T A I L G A T 2 | TAILGATE TALK Snow, ice, freezing rain. Living through winter has one bottom line: planning is required. Did you know that by law, all snow and ice must be cleared from vehicles and equipment before operation? It’s also Flagger Force’s policy that all fleet vehicles and equipment (including arrow panels, TMAs, stake body trucks, etc.) must be completely free of snow and ice before operation. SNOW SCRAPING Carry an ice scraper with an extendable arm feature for hard-to-reach places of your vehicles. DO Use a spatula, key, or metal scraper. DON’T Turn on your vehicle and allow the defrost setting to heat your windshield before you begin clearing it off. DO Pour hot water on a freezing cold windshield. It’s likely to cause cracks in the glass. DON’T Keep a bottle of windshield de-icer in your vehicle. De-icer costs $ 3 to $ 5. DO Warm up your vehicle in an enclosed space. Vehicles should idle only in well-ventilated areas. DON’T Use a soft snow broom or scratch free snow brush to remove loose snow. DO Pull on frozen windshield wipers. If you do, you risk damaging the rubber. DON’T Keeping snow and ice off your truck without causing damage is easy and best accomplished with a little planning. Here are some Do’s and Don’ts of snow scraping: