Winter is officially here, but it’s not too late to get your vehicles ready for the cold months ahead. Whether you’re looking for a checklist of items to maintain for your winterized fleet or are just getting started preparing your fleets for cold weather, here are the things to consider when preparing your fleet for the winter. 

Check Your Fluid Levels

While maintaining appropriate fluid levels is always important for vehicle maintenance, it is especially important in winter that each vehicle has windshield washer fluid, antifreeze, and appropriately formulated engine oil. Not having these when the weather is bad can result in major damage to your vehicles – drivers may not be able to see out of dirty windshields, engine coolant may freeze, and moving parts may break without the right fluids in place. Avoid potentially catastrophic failures by doing the basic maintenance tasks of checking each fluid level regularly throughout the winter season.

Prepare Fuel Systems

During the winter, vehicles need a different blend of fuel than what they’d use in warm weather. Cold weather can cause diesel and biofuels to gel or behave unexpectedly unless they are properly handled. If you use these fuels during warmer months, talk to your fuel supplier for guidance about alternative fuels or additives to for winter. Additionally, you should replace fuel filters and drain water separators to prevent freezing or other avoidable fuel problems.

Check Vehicle Tires

As the cold weather rolls in, add rotating your tires and checking tire pressure to your list of things to consider when preparing your fleet for the winter. Tires more prone to deflation in cold weather, which impacts fuel economy and safety for everyone on the road. In addition, make sure you’re using the right tires for the weather conditions, and check that vehicles’ brakes are in good working order.

Recharge Fleet Vehicle Batteries

Cold weather drains batteries more quickly, so make sure your drivers check the battery regularly. No one wants to gets stranded while out on a job!

Remaining proactive makes a world of difference, so keep all vehicles in your fleet maintained and ready for the freezing temperatures. If you’re looking to improve the way your fleet manages fuel, contact an expert at FuelCloud. Our mobile fuel delivery software connects to your pumps and alerts jobbers when levels get low so that you don’t have to worry about running out of fuel.