Winter is hard on diesel fleets, and a little preparation prevents the no-starts, gelled fuel, and dead batteries that strand trucks on the coldest mornings.
Treat the fuel
Fuel gelling clogs filters and stops trucks cold. Use winter-blend fuel or anti-gel additive, and make sure fuel heaters are working on trucks that need them.
Verify cold-start systems
Glow plugs, grid heaters, and their controllers must work for clean cold starts. Test them before winter, and keep block heaters and cords in service.
- Winter-blend fuel or anti-gel additive
- Working glow plugs or grid heater
- Block heaters plugged in overnight
- Batteries load-tested before the cold
Batteries and charging
Cold cuts battery output right when a diesel needs the most cranking power. Load-test batteries in the fall and replace weak ones as matched pairs.
Frequently asked questions
How do I prevent fuel gelling in a fleet?
Use winter-blend fuel or anti-gel additive and keep fuel heaters working on trucks that have them.
What cold-start systems should I check?
Glow plugs or the grid heater and their controllers, block heaters, and the batteries, all before the cold arrives.
Why test batteries in the fall?
Cold reduces battery output just when a diesel needs maximum cranking, so weak batteries fail on the coldest mornings.
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