Emergencies & First Response · Driver Training VideoStranded & Extreme Cold Survival

Every winter, drivers get stuck — snowed in on a shoulder, blocked by a jackknife ahead, or broken down miles from the next exit. In single-digit temperatures, the wrong move turns a delay into a medical emergency.

Rule one: stay with your truck. Your cab is shelter, and a truck sitting on the shoulder is far easier for rescuers to find than a driver walking a dark highway in a whiteout. Do not go looking for help unless you can see exactly where you're going and know you can get back.

Rule two: watch your exhaust

Carbon monoxide kills stranded drivers every winter. Before you idle, check that snow hasn't packed around the tailpipe or under the frame. Crack a window any time the engine runs. Drowsy, dizzy, or nauseous while idling — that's your signal to shut it down and get fresh air, now.

Rule three: idle smart, not constant. Nonstop idling burns fuel you may need for hours. Run the engine in short bursts to warm the cab, then shut it off. Layer up between cycles instead of trying to heat the whole cab around the clock.

Your company standard: every truck carries a cold-weather kit before winter dispatch — extra blankets, dry socks and gloves, a stocking cap, high-calorie food that doesn't spoil, water, a flashlight with spare batteries, hand warmers, and a first aid kit.

Protect the traffic around you too.

Know cold injury when you see it. Frostbite starts as numbness and white or gray-white skin on fingers, toes, ears, and nose. Hypothermia shows up as violent shivering, slurred speech, confusion, and clumsiness.

Stay visible, stay in contact

Run hazard lights when your battery allows, and call dispatch with your location, load status, and condition as soon as you're stopped. Save your phone battery for that call and for emergency services — nothing else matters more until you know how long you'll be sitting.