Recent forecasts by Environment Canada are predicting that, once again, most of Canada and the Northern United States will experience a winter with below normal temperatures, including many days with temperatures remaining below the freezing mark. This is not welcome news for the thousands of people that make their living in the transportation industry. Sub zero temperatures can wreak havoc on transportation industry liquid carriers during the cold winter months. Along with the high cost of fuel, cold temperatures can drastically affect profitability for those in the transportation business. As well as protecting pumping, water and fuel systems, finding an effective and cost-efficient method to protect liquid cargo systems is critical.

Freezing temperatures can directly affect much more than the bottom line. The freezing of equipment can be extremely dangerous and it has been an all too common problem in transportation over the years. By example, fire departments who are involved on a daily basis with life and death situations rely on their equipment to be in good working order. When temperatures drop below -20 degrees, fighting fires can be hampered by frozen equipment, if the equipment is left unprotected. Frozen hydrants can be one source of the problem but the mobile equipment on the fire trucks and pumper trucks can also flash freeze if there are any delays in the flow of high pressure water. Valves on tankers and pumpers are especially susceptible to freezing and, once the equipment is frozen out in the field, it is extremely difficult to get things flowing again in a timely manner.

Over the years, bulky and costly solutions have been used to prevent freezing, such as steam generators and chemical anti freeze solutions. However, today, new technologies exist that are easy to implement at a relatively low cost and provide a long term freeze-protection solution. Some select manufacturers of freeze protection products have developed new products for transportation freeze-protection applications. These systems are low voltage, self-regulating, heating cables that are custom made to fit. They are designed for a variety of applications such as off-grid, mining industries and especially for the transportation industry due to their compatibility with various electrical systems. Insulation and an optional thermostat can be added to the systems to optimize energy efficiency. The systems can be used in concrete trucks to protect metering systems and in commercial coaches to protect washroom systems from freezing. The system is also suitable for use in small diameter hoses, appliances, heating units, condensate freeze protection systems, oil lines, hydraulic hoses, pumps and compressed air systems. When used in the transportation industry, these systems are capable of maintaining hydraulic oil viscosities in cold temperatures, minimizing stress on equipment while maximizing winter performance.

Freeze protection system manufacturers realized some time ago that there was a growing market for dependable heat line products for the North American transportation industry. For reasons of safety and efficiency, it is important to have some type of reliable freeze protection system on trucks and buses that operate in areas where temperatures drop below freezing. The newest lines of freeze protection systems utilize low voltage self-regulating heating cables that are designed to adapt to a wide variety of application requirements, making it especially effective for all transportation applications. Additionally, they are capable of maintaining hydraulic oil viscosities in cold temperatures, minimizing stress while maximizing winter performance. Since these products can be customized to protect fire engines, water tankers, pumping trucks, cement trucks, as well as the water systems for buses and coaches, many individuals and businesses have reaped the benefits of these innovative energy saving cold weather solutions.

By effectively protecting valuable equipment from freezing temperatures and the worst that winter weather can offer, companies and individuals in the trucking and transportation industries can protect their profits and their future.