For these reasons, you need to understand how to improve safety for yourself and other drivers each time you hit the road. Fortunately, we’ve compiled a short list of tips to help you do exactly that.
Perform Pre-Trip Inspections Every Time
Truckers looking to enhance safety on every trip must know to perform pre-trip inspections before each journey. There are numerous reasons these inspections are crucial.
These comprehensive inspections ensure that all parts of your truck—from your engine to your wheels and brakes—are in tip-top shape. The odds of experiencing a collision due to faulty parts diminishes drastically when you carry these out.
And if that isn’t enough to convince you, freight truckers have legal obligations to have their vehicles thoroughly examined before they hit the road. It may seem like an inconvenience.
But truthfully, pre-trip inspections are imperative to the continued success of your career and the safety of you and everyone with whom you share the road.
Drive With Extreme Caution
Truckers must navigate a diverse range of roadways in massive vehicles. For that reason, every trucker should drive with extreme caution to improve safety while on the road.
We’re certainly not suggesting that you go 40 below the speed limit. But having an enhanced awareness of long-distance stops or wide turns could mean the difference between safe transit and a potentially deadly collision.
Along with that, truck drivers should do everything to minimize distractions. That means putting your phone away until you reach a stopping point. It’s also imperative that you get enough rest before embarking on each leg of your journey.
After all, driving while sleep-deprived can result in:
- Fatigue
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
Truckers should also avoid eating, drinking, interacting with the GPS or maps, or doing anything else that can pull focus from the road. If you must do these things, pull over and come to a stop before proceeding.
Trust us. It isn’t worth the risk to do these things while driving.
Make Sure Cargo Is Secure
Of course, there’s no discussion of trucking safety without mentioning the need to ensure your cargo is always secure. If you don’t correctly fasten your loads, you risk having them tip over or get tossed around during transit. In some instances, this could lead to cargo smashing against your trailer and falling out onto the road.
Understanding the best securement techniques is crucial to improving safety during your trips. We suggest looking into the specific methods used for the type of truck and cargo load you’ll take on your journey.
For instance, if you’re driving a flatbed, ensure that you understand the best ways to secure cargo to a flatbed truck and so on.
In any case, there are various things truckers can do to improve their safety on every trip. And we hope this guide was able to point out some practical and straightforward methods you can use on your next journey.
Image Credit: Adobe Stock royalty-free image #280511324
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