Submitted by jessica on

As the leaves start to turn and fall from trees and the weather gets colder, it is a good time to prepare for upcoming winter storms.  British Columbia’s Lower Mainland experienced powerful winter storms last season. This year, it is expected that cold weather, snow, and ice storms will rival last year’s winter conditions. These predicted weather conditions will have a significant impact on day-to-day business operations throughout British Columbia. 


Urban Impact is not immune to the challenges that come with the winter seasons for transportation, recycling, waste and shredding operations.  Servicing our customers and safety for our drivers is top priority. 
Did you know commercial truck tires are made of a much harder compound than residential vehicles? This makes them less effective in snow and slippery conditions.  Even though our drivers are trained and know their abilities, there are limitations for drivers and their trucks in winter conditions. 


We’d like to share some safety recommendations to help our communities prepare for a safe waste and recycling collection services this season. 

What you can do to prepare
•    Keep your surfaces as clear as possible – As leaves fall clear them from clogging road drains.  Ensure you have salt and sand ready to use.  Salt and sand are critical to driveways and lanes. By keeping driveways and alley ways clear and dry will be it easier and safer for our commercial vehicles to service your collection containers.
•    Work with your neighbors - If your containers reside in a communal alley way, work with your neighbors to keep the area free and clear.
•    Change locations of your bins - If there’s safer place for your collection bins to be serviced during winter conditions, please contact us to arrange for pick up at the new location.
Things to know about our trucks
•     Snow near containers are a no go! If snow piles up against the collection containers, our trucks are unable to service the container. Please keep your containers free and clear so that a truck can arrive perpendicular to the container and service it.
•    Up Hill or Down Hill Road Ways - Any crown in the roadway or incline are extremely dangerous for commercial vehicles in rain, snow, and ice.  Our drivers are trained to recognize and anticipate slippery conditions and dangerous situations, however, if they feel that their truck will damage property or harm a person, they will not proceed.  
•    Slippery Slopes and Crowning Roads - Most roads crown in the centre, meaning the road is higher in the middle and lower on the sides.  While this crowning in necessary to help with water run-off, this minor undulation can have major impacts for heavy trucks, especially when icy.  Commercial vehicles can easily slip to the lower side of the roadway and get stranded.  The only way to get a commercial vehicle out of this situation is to clear the roadway so the truck can back out on a hard non-slippery surface or to call a large tow truck to have it winched out.

Our commitment is: Safety is our priority, always.

We appreciate your support in preparing for the winter season to keep you and our teams stay safe on their routes!