehicle’s interior. Rubber mats are recommended for their waterproof quality preventing the salty snow from seeping through the carpet and into the car’s floorboards.
- Use the Right Engine Oil
When cold, the engine oil thickens, slowing the engine from starting. Manufacturers recommend particular oil grades for specific temperature ranges even though modern cars use multi-weight oil for all weathers. As you advance to winter, change your oils to make them more adaptable to the cold season.
Seek professional advice to avoid damaging your business car’s engine.
Bottom Line
The above-mentioned safety practices should make your driving in winter less stressful and safe. You may also have to determine whether driving in certain conditions is safe. Consider scheduling your business trips in the case of severe winter weather to safer times.
Test the weather conditions before going for a long drive, and keep in mind weather patterns often change quickly. Reduce your speed significantly when driving on snow-covered roads. Remember, your staff and goods’ safety is as important, if not more, as service delivery.
For winter prep, your observation input as the owner or driver of the business car will be needed to combat the harsh weather. Among others, apply these measures to ensure your business delivers to your customers without delay to keep them coming back for more.
(Cover Image Source: Pexels)