Everyone deals with the change in season differently when it comes to their job. For someone who works in an office, the changing seasons and the weather that comes with them may mean that you need to wake up a few minutes early to get to work on time. For other jobs that play a more active role in dealing with the seasonal shift—like long haul trucking, for example—each new season can bring with it a variety of obstacles that need to be carefully considered.
Being a long haul trucker in Quebec comes with a number of responsibilities and obstacles that are dealt with every day, but each new season compounds these issues in its own special way. Take a look at some of the things that long haul truckers face in the wake of a seasonal shift and how these veteran drivers cope with the conditions:
Winter: Winter is an obviously trying time for truckers. Snow and ice on the roads make for natural hazards, while weather conditions can also create delays in transport and terrible driving conditions. To top it off, as other drivers experience troubles on the winter roads, the duty of a long haul trucker as a road steward is increased, ensuring that they don’t exacerbate or create poor conditions for others around them. An experienced long haul trucker in Quebec will drive to complement poor road conditions and will allot a wider timeline to accommodate for delivery of their load, to ensure that they can remain comfortable on the road at all times.
Spring: Spring may not seem like a bad time of year to be a trucker, but the truth is that it’s honestly one of the most frustrating! Roadwork often begins in spring, causing lengthy delays and detours. Heavy rains can also make road conditions trying—especially thunderstorms that limit visibility and generate high winds that pose a problem for oversized loads. A smart driver always pays attention to the route they’re on, to avoid any detours or backups and when poor weather hits, these same drivers will be responsible in getting off the road safely.
Summer: The summer sun may be a welcome sight to many people, but for a trucker who’s cooped up in a cabin all day, it can mean high temperatures and blazing brightness. Summertime truckers take care to keep themselves hydrated and protected from the sun and also work to ensure that their vehicle is maintained to prevent summertime pitfalls that can be the result of an overworked vehicle.
Fall: Like winter and spring, fall comes with its share of unpredictable weather. As morning temperatures drop to below freezing, black ice and other areas of road slickness make fall driving a careful time of year for a long haul trucker in Quebec. To top it off, shorter days, estranged sleep schedules and a jump in commerce mean that drivers have to remain responsible in their operations and continue to uphold the highest degrees of integrity.
If you thought life on the road was a breeze, think again! At any given time during the year, a long haul trucker can experience any number of dangerous conditions, making these dedicated individuals some of the hardest working professionals around.