Submitted by jessica on

Winter storms are on their way. Snow and ice can make roadways treacherous and have a significant impact on daily life. Urban Impact would like to share our top tips for ensuring your service is uninterrupted and our drivers are safe.

4 Must Haves For Clear Roadways

1.    Ensure you have stocked up enough salt and sand now so you are ready for the winter season.
2.    Have shovels and snow gear ready to ensure you are ready to keep your property clear.
3.    Invest in a snow blower. They help move snow fast and can be used to blow leaves in the fall.
4.    If you plough your facility, ensure your contracts are in place.

Before we get back to holiday shopping, hanging lights, and baking warm sweet treats, let’s explore some of the reasons we need to be prepared and keep our driveways clear.

Build a snow person and make some angels and …! 
Keep your driveways and lanes clear with salt and ice-melt.  It is critical that roads, driveways and lanes are accessible to commercial vehicles in order to service your containers. 

Pro tip:
If your containers reside in a communal alley way, team-up with neighbors to keep the area snow and ice free. 

Think like a truck! 
To collect the contents of a container, trucks must be able drive up alongside of the container. Anything blocking the road or the container makes it unserviceable.  

Pro tip:
When it’s not your service day, move your bins out of the weather.  We are happy to help find or move your bins to an alternate location for the winter months. Give us call to assist you. 

Hills are Real
Snow or icy roads, especially with inclines and declines, can be dangerous for our commercial vehicles.  If our well-trained drivers assess a pickup location as dangerous, they will not proceed with the pickup. We err on the side of caution, protecting property and people first.  

Slippery Slope in the Middle of the Road
Road crowning, meaning the road is higher in the middle and lower on the sides, is necessary to help with water run-off. While crowning may not seem obvious, it can be dangerous for commercial vehicles. If a heavy truck slides, it can easily get stranded and potentially block traffic flow. 

Safety is our priority, always. 

Please keep your bins easily accessible and driveways, lanes and roadways clear of snow and ice. 

We appreciate your support in helping our teams stay safe on their routes.  

Happy Holidays!