Worried about driving on ice or snow?

Are you stuck with your truck in sudden snowfalls or icy roads? No chance to move your unloaded truck due to a lack of weight on the driving axle? Then AutoSock for Truck is the simple solution to get and keep your truck moving! AutoSock for Truck weighs less than 2kg per pair and is much easier to use than conventional metal snow chains.

AutoSock for Trucks is:

• A perfect temporary winter traction aid for trucks
• Quick and easy to fit and remove
• Proven to enhance trucks electronic safety systems
• Easy to store and lightweight
• Self -centering

AutoSock for Trucks were launched in 2006 after a long period of testing, evaluation and improvement. The car version has been selling since 2002, mostly on recommendation, and anyone who's had the opportunity to test them for real will immediately realise why. Most people are not only surprised but astonished at the difference they make to general traction, cornering, and braking.

"This cheap alternative to snowchains or to winter tyres is staggeringly easy to fit... I used them while driving in the French Alps last week and can confirm they are absolutely superb." (Nat Barnes, Motoring Editor, Daily Express and Sunday Express)

AutoSock are approved by many car manufacturers, including Alfa Romeo, BMW, Fiat, Honda, Nissan, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Toyota, and VW.

AutoSock for Trucks are in fact more efficient than winter tyres, they're very small - about the size of a folded shirt - and should therefore be stored in the cab all year for use when required - "Expect the unexpected!" They can be used time and again and, unlike snow chains, can even be fitted on a hill, after you've got stuck.

We show some test data on the web site [link to follow]; it shows that even on a 12% incline, where the test trucks slipped back down the hill before AutoSock were fitted, the AutoSock for Trucks could be fitted on the slope, and then the trucks moved both up and down the hill, repeatedly, without any problems. A similar test was done on sheet ice on a 6% incline. They've also been approved by the German TÜV.

The bottom line is that AutoSock will provide a massive boost in all round confidence when driving on ice and snow, and hopefully "Get you home" or to wherever you're going, but don't overcook it, i.e. you should always drive with particular care in wintry conditions.

Each set contains one pair of AutoSock for Trucks.

Full instructions are shown on each bag which is also designed for easy and clean carrying of dirty AutoSock once you've taken them off the wheels (pull them off with the orange straps).

There's only one possible way to fit AutoSock for Trucks, and no practice is required.

You'll find that small holes are worn in the fabric if they're used on tarmac or heavily gritted roads, but this is no big deal - use commonsense to decide when they are finally worn out.

Please test them at the first good opportunity, and then pass the word!

AutoSock are taking robust action against patent infringement and want their customers to be aware of the situation; these notes are a summary of their recent statements on this issue.

AutoSock created and developed the "car snow sock" concept, and is the registered holder of all relevant patents. Their main European Patent is EP 1165329 which is operational in all European countries. They have similar patent protection in North America and Japan.

After the last two UK and Irish winters there are unprecedented numbers of copies in these markets; legal activity for patent infringement is either in progress or may be taken against many of these distributors and resellers, some of whom are household names and must have been very badly advised.

Some of the copies and counterfeits are relatively very cheap - as products can be if there are no research and development costs, and if materials and manufacture are of poor quality.

We hope that our potential fleet customers in particular will wish to be confident that the products they use have proper product liability insurance, as AutoSock has.

Some of the distributors of copy products seem to be taking leave of their senses and are making increasingly extravagant claims. These might include

• statements about German and Austrian testing agency approvals (TÜV and ÖNORM). Some do indeed have these approvals; some claim to have them but do not.
• statements about the patents they have registered. This is a "smoke and mirrors" trick, designed to deceive. We usually use a wrist watch as an analogy for this sort of activity: AutoSock has patented the bit of the watch that tells the time, the relevant bit; others have taken out irrelevant patents on e.g. the strap fixings, but they still attach the "patented" word to the whole product.
• Warnings to "Beware of copies!" (Some credit should be given to resellers who have at least attempted to write their own copy instead of lifting it from official AutoSock sites!)
• Warnings to "Beware of Chinese copies," apparently forgetting that their products are themselves made in China. There is nothing wrong with being "Made in China" - what is foolish is to presume that the factories who make and sell this stuff at knockdown prices are authorised to do so.

Recent EU court decisions include:

• A preliminary injunction against Siepa and its Austrian and German distributors by the Higher District Court of Düsseldorf, Germany. The penalty for a violation of the judgment is up to €250,000 per incident. Siepa brands include Goodyear and Fix&Go.
• An injunction against the Trendy distributor in Norway by the Court of Telemark. Trendy branded products have been withdrawn.
• A preliminary injunction against one embodiment of WeissSock by the Higher District Court of Düsseldorf. The penalty for a violation of the judgment is up to €250,000 per incident.
• A preliminary injunction against one embodiment of MultiGrip by the Higher District Court of Düsseldorf. The penalty for a violation of the judgment is up to €250,000 per incident.

