The Complete Guide to Winterizing Collection Vehicles

In nature, winter is a time of rest. For the collection fleet however, it is no time to relax; there's a lot that can go sideways in the winter. David Stafford, Executive Vice President of Operations for Big Truck Rental, operator of North America's only nationally serviced and maintained garbage truck rental fleet offers a few sobering examples. “I've seen trucks freeze up on the highway, or their packing blades freeze to the floor. Coolant freeze causes engines to overheat resulting in engine damage. I've seen drivers lose their brakes and not be able to stop the vehicle because of ice in the air system. I've seen trucks with their windshields iced over because they have no good heater defrosters. I've seen ice piled on top of trucks that falls off and causes damage to other vehicles on the highway.” He said without proper winterization, the end result is, “drivers wouldn't be able to pick up their routes. They lose productivity and revenue.”

Carl Pezold, Field Service Manager for New Way Trucks, an Iowa-based manufacturer of waste collection vehicles amplifies the point. “So many things come into play when a broken-down truck is stranded on the side of the road; accidents, injuries, tow bills, undue stress, devoting time and resources to report broken hoses and subsequent fluid leaks to the EPA in certain areas of the country.” However, he said, “All this can be minimized by strict adherence to a robust preventive maintenance program.” He views winterizing as not just a once-a-year flurry of activity, but as an ongoing, everyday process of keeping vehicles ready for anything.

Stafford agrees, “We prepare for winter all year around, at any time a truck parked in Texas could be shipped to New York during the winter months to work.”

Daily truck hygiene

“The better a fleet prepares in the fall, the fewer issues they can expect come wintertime,” Pezold said. “This requires buy in from the entire organization and the more preparation you do, the less headaches you'll have. It's not always easy to envision how a thorough truck walk around in October could save lives as well as thousands of dollars in February.”

Stafford says simple daily vigilance can stop cold weather worries before they begin. For example, he says after a long day a driver might come back to the yard with the final load and say, “I'm tired, I'll dump it tomorrow.”  That would be a mistake, he said. "If there is water puddled up inside the body, by the next morning you could come in and find the packing blade frozen in a block of ice. It's important to dump the load and empty the body every day at the end of the route,” Stafford said. Although hygiene is essential, he warns that to prevent the doors and locks from icing up, it may be preferable to avoid washing the body with water in freezing weather, "so that there is no fresh water that can freeze on the exterior."  Cleanliness is nonetheless a key factor in effective winter maintenance. “I would use a winter blend windshield washer fluid,” Stafford advises, “and the body should be kept clean of ice and snow, and care should be taken to make sure everything stays as dry as possible."

Drivers should also be sure to fuel up with a winter-grade fuel. Stafford explains, “If it's not treated, fuel can gel up from the cold and shut down the engine.” Along with these daily measures,

Stafford says drivers should avoid idling their vehicles. “Idling trucks can clog a fuel filter quicker because DPF (diesel particulate filter) regeneration cannot occur at idle.” However, he recommends drivers allow their trucks "to warm to proper operating temperatures before driving."

Body chemistry

Winterizing can get down to some elemental measures. For example, roadway de-icing to improve traction on the route can result in some unintended chemical reactions. Mixed with water, road salt becomes a potent electrolyte that permits electrons to wriggle free from exposed metal surfaces. Electrons that slide away from the metallic surfaces they were a part of leave behind a charged molecular invitation to oxygen atoms. When the oxygen atoms drop in to fill the gaps left by departing electrons they attach themselves abundantly. It's commonly known as rust. The process is one of a number of forms of corrosion caused by chlorides used for de-icing in many municipalities and it can have a devastating effect on equipment with metallic components.

Julie Holmquist, Marketing Specialist for Cortec, a manufacturer of anti-corrosion technologies, says the side effects of de-icing salts can become a major issue in places like her home state of Minnesota. Holmquist recalls a report about one Midwest DOT, where “road salt tracked into truck cabs on the drivers' boots rusted through floor panels.” Eventually, she said, "their seats were falling through the floor boards. Salt plus moisture,” she concludes, “is the perfect combination for metal to rust.” While she suggests the elementary solution for the corroding floor would be to make sure drivers clean off their boots before climbing into their cabs, the example illustrates the ironic effects of de-icing. And the deterioration of iron can start in the blink of an eye via a process known as flash-rust. 

“Flash-rust occurs quickly,” Holmquist said, especially after washing metal “because you have this clean surface. If you don't fully get all of the salt off and you have water there, that's a lingering recipe for corrosion.”

