Weather and climate change have a significant impact on the overall transportation, but especially on the commercial Motor Vehicle Safety.

As noticed so far, weather and climate impacts on commercial Motor Vehicle safety have started changing slowly but surely the following aspects of this industry: the professional commercial motor vehicle operation plan, the design, construction, maintenance as well as operation.

Thereupon, weather influences the commercial motor Vehicle Safety in many different ways.

Starting from heavy snow which causes load delays, following with the road closures, up to a loss of friction, the weather is influencing it all.

Further, in this article you can read and learn more about the different weather and climate impacts on commercial motor vehicle safety.

So, let’s see!

General Weather Impacts on Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety

Weather impacts on commercial motor vehicle safety, that’s for sure. But most commonly it is the case in various geographical areas.

Thereupon, the National Weather Service is constantly issuing travelers’ advisories in order to improve the commercial motor vehicle safety.

It is no secret that one-quarter of the transportation delays and crashes in the USA happen due to adverse weather.

So, in order for those transportation delays and crashes to be minimized the Weather Information for Surface Transportation proposed help to the trucking industry with the National Needs Assessment Report.

Hence, the World Weather Research Program is helping the trucking industry by focusing their work on accelerating improvements in the prediction of high-impact weather from timescales.

Weather Events And Their Impact On Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety

Weather plays a key role in commercial motor vehicle safety.

Actually, weather events are planning and operating virtually all modes of transportation, but especially the commercial transportation. That is to say, the climate change has potential effects on commercial motor vehicle operations.

Weather events can affect the commercial motor vehicle safety but as well the economic well-being of the trucking companies, the individuals as well as private sectors. Social consequences can occur too.

Thereupon, if a trucking company knows how to use the weather information in an intelligent way, they can find a way to reduce property damage, prevent injuries and crashes, and by that to save lives.

Potential benefits that trucking companies can get by properly using the weather information:

• Saving fuel consumption;
• Better throughput and efficiency;
• Effective traffic management;
• Better data for infrastructure investment decisions;
• Improved fleet operations;

Extreme Weather Impacts On Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety

Class 8 trucks are primarily designed to withstand different ranges of local weather and climate.

Nevertheless, since we are beginning to experience extreme weather conditions it is no longer a reliable predictor that class 8 trucks will go through different types of weather.

So, when I say extreme weather, I refer to the unseasonable weather, storm surge, heavy precipitation, flooding, drought as well as windstorms.

Extreme weather conditions are better distinguished by the Federal Highway Administration.

Hence, extreme weather mainly can affect traffic volume during the event and have long lasting impacts on the trucking industry afterward.

Tip: Trucking companies should have to account for more disruption, including the changing environment.

Commercial Motor Vehicle Response To Extreme Weather Impacts

1. Re-routing or delay in shipping freight;
2. Mode shift to trucking due to reduced reliability of other modes;
3. Restricted access to ports and shipping channels for inland waterways;
4. Dynamic or seasonal restrictions for trucks during times of high heat;
5. Policy and regulation changes to restrict truck size and weights for entire roadway network or specific highway classes;

Rainfall, Wet Pavement and Flooding Impacts On Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety

Do you know which the most common types of adverse weather are?

Well, the answer is pretty much simple. The rainfall and wet pavements are the most common typed of adverse weather that does impact on commercial motor vehicle safety.

Keep in mind: Around 60% and more commercial motor vehicle fatalities occur in rainy conditions.

Rainfall impacts on commercial motor vehicle operations:

• Rainfall can cause delays and by that increased risks of collisions;
• Loss of control over the commercial vehicle;
• Wheel spinning and hydroplaning;
• Can double stop distances;
• Brakes can become wet and by that can weaken or apply unevenly;

As we know wet conditions can persist much longer. It all depends upon the certain types of atmospheric and soil moisture conditions.

Tip for commercial truck drivers:  If you are making a break due to heavy rain, do not hit the road straight after the rain stops. Wait for at least 30 minutes for the pavement to begin to dry.

Snow And Icing Impacts On Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety

I bet that you as a truck driver involved in the trucking industry for a long time have experienced loss of visibility and delays due to heavy snowing and road closures.

Well, when it is snowing the surface temperatures on the bridges and ramps is cooling more rapidly than the roadbeds. It is producing hazardous local icing conditions for the commercial motor vehicle safety.

Winter conditions, that is to say, snow and ice can place additional stress on the commercial motor vehicle components. New truck drivers should be well informed about this point.

Tip for facing the snow and icing impacts on commercial motor vehicle safety: Truck drivers who drive large class 8 trucks should carry and use tire chains as snow conditions warrant.

Snow Squalls And Its Impact On Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety

Were you aware of the fact that the snow squalls are even more hazardous than long duration heavy snow events?

Well, it is so because the snow squalls move quicker over the highways. In fact, snow squalls have an important cause of crashes and fatalities for commercial motor vehicles.

Snow squalls form due to low-level thermal instability. As well snow squalls can happen due to moist air and a trigger mechanism.

The tricky thing about snow squalls is that they generate without conditions.

So, if it happens that you are on the road while snow squalls happen, then you should know that the sheer intensity of snow can cause rapid glazing and by that to have a negative impact on commercial motor vehicle safety.

Most people believe that snow squalls are the precursors to the arrival of arctic air masses.

Impaired Visibility and Fog Impacts On Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety

Intense storms, smog, dust, as well as coastal and ground fog can result in impaired visibility.

When truck drivers operating a commercial motor vehicle happen to drive through impaired visibility they should be highly alarmed.