AutoSock for Trucks videos

Click on the image below to view a short clip from ABC 7 News in Denver, Colorado, broadcast in May 2008:

Tips for safe fitting, use and removal

There's only one possible way to AutoSock for Trucks, so no practice is needed. Fit them to the outer driving wheels - they'll self-centre on the tyres as you drive off.

FITTING: Park the truck and put the brake on. For safety's sake the vehicle should not be on a slope during fitting, even though this was done during the testing phase. AutoSock for Trucks should be fitted to the outer driving wheels, starting at the top of the tyre and working downwards. Move the vehicle a couple of metres and then push the rest of the AutoSock into position. They'll self-centre on the tyres as you drive off.

USE: Do not turn off any electronic anti-skid programmes such as ETS, ASR, ESP, DSC. Drive with caution, avoiding wheelspin and hard braking and acceleration which will do the AutoSock no favours. You'll find that small holes are worn in the fabric if they're used on tarmac or heavily gritted roads, but the bands of Kevlar across the face of the socks should stop these from spreading. Use your commonsense to decide when they are finally worn out.

REMOVAL: Drag the AutoSock off the wheels using the orange bands, drive off them and pick them up. They can be washed out as required, but remember to pack them for the next time.

WARNING: AutoSock are only for use on ice and snow. Beware of people behind the vehicle who could be hurt by stones or lumps of ice being thrown backwards with great force. AutoSock are intended as a "get out of trouble" solution and are not a substitute for winter tyres! Drive with great caution when using AutoSock and be aware that wheels which are fitted with AutoSock will behave very differently to wheels without AutoSock.

AutoSock for Trucks testing

AutoSock did their initial development on heavy goods vehicles. AutoSock for Trucks may not be used in territories where snow chains are required, (except Colorado USA), but in the UK they'll keep trucks moving in transport depots, get them down to the main roads, and keep them moving on main roads and motorways if the snow falls faster than the ploughs and gritters can deal with.

Click here to see a message sent by a Gleaner Oils tanker driver earlier this winter.

GripTech® grip technology

GripTech® describes the knowledge, embodied in AutoSock, about how to improve a tyre's grip on snow and ice. Achieving good friction in such a situation requires a solution to the problem of the slippery layer of water that's found between the tyre and the ground.

GripTech® minimises the water film by 'wicking away' the surplus water - this in itself requires special fibres, but AutoSock also uses an optimum surface pattern to maximise the available friction.

AutoSock snow sock fleet enquiries

Fleet buyers may wish to contact our Business Development Manager on 015396 22413, or e-mail [email protected] with the following information:

• Size of fleet
• Likely quantity by tyre size
• Contact details

We have a useful tool that allows you to identify which AutoSock you need for your fleet, and to store this information for as long as you want. Follow this link to get started:

Delivery charges and arrangements:

We charge a contribution towards delivery costs, depending on what you order, where you live, and how quickly you want the goods.

These are our standard charges; there are usually surcharges for all offshore destinations and some remote postcodes - for details please see our delivery information page.

Delivery of other items

Delivery times

Delivery times are calculated in working days (Monday to Friday, excluding Bank holidays).

Cut-off times for Express Delivery orders
Express Delivery orders placed before before the cut-off times shown below will usually be desptached on the date of order. Express Delivery orders placed after these cut-off times will be despatched the next working day.

Delivery FAQs

When will my order arrive?
There are no deliveries on Saturdays, Sundays or Bank Holidays, except for postable items where Royal Mail has a Saturday delivery. Express Delivery orders placed on a Friday (before 1pm) should be delivered on the Monday or Tuesday, Express Delivery orders placed on a Saturday or Sunday should be delivered on the Tuesday or Wednesday. The arrangements for Very Heavy Items are different and are shown above.

What about Next Working Day delivery?
Most Express delivery orders will arrive on the next working day, if the order is placed before the cut-off time (see above). Some will arrive on the second working day if there has been a "split-delivery". So-called “split deliveries” happen when the couriers do not have enough trailer space for everything that should be moved around the UK, so they will load what they can and leave the rest for the next trailer.

Is my delivery day guaranteed?
No retailer or courier company can ever "guarantee" a Next Working Day delivery. As well as split deliveries, all courier companies occasionally have the same transport problems as can happen to everyone else, including snow blocked roads, closed roads, traffic jams, mechanical breakdown, an inability to find the delivery address, or to gain access to it if, for example, it's in a block of flats. We work with some of the best couriers in the business, and overall they provide an outstanding service.

Do I need to be at home?
We are very flexible with our deliveries and will aim to deliver to an address which suits you – this does not need to be your home address. Goods can usually be left without signature - we prefer this with roof boxes. There's a "Special Delivery Instructions" box in the checkout area where we'll ask you to choose a typical instruction and then amend it to suit your particular requirements.

Payment options:

We take the following cards, and also PayPal. Please note that the entry on your card statement will be from "The Roof Box Company".

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