To solve this problem for one Midwest transportation agency client, Holmquist says Cortec provided a special dilution of its VpCI-406 flash-rust inhibiting cleaning product. "They were able to use it on a regular basis as a wash to give their vehicles day-to-day protection against flash-rust. It makes a significant difference in the health of the vehicle if you're washing it frequently.” Although, she says, a rust inhibiting wash is not considered permanent rust protection, “It addresses the immediate effects of the wash by adding that extra flash-rust protection.” As a bonus, she says, “It's non-streaking” so it's safe for windshields and “it's a phosphate-free cleaner, which is important for many people when it comes to disposal.”

A long-term underbody rust protection system can be found, however, in Cortec's VpCI-398 Undercoat product. As Holmquist explains, after washing and drying the vehicle's underside to remove grease and particles, Cortec's VpCI-398 Undercoat can be applied at four to five mils dry film thickness (DFT) as an underbody antirust treatment. “When it dries it remains somewhat soft, so it won't chip” if it gets pinged by pebbles or dust churned up from the road. “It's a permanent treatment protecting the undercarriage from corrosion.”

Road de-icing chemicals can have other effects that should concern fleet managers, Pezold of New Way Trucks warns. “Road-treatment chemicals are really hard on wiring.” For protection, he says New Way's heat-shrink butt connectors are lined with an adhesive designed to create a corrosion and moisture resistant connection. In preparation for winter service, he says managers should make certain that "wiring connections and repairs are done properly to make sure your four-way flashers work. If not properly protected, those wires will rot off. Depending on where you are, in the winter it could get dark at five p.m. or earlier, so lighting needs to work at all times to keep refuse equipment operators and motorists safe."  Furthermore, he said an inspection should be made of the tailgate for any damage or failures, “paying close attention to the tailgate lock mechanism and tailgate seal condition, ensuring that all proximity switches and safety mechanisms are clean and free of debris.”

Hardwiring for reliability

Louis-Charles Lefebvre is International Sales Manager and Regional Sales Manager for Labrie, a manufacturer of truck bodies including rear loader, front loader, and side loader collection vehicles. With factories in Quebec, Georgia, Arizona, and Mexico, Labrie can manufacture truck bodies or modify chassis to meet the needs of any client's environment.

To deal with the heavy use of road salt in the colder regions such as Quebec, Lefebvre recommends an undercoating to prevent rust, and two very thick coats of primer for the body, adding up to 4.5 mils of primer and 2 mils of paint. This creates a thick, layered, non-metallic coating that not only shields the metal body and frame from corrosive chemicals, but that also serves as resilient buffer protecting the underlying metal against abrasive particles bounced up from the road.

“We can winterize or summerize the hydraulic system,” he said. “If you're running in super high heat we put in different hydraulic fluid." For cooler climates, Labrie offers the option to install hydraulic oil heaters operating on a timer, which can be set to begin warming several hours before the scheduled run. For the coldest temperatures, he said Labrie can provide bodies with electrical hydraulic valve actuators, which Lefebvre says, “are a must” for truly arctic conditions. He explains: “Garbage trucks normally work with air-actuated valves which can freeze if moisture gets into the system. We have an option of electrically actuated valves which don't freeze.” Because electrical actuators are not familiar to many operators, he said, “It's important to have good training on the electrical valves,” which he says Labrie can provide.

For vehicles that run on compressed natural gas, Lefebvre says Labrie offers "a winter package that includes a larger than standard regulator that can pre-heat more gas going into the engine."

“When you combine electrical valves, hydraulic oil heater, different hydraulic oil like grade 22, thicker primer and antirust, you really winterize a garbage truck,” says Lefebvre.

Eliminating moisture

Further addressing hydraulics, Pezold recommends draining the wet tank. "It's the first tank air goes into. Every time the compressor kicks on it gives a shot of air – as pressure kicks on it dumps air on the dryer, spitting out any moisture it has. Air dryers are supposed to draw moisture out from these tanks, so make sure they’re working,” he advises. “If moisture gets into the air system when it’s cold, ice could form that would screw up valves. Just a bit of ice can make a valve stick, not allowing air to pass through."

Stafford, at Big Truck Rental, notes, “The air brake system can freeze with the smallest amount of moisture, which can cause loss of brakes. Replacing the air drier filter cartridge will keep the system dry.”  

Pezold advises checking for moisture in the fuel system as well, by pulling the drain plug on gas tanks to drain a bit of fuel from the bottom of the tank. “Since water is heavier than oil, it can settle on the bottom of tanks. If water gets in the fuel filter (which should also be changed in the fall) it causes problems as temperatures drop.”

Eliminating moisture from other components also has value when winterizing. As Pezold explains, “It's important to make sure grease fittings are taking grease. Greasing not only creates a film that allows parts to move more easily, but this also expels any moisture or contaminants that may be present. When not greased regularly, moisture finds its way in and any grease that’s still there will turn into a black, tarry paste that plugs up the port where grease is supposed to come through. If that happens, you’d have to disassemble and re-grease them, potentially taking an ice pick to push out contaminants. Mud, snow, slop, ice, calcium chloride, salt, and gunk in general can cause problems.”

