Weather is the one hazard no schedule change, route plan or telematics score can remove. The Highway Code’s rules for driving in adverse weather conditions - 226 to 237 - apply to everyone, but several of them bite harder in a high-sided, 44-tonne vehicle with a delivery deadline. This is the professional driver’s read of those rules.
Rule 226 is a MUST: use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced - generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres. Front and rear fog lights are permitted then too, but rule 236 draws the boundary: you MUST NOT use fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced, because they dazzle other road users and can obscure your brake lights - and you MUST switch them off when visibility improves. A truck running rear fog lamps on a clear wet motorway is not being careful; it is committing an offence and hiding its brake lights behind a wall of red.
In wet weather, stopping distances are at least double those on dry roads, because tyres have less grip. The rule’s advice translates directly into fleet terms:
Rule 228 starts before the engine does: check the local forecast, and do not drive in icy or snowy conditions unless the journey is essential. For freight, “essential” is a commercial judgment - but it should be a conscious one, made with the forecast open, not a default.
Rule 229 sets the pre-departure MUSTs: clear all snow and ice from all windows, ensure lights are clean and number plates visible and legible, clear mirrors and demist thoroughly, and remove all snow that might fall off into the path of other road users. For a truck that last point includes the trailer roof: a sheet of ice sliding off a 4-metre trailer at speed is a hazard the driver may never even see in the mirror.
On the move (rules 230 and 231):
Ten times the stopping distance in a vehicle that already needs twice a car’s distance is not a number to negotiate with. It is a reason the schedule slips, and the fleet should say so before the customer does.
High-sided vehicles are most affected by windy weather - the rule says it in so many words. Gusts hit on exposed stretches, when passing bridges, or through gaps in hedges, and they can blow a car, cyclist, motorcyclist or horse rider off course too. Rule 233 adds the turbulence point: large vehicles create it, motorcyclists suffer it most, so keep well back when they overtake you. Empty curtainsiders are the fleet’s kite; wind belongs in the driver’s route briefing, not just the driver’s seat-of-the-pants.
Check mirrors and slow down before entering fog. If a sign says “Fog” but the road is clear, expect a bank or drifting patches ahead. In fog: keep a safe distance (rear lights ahead give a false sense of security), be able to pull up well within the distance you can see clearly - particularly on motorways and dual carriageways - use wipers and demisters, watch for drivers without headlights, do not accelerate away from a tailgater, and check mirrors before braking so your brake lights give warning.
The quiet one: keep the vehicle well ventilated to avoid drowsiness, expect soft road surfaces or slippery conditions when rain follows a dry spell, and if dazzled by bright sunlight, slow down and if necessary stop.
Weather rules are where the Highway Code reads most like it was written for professional drivers. Double in the wet, ten times on ice, lights at 100 metres - the numbers are simple. The discipline is planning the job so the numbers fit.