That is so because impaired visibility can cause loss of control and increased risks of collisions between vehicles and roadside structures.

Hence, impaired visibility and fog can disrupt the commercial motor vehicle safety in a large scale.

Truck drivers should be careful of the lowered visibility because it poses a safety risk to them as well as to the people engaged in the transportation process. Fog can lead to multivehicle accidents.

Impaired visibility and fog impacts on commercial motor vehicle safety because due to that truck drivers won’t be in the situation to become more difficult to see. That can lead to human error.

Yet, the impaired visibility and fog can impact as well on scheduled delays.

Drought Impacts On Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety

Prolonged periods of heat can impact on commercial motor vehicle safety.

But, in what way can droughts impact on commercial motor vehicle safety?

Well, drought or prolonged periods of heat when combined with strong winds can lower the visibility from the airborne dust and sand. It is impairing the visibility of truck drivers.

Also, droughts besides having an impact on commercial motor vehicle safety can have an impact as well upon their loads. Very dry weather can cause to lowering the agricultural commodities. That means that trucking companies will lose their loads.

Evidence of Climate Change

The trucking industry is witnessing few direct global pieces of evidence of climate change.

First and foremost, I would start from the fact that the average Arctic temperatures have increased twice the average rate in the past 100 years.

Later on, it has brought heavy precipitation events in frequency over most land areas, due to the increase in average atmospheric water vapor content.

Few research bodies in the USA such as are the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have started with the evaluation of the risk that the human-induced climate change can cause, and what the impacts on commercial motor vehicle safety can be.

In addition, the U.S. Climate Change Science Program is as well integrating Federal research. This Federal research is based on the climate and the global change by the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Economic Council as well as the Office of Management and Budget.

Weather and Coastal Impacts On Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety

If you are hitting the road and your route implies driving through the coastal areas of the U.S. then you should be well aware of the weather forecasts in those regions.

Well, I’m emphasizing this point mainly because tropical and extra-tropical storms have a great impact on the overall transportation infrastructure and the transportation process itself.

Henceforth, for example, the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut regions are pretty much vulnerable to extra-tropical cyclones that can impact the commercial motor vehicle safety. So, when driving in these regions be alerted on time about the weather.

The Impact Of Crosswinds And Tornadoes On Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety

Even high-profile trucks can be exposed to strong winds.

Crosswinds can induce control problems, and by that, they can cause a negative effect on motor vehicle safety operations.

As well, crosswinds not only that they can have a negative impact on commercial motor vehicle safety, they have as well a huge impact on the increasement of the fuel consumption. By that, it is also causing additional stress on the transmission as well as on the engines.

On the other hand, we can see that tornadoes bring and pose way more significant threat to commercial motor vehicle safety.

Hence, each state should prepare truck drivers for wind speeds as well as highway safety.

Regulatory Tips: Trucking companies should plan the trips and schedule it in advance, but what they should not forget is to check the weather conditions. If there are adverse weather conditions the trucking company should make conscious decision and to decide whether they are going to leave their truck driver to make the scheduled delivery.

Simply said trucking companies should make improved decisions for scheduling as well as routing.

That will definitely bring improved commercial motor vehicle safety performance.

One thing is for sure, trucking companies should take into consideration to expand the research into the role of human factors when it comes to responding to adverse weather conditions.

Role Of New Technology And Its Impact On Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety

The new technology is constantly advancing, by that it has a huge impact on commercial motor vehicle safety. Of course, in a positive way.

So, one of the best new technology developed for commercial motor vehicle applications is the concept of telematics.

For example, the telematics have numerous features that enable truck drivers and trucking companies to include navigation, automated routing, as well as vehicle and driver monitoring.

The main reason why I highly recommend the usage of telematics is due to the feature that they offer in regards of the weather forecast information for points along the route that truck drivers are driving.

If you weren’t informed, the telematics control unit interfaces with wireless and satellite networks. The wireless and satellite networks enable them to receive and send information from service providers.

What Is The Statement Of The DOT About Climate Change?

The Department of Transportation is well aware of the negative weather and climate impacts on commercial motor vehicle safety.

For that reason they have developed a plan that should help trucking companies to face the climate change.

So, here are the main steps that the DOT requires as necessary for combating the climate change:

• Trucking companies should set goals and objectives;
• Straight with that to establish a vision;
• To develop alternative plan scenarios;
• Use system monitoring;

Trucking Companies Will Have To Provide Extra Training to Their Truck Drivers

With the weather and climate impacts on commercial motor vehicle safety trucking companies should become better regulated and to start with the implementation of all types of changes over time.

It has been shown so far that the basic training that truck drivers are undergoing are not enough. That is so because most accidents that happen in the trucking industry are due to the weather and climate impacts.

It is crystal clear that each region of the U.S. has different type of weather. By that, different type of weather brings different types of threats.

Straight proportionally, trucking companies dependently on the routes that they are giving to their truck drivers should prepare proper training for their truck drivers.

Definitely, truck drivers have to earn particular endorsements that relate to environmental standards.

Conclusion

To enumerate, the weather and climate impacts on commercial motor vehicle safety can be significant. Trucking companies should be aware that weather extremes can change the intensity as well as the frequency of their work.

Always have in mind that climate change will result in economic losses for trucking companies as well as in the intensity of extreme events.

Simply said, weather-related operational information can be critical. The most important thing in these situations is to minimize the delivery delays and to improve the transportation safety.

All in all, the identification of climate change can definitely improve the efficiency and reliability of the transportation systems.