Heavy snowfall has historically plagued many countries in Europe. Although this year winter in some countries is considered mild, in others, it is a hazard condition. One of the sectors that have been affected by heavy snowfall is the freight carrier companies. Owning a large or small fleet of trucks, trailer rooftop snow removal is a major concern for both truck owners and drivers.
Time & Cost Consuming, Safety & Fines, Truck Downtime & Decreased Profit
Removing snow from the rooftops of trailers is a time and cost consuming process that affects a company´s bottom line during the ‘winter. Scaffolding ramps are popular in Europe. The driver climbs up the scaffolding and removes snow from the rooftop manually using a brush, this process takes approximately 30 minutes or more. New snow of 15cm thickness on the trailer’s rooftop in length of 13,6 m weighs up to 306 kg, damp fresh snow weighs up to 765kg, settled snow weighs up to 1275kg, and very wet snow and fern weighs up to 3820kg. That is heavy manual labor for the driver in a cold environment that might result in injury leave due to heavy labor. The extra load of snow on the rooftop increases fuel consumption from 2 to 8% and, at the same time, increases the damaging effect on the environment. All this time, the driver spends risking his health. While the truck is non-operational, it could be on the road, making a profit! Companies are losing profit by not dealing with this issue efficiently.
It’s no wonder many drivers prefer to neglect the duties of cleaning snow from the rooftop of trailers. According to many European countries’ Road Traffic Act, the driver is responsible for safe and good vehicle conditions for driving. It is a driver’s duty to keep their vehicle snow and ice-free.
Fines are given for neglecting safety conditions on the road. For example, in Germany, fines are up to 120€ and a point on your drivers’ license. In the worst case, if people are harmed due to Flying Snow, the result is a prison sentence for negligent bodily harm or killing (§ 315 b of the STGB ( Strafgesetzbuch – German Criminal Code).
In the Southern Alps region located in Southeastern France, if vehicles are driving with a thick layer of snow on the roof, a driver is liable to a fine of 450 euros for „poorly secured cargo”. In Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the law specifies that a thick layer of snow or ice on the roof of a vehicle legally constitutes a load of a vehicle for which the driver is responsible under article R. 312-19 of the Road Code.
In Austria in the Alps region, anyone that does not adhere to the requirement of cleaning snow from the rooftop of their truck risks a fine of up to 5,000 €. Especially when driving through long tunnels, the snow masses can come loose due to the temperature difference and have devastating effects on the traffic behind. Another problem is that trucks with snow caps on the roof repeatedly trigger the height controls in front of tunnels, and that results in traffic jams and traffic is blocked.
The same is in Switzerland, a truck driver might be fined up to 600 CHF for not keeping up with Road Safety Regulations.
In Poland, drivers pay up to 500PLN for driving a truck with snow on the roof. Such a high penalty is justified if one considers that snow or ice falling from the roof can cause a serious threat to vehicles coming from behind.
In Norway, it could result in fines of several thousand kroner, and in severe cases a revoked driver’s license. Snow removal falls under regulations on the use of vehicles (§ 1–3 Provisions) which state that the visibility must be sufficient for all sides, including ensuring that snow, ice, dew or mark or other object does not impede visibility or interfere.
Freight Carriers’ Responsibility: Durasweeper Automatic Commercial Vehicle Rooftop Snow Cleaning System
It is clear that snow cleaning from the rooftop of trailers shouldn’t burden drivers working conditions. It is the companies’ corporate responsibility to provide safe working conditions for drivers. At the same time, freight carriers should be concerned with environmental pollution impacts due to extra fuel consumption and interested in decreasing truck downtime which affects the company’s bottom line.
Up until now among different technologies and machines that exist in Europe, there were no easy and efficient ways to remove trailer rooftop snow; now there is!
The solution to the problem of removing trailer rooftop snow is the Durasweeper Commercial Vehicle Rooftop Snow Removal System. This automatic machine is the simplest and most effective on the market and able to clean snow from the rooftops of truck trailers, containers, buses, and similar commercial vehicles. Durasweeper cleans the rooftop of the trailer in less than 1 minute. Drivers can safely clean the roofs of their vehicles and be on the road in no time without spending 30 or more minutes shoveling from the rooftop in freezing conditions and risking injuring themselves by slipping and falling off the scaffolding ramp. With Durasweeper, snow is easily removed from trailer rooftops no matter the height of the trailer! Durasweeper is able to clean surfaces as low as 41 centimeters and as high as 5,5 meters of height. The Durasweeper trailer rooftop snow removal system is distinguished by its long-lasting characteristics and straight forward minimal maintenance. Most parts of the system are made of powder-coated steel or stainless steel AISI 304, that is protective, rustproof and corrosion-resistant while maintaining visually attractive features. Electric gear motors, bearings and other components comprising the structure are distinguished as long-lasting and reliable, certified by several famous German corporations. Operation is easy with a press of the button on a remote.
Below is an acknowledgment from a large freight carrier that has over a dozen (12) Durasweepers in operation at various locations tasked with the cleaning of 1200 trailers!
The design has worked well, accommodating all the various sizes and heights of our transportation equipment. We have used the Durasweeper units in the harshest of weather with great success. Our onsite technicians have had sufficient training and man the operations of the Durasweeper units throughout the winter season. The units are very reliable, and with minimal maintenance, have lasted for years and continue to perform well. No damages to our trailer roofs have resulted, and they are clean upon exiting the Durasweeper”.
Durasweeper is proud and happy to have such reviews and continuously strive to provide a reliable, efficient, and yet simple solution in European and USA markets.
It’s time to prepare yourself and your fleets for the next winter season. Check out the website for more information https://durasweeper.eu
This is a sponsored article.