4 Tips for Winterizing Your Truck Rentals

4 Tips for Winterizing Your Truck Rentals

As cooler months approach, ensuring your work truck rentals are equipped to handle the cold and icy conditions is crucial. Whether you’re dealing with harsh snowstorms or subzero temperatures, preparing your trucks will not only protect your equipment but also ensure safe and efficient operations. Here are four essential steps to winterize your fleet:

1. Upfit Your Rentals with Accessories

Equip your trucks with the right tools to take on snow and ice. Customizing your rental units for specific winter needs maximizes crew productivity and safety. PTR offers a variety of accessories to help tailor your fleet for seasonal challenges.

To make the most of your truck rentals during the winter months, it’s important to upfit them with the right accessories for cold weather. Depending on your project’s needs, you can customize your rentals with a variety of winter-ready upfits:

• Plows: Keep job sites, access roads, or parking lots clear of snow with heavy-duty plows, which can be mounted to the front of your trucks for efficient snow removal.
• Salters: Icy roads and work areas can be hazardous. Adding a salter or spreader to your truck allows you to distribute salt or other de-icing materials to keep surfaces safe for driving and working.
• Truck Toppers/Tonneau Covers: Protect your tools and equipment from rain, snow, wind or sleet.
• 3-in-1 Welder/Generator/Compressor: These versatile systems provide power on the go, helping keep your operations running smoothly.
• Winches: Whether you’re towing or recovering stuck equipment from difficult spots, winches are an invaluable tool in extreme conditions. With high towing capacity, winches allow you to assist with vehicle recovery or heavy-load management in snow, mud, or icy terrain.

2. Ensure You Have the Right Tires for Winter

One of the most critical components for winter driving is having the right tires. Winter tires are specifically designed to provide better traction on snow, slush, and ice, ensuring safer handling on slippery roads. Whether you’re navigating city streets or rural work sites, winter-grade tires are a must-have for rental trucks during cold months.

For heavy-duty winter projects, we recommend upgrading to Extreme Terrain tires, especially if your work involves towing or off-road driving. These specialized tires are built to withstand the harshest conditions, making them ideal for navigating through muddy trails, snow-packed paths, or icy roads. Their aggressive tread patterns deliver maximum traction even in deep snow or slippery conditions, while their reinforced construction ensures long-lasting durability.

Be sure to check for proper tread depth and ensure tire pressure is monitored, as cooler temperatures can lower tire pressure and impact vehicle performance.

3. Prepare Your Fuel and Fuel Filter

Winter temperatures can cause diesel fuel to gel, which may clog fuel filters and cause breakdowns. To prevent this, make sure your trucks are equipped with anti-gelling additives and that the fuel filters are regularly serviced.

In colder climates, these precautions can be the difference between a job well done and unexpected downtime. Our team can assist with these preparations, helping you keep your fuel system running smoothly all winter long.

We recommend any of the following products for gelling prevention:

• Hot Shot’s Secret: Diesel Winter Anti Gel
• Power Service: Diesel Fuel Supplement + Winterizer (White Bottle)
• Howes: Diesel Treat

4. Service Your Oil and Battery

Routine maintenance is key during winter months. Cold weather can thicken engine oil, making it harder for the engine to start and run smoothly. A timely oil change with the correct winter-grade oil is essential to ensure efficient performance. Likewise, freezing temperatures can drain battery life.

PTR’s 24/7 Field Service Team is on hand to help with any breakdowns or battery issues you may encounter. We have a nationwide network of service providers to support you, making scheduling repairs easy and seamless, regardless of the location of your rental trucks.

Winterizing your fleet is critical for safety and reduced downtime in cold-weather conditions. From upfitting your trucks with add-ons to assist in times of need to ensuring your fuel and oil systems are ready to handle the cold, taking these proactive steps will minimize interruptions and keep your fleet running smoothly. With PTR’s comprehensive support, including a 24/7 Field Service, you’ll have everything you need to face winter’s toughest challenges.