Across the West, winter can turn a routine haul into a high-risk situation: mountain passes, black ice, wind, and remote stretches all raise the stakes. Kenworth trucks are built for uptime, however, even the best-maintained rig can be stopped by closures, collisions, or sudden storms.

When that happens, what’s in the cab matters as much as what’s under the hood. This guide gives drivers and fleet managers a practical, winter-specific emergency road kit they can standardize across the fleet, supporting Papé Kenworth’s focus on safety and uptime for every season.

Why Winter Preparation Matters for Heavy-Duty Trucks

On snow-covered passes and rural highways, response times are longer, shoulders are narrower, and visibility can drop without notice. Without the proper gear, a minor issue can turn into a serious situation if a driver has no way to stay warm, visible, and in contact while waiting.

Commercial trucks must carry certain essential safety gear like warning triangles and fire extinguishers, and many fleets add their own requirements. A winter emergency kit builds on this foundation and keeps drivers safer and more comfortable while they wait for help to arrive.

The Year-Round Core of Any Truck Emergency Kit

Start with a solid year-round foundation so you only need to winterize the kit as weather conditions change.

Visibility and Warning Devices

• Reflective triangles and/or cones
• High-visibility safety vest

Communication and Power

• Cell phone and in-cab charger
• Backup power bank or 12V inverter

First Aid, Fire, and Basic Safety

• DOT-approved fire extinguisher
• First aid kit

Basic Tools and Repair Items

• Multi-tool, basic hand tools, work gloves
• Spare fuses and bulbs, electrical tape, zip ties

Documentation and Navigation Backup

• Printed emergency contact list (dispatch, roadside assistance, insurance)
• Paper map

Once you have the core kit locked in across the fleet, you can add winter-specific gear tailored to your routes.

Winter-Specific Gear: What to Add When Temperatures Drop

Traction and Vehicle Control

• Tire chains sized for your trucks and routes, stored for easy access
• Traction aids: sand and/or traction mats
• Compact snow shovel
• Heavy-duty waterproof chain-up gloves

Warmth and Shelter

• Cold-weather clothing: insulated jacket, thermal layers, hat, scarf, extra socks
• Insulated blanket or low-temperature sleeping bag
• Hand and foot warmers

Never idle the truck in deep snow unless the exhaust is clear and checked often, as carbon monoxide can build quickly when snow piles around the tailpipe.

Food, Water, and Comfort

• Shelf-stable snacks (bars, nuts, jerky, dried fruit)
• Bottled water
• Thermos for hot drinks picked up at stops
• Have plenty of food and water for a few days, for long-haul drivers, aim for a week's worth or more, especially if you’ll be far from services
• Keep an eye on expiration dates and rotate supplies regularly to ensure freshness

Winter Fluids and De-Icing Tools

• Winter-grade windshield washer fluid
• Ice scraper and snow brush
• Lock and windshield de-icer
• Diesel anti-gel
• Spare winter wiper blades

Lighting and Roadside Visibility

• LED flashlight and/or headlamp with spare batteries
• LED road flares or beacons

Train your drivers to place warning devices at proper distances, especially on curves and grades, to protect both themselves and oncoming traffic.

How Papé Kenworth Supports Your Winter Readiness

A robust emergency kit works best alongside a truck that’s ready for winter. Papé Kenworth service departments can perform winter-readiness inspections focused on batteries, charging systems, heaters, wipers, tires, and other components that become critical when temperatures drop.

Our parts teams can help you source tire chains, traction aids, winter-grade washer fluid, de-icer products, winter wiper blades, and other consumables for your fleet’s winter kits. With locations across the West, Papé Kenworth is perfectly positioned to support your drivers wherever they operate.

A Final Word on Winter Preparedness

You can’t control the next storm, but you can control how prepared your trucks and drivers are when severe winter weather hits. A well-equipped emergency road kit is low-cost protection against downtime, safety risks, and unnecessary stress on the coldest days of the year.