Is your business located in an area hard hit by winter weather? If your business has vehicles that transport goods between locations, make deliveries, are used regularly for business meetings or for making sales calls, then you may need to take some extra precautions. Here are 21 things you should keep in all of your business vehicles throughout winter to make driving a safer experience for your whole team.
What to Keep in Company Vehicles During Winter
Ice Scraper
In the winter, your business vehicles are likely to get ice or frost on the windows from time to time. In those situations, you need an ice scraper that can reach every corner of your windshield, along with the side and rear windows.
Snow Shovel
Unfortunately, the winter months also sometimes lead to situations where cars get stuck in the snow. In those cases, having a snow shovel to dig the vehicle out can be incredibly helpful.
Jumper Cables
In the rare occasion where your business vehicles have trouble starting in the cold weather, a set of jumper cables can give you an easy way to get them up and running again.
Flashlight
Flashlights can be useful in so many different situations. If you need to check under the hood or even flag down another vehicle, having one or more in your business vehicle can be a real lifesaver.
Jack and Tire Iron
For flat tire situations, you’ll need a jack to lift part of the vehicle above the ground. And a tire iron lets you remove all the lugnuts from your tires.
Spare Tire
Of course, having a spare tire is also helpful in those situations. Try to keep a full sized one in each business vehicle if you have the room.
Empty Fuel Tank
In case your drivers ever run out of gas while out on the road, having an empty fuel tank in the vehicle can let them fill up at a nearby gas station even if they can’t get the vehicle all the way there.
Road Flares
For vehicles that break down, experience flat tires or even get into small accidents, you’ll need something to get other drivers’ attention so they’ll know to steer clear. Road flares can be a great solution for this situation.
Warning Triangles
You could also go with something a little more refined for this type of situation. Warning triangles are reflective items that you can set out in the case of a breakdown or accident.
Basic Tool Set
Having a tool set with some of the basic items you might need for things like changing a battery can also be a good thing to include in each of your business vehicles.
Fire Extinguisher
Hopefully, you’ll never find yourself or your team members in a situation where you’ll need a fire extinguisher. But just in case, it’s a good idea to put one in each of your business vehicles.
First Aid Kit
In the unfortunate situation one of your drivers or a member of your team gets hurt while out on the road, having a basic first aid kit is also a good idea. Even something as simple as some bandages and gauze can be a huge help.
Water
Water can also be helpful in a variety of different circumstances. So keep a bottle or two around just in case.
Extra Food
And in case your team members are ever left stranded waiting for a tow truck for a lengthy period of time, keep a bit of non-perishable food in the vehicles as well.
Blanket
In the event a vehicle shuts down in the middle of winter, it’s also important that your drivers and any passengers can stay warm. So keep a blanket in the vehicle for just such a possibility.
Change of Clothes
It might also be useful to keep a spare jacket or other clothing items in the vehicle, especially if your traveling team members have specific uniforms.
Knife
Knives can also be useful in a variety of situations, especially if there’s an accident and someone’s seat belt gets jammed.
Seat Belt Cutter
Or you could also include a seat belt cutter in your work vehicles for just such an occurrence. Just make sure it’s within reach of the driver’s seat.
Bag of Sand
Sand might seem like a strange thing to keep in a business vehicle. But it can help you distribute weight evenly to avoid slipping on ice. And it can even be useful in getting your car out of a snow bank.
Wind Up Radio
In the event a vehicle breaks down and your driver can’t access the radio for information, a wind up radio provides a back-up.
Extra Batteries
And since some of the items on this list might take batteries, having a few spares around just in case is also a good idea.
Ice Scraper Photo via Shutterstock
This article, “21 Things You Should Keep in Company Vehicles During Winter” was first published on Small Business Trends