Strength, power, and flow

In preparation for winter, maintenance on the hydraulic system should include replacing the suction strainer, return filters, and breather, Pezold said. "An ISO Viscosity grade of 32 or 46 hydraulic oil can be used depending on the ambient temperature the packer is operating in. In extreme cold, hydraulic tank heaters are good option to add.” If the vehicle lacks a hydraulic oil heater, it's a good practice "to warm up the truck before starting the route, and to run all functions of the body to ensure proper operation and to warm the hydraulic fluid," he advises.

When evaluating the hydraulic system before the winter, technicians should give special attention to the driveline that runs pump – either a power take-off (PTO) shaft, or front-mount shaft going to front-mount pump, Pezold said. "When oil is really thick due to the cold the stress on the shaft is way more than it normally is. If that shaft is questionable come October, it most likely won’t make it to March. A driveline equipped system running pump needs to be inspected and dealt with if it’s showing wear."

“Cold weather puts more stress on all components,” Pezold said. “Replace cracked or abraded hoses immediately because hoses are much more susceptible to blowing in the winter since the oil is thicker. There’s a bigger temperature variance so the oil’s viscosity is changing more so than at any other point throughout the year, and hoses are not as flexible in cold temperatures. This makes it considerably tougher on the hydraulic system in freezing temperatures, as cold oil can move like molasses before it heats up."

For engine care, switching to lower-viscosity motor oil for cold weather is also an important step in winterizing a collection vehicle. A high-viscosity motor oil that would be ideal during warm weather can become sluggish when cold, delaying engine lubrication during cold weather starts. Stafford explains, “The lower the viscosity rating, the more easily the oil flows in cold weather.” For instance, 5w-30 flows more easily than 10w-30 in cold weather. Stafford recommends switching to motor oil with a low viscosity rating appropriate to the temperature range in the area of operations.

To get off to a good cold weather start, loading testing batteries, checking starter draw and alternator output are also worthy endeavors. "It is "often a good idea to add a battery blanket to protect against cold," Stafford counsels.

It is equally important to keep the cooling system flowing with the correct antifreeze level for the temperature outside. Stafford says a typical blend of a 50/50 water to antifreeze ratio would be recommended for operating temperatures down to -26º F or -32º C.

A Change is in the air

Along with daily inspection of overall tire condition to make sure no chips or chunks are missing from tires before heading out on the road, Tom Fanning, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at ContinentalTruck Tire says, it's important for collection fleets to establish a maintenance policy with specifications to monitor temperature, tire pressure and wear.

When the temperatures fall, air decreases in volume, and laws of physics dictate that tire pressure drops. According to Fanning, safe and efficient operations require proper tire inflation at all times.

Fanning say's Continental has developed Tire Pressure Monitoring System TPMS solutions, starting with sensors that can provide tire pressure and temperature data for each of the vehicle’s tires. When Continental tire sensors are installed in each tire or purchase intelligent tires (tires with sensors) from the manufacturer, and as soon as vehicles are within range, the ContiConnect™ Yard Reader will display their data in the web portal, allowing users to see tire pressure and temperature data for every vehicle in the fleet in from their mobile or desktop device. Furthermore, the web portal will provide text and email alerts when tires pressure is low and alert the fleet when it’s time to check out a tire.

The ContiConnect Yard Reader is mounted in the fleet yard, at a frequent touchpoint such as a guard shack or fuel island. It reads all the tire sensors in a radius of approximately 65 feet. Using the Yard Reader eliminates the need to attach any electronics to fleet trucks or trailers. Fanning says, "What's neat is you're no longer relying on someone going out and checking the pressure with a gauge. It's all relayed to their smart device, be it a phone, a tablet, or computer, where they can communicate with drivers and get instructions from management."

A team for all seasons

Each fall, fleets should have a preventive maintenance checklist as they thoroughly inspect each of their trucks, Pezold counsels. He believes the responsibility for managing winterizing falls more squarely on fleet manager and maintenance department shoulders, but says, “drivers can bring up things they notice may be wrong when they get back from their routes in early fall.”

"If you’re short-staffed from a maintenance standpoint and operate a 200-truck fleet, you’ll have to start a little earlier, but usually mid-fall is when you’ve really got to start going through each and every refuse collection vehicle," Pezold said. "Preventive maintenance is becoming a real lost art in the refuse industry. Preventing downtime is the safest, most economically advantageous way to assure municipal and private haulers in locales that enjoy all four seasons and make operating in the winter months as seamless as possible."

David Richardson is a writer based in Baltimore, Maryland and frequent contributor to Endeavor Business Media publications. He specializes in writing on science, public policy, technology and the environment.