Guidelines for Safe Truck Driving

As a truck driver, you may often find yourself navigating through challenging road conditions or observing other drivers engaging in risky behavior. Weather adversities like rain, fog, snow, and ice are just a few of the obstacles that truck drivers regularly encounter. It’s crucial for truck drivers to prioritize safety, not only for their own sake but also for the safety of everyone else on the road. Operating a large vehicle safely demands a driver who is alert, professional, and well-versed in all key truck driving safety topics.

Table of Contents

• Suggestions for Beginner Truck Drivers
• Defensive Driving Suggestions for Truck Drivers
• Regulate Your Speed
• Maintain Adequate Distance
• Safety Suggestions for Winter Weather Driving
• Stay Informed with Weather Forecasts
• Use Winter Tires
• Stay Vigilant and Maintain Control
• Safety Suggestions for Commercial Truck Drivers
• Route Planning
• Preparing for Long Drives
• Safety Suggestions for Semi-Truck Drivers
• Be Conscious of Your Size
• Remember Your Blind Spots
• Contact Truckified.com for More Information

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, trucker fatalities have reached their highest level in over three decades. That’s why we’re eager to share truck driver safety advice we’ve gathered over the years as a dispatch company in this industry. This includes advice for new drivers and semi-truck drivers, as well as those looking to learn more about defensive driving, commercial driving, and winter driving. Even if you’re familiar with one or more of these topics, we still recommend reading them. If you’re on the road as much as our drivers, there’s no harm in knowing these truck driving tips thoroughly.

Suggestions for Beginner Truck Drivers

Whether you’re new to truck driving or driving in general, it’s important to develop good habits early on. These tips for new truck drivers cover the basics, but they are often overlooked by experienced drivers who become overconfident. To ensure every drive is as safe and smooth as possible, it’s crucial that you:

Always Wear Your Seatbelt: This might seem obvious, but many truck drivers neglect to wear their seatbelts. The size of a truck can give a false sense of invulnerability. However, over 40 percent of crash-related deaths occur each year due to people not wearing their seatbelts. Make it a habit to always wear your seatbelt, even for short drives you’ve done countless times.

Avoid Using Your Cell Phone: No driver should be using their cell phone while driving. It’s so dangerous that using a handheld mobile phone is illegal in most states. Using your cell phone isn’t worth the risk, whether you’re making a phone call or just taking a quick glance at your screen. It only takes a few seconds for a serious accident to occur.

Sleep and Eat Well: Being alert is crucial for road safety, especially for new drivers who may be less familiar with their surroundings. Lack of sleep or food can cause drowsiness and dizziness, which are the last things you want to experience when operating a vehicle. If you decide to stop to rest and eat, it’s recommended to avoid heavy meals and sugary drinks, as they could exacerbate drowsiness.

Avoid Drugs or Alcohol: It’s illegal for a reason. Both drugs and alcohol impair your judgment and affect your physical abilities. Many may assume “drugs” refers only to illegal or recreational drugs. However, even prescription drugs can be dangerous, depending on their side effects. Always ask your doctor whether it’s safe for you to drive while using your medication. Neglecting to do so could cost you your job or, worse — your life.

Defensive Driving Suggestions forTruck Drivers

Defensive driving techniques and safety guidelines for truck drivers can help protect you and your vehicle from adverse weather conditions and reckless drivers on the road. It’s advisable to incorporate these tips into your driving habits early on.

Regulate Your Speed

Speed limits are put in place for a reason. Speeding can be dangerous for you and everyone else on the road, regardless of how skilled a driver you believe you are. Be mindful of your speed as you’re driving, and keep an eye out for speed limit signs along the way. At high speeds on interstate highways, it only takes two seconds for something unfortunate to happen, so always stay alert and remain calm.

Maintain Adequate Distance

You should keep a significant amount of stopping distance between you and the vehicle ahead of you, especially when driving a large truck. If you’re unable to stop in time, hitting the vehicle in front of you could be fatal. Keep a safe distance behind the car. At 40 miles per hour, the FMCSA recommends allowing one second for every 10 feet of vehicle length. If you’re going faster than 40 miles per hour, add an extra second. For an average Class A tractor-trailer combination of 72 feet, your following distance should be 7 seconds below 40 miles per hour and 8 seconds above 40 miles per hour. You can calculate this distance by picking a spot on the road and timing how long it takes between when the car in front of you passes that spot and when you reach it.

Slow Down for Turns

Given the size of your truck, you should exercise extra caution when making turns on the road or off an off-ramp.

Be Cautious at Intersections

Intersections are one of the most dangerous places for any driver. Over 80% of accidents that injure or kill people in cities occur at signal-light intersections. Most accidents at controlled intersections happen in the four seconds after the light changes.

To reduce your risk, slow down as you approach a green light and make sure to look left, then right, then left again. The first potential danger comes from cars approaching from your left. If the intersection is “blind,” meaning you can’t see the traffic on the cross street until it’s very close, slow down even more.

Safety Tips for Winter Weather Driving

Driving during winter introduces additional risks and challenges, especially if you’re driving further north and aren’t familiar with the conditions. Here are a few things you should do as a truck driver to keep yourself and your fellow drivers safe this winter.

Stay Informed with Weather Forecasts

Truck drivers should take extra care in checking weather updates regularly. This will help you plan your safest possible route and reduce the chances of you getting caught up in a surprise snowstorm.

Use Winter Tires

For most of the country, winter weather necessitates new tires with more tread. These winter tires, also referred to as snow tires, could save you from sliding into another vehicle or not being able to make it up an incline.

Stay Vigilant and Maintain Control

During winter, it’s more important than ever to maintain control of your vehicle. Ice on the road could cause you to slide if you lose control for too long and don’t know how to correct it. Staying alert is also critical, as other drivers could be at risk of accidentally sliding into your path.

Safety Tips for Commercial Truck Drivers

Commercial drivers, or those authorized to drive commercial vehicles weighing over 26,000 pounds, likely do so as a profession. Thankfully, we have safety tips that make you a safer truck driver and more efficient at your job.

Plan Your Route

Whether your destination is 20 minutes or 20 hours away, careful route planning is essential. If you want to reach yourdestination safely AND on time, knowing your driving hours and routes ahead of time will save you from having to rush or improvise on the spot.

Prepare for Long Drives

If you are about to embark on a multi-hour drive, there are a few things you can do to prepare. The first is to wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that doesn’t cut off your circulation. You should also make sure that you get enough sleep the night before and that you have healthy snacks/meals prepared for the breaks you’ll be taking along the way. Having all these things taken care of will reduce distractions and help you focus on driving.

Safety Tips for Semi-Truck Drivers

Needless to say, a lot of different vehicles are considered trucks. These include pick-ups, tankers, tow trucks, and a semi-tractor-trailer truck, commonly referred to as a semi-truck or a transport truck. Semi-trucks are commonly used by commercial drivers, as they haul a trailer that can transport freight of almost any size. To drive them safely, you should try to:

Be Conscious of Your Size

If you’re transporting freight from place to place, the height and weight of your semi-truck are going to be inconsistent. Take note of your vehicle’s size before driving, and be mindful of that size as you take turns, pass vehicles, etc. To stay safe, it’s recommended that you always designate some extra space around your vehicle to act as a cushion and prevent collisions.

Remember Your Blind Spots

The sheer size of a semi-truck guarantees that you’re going to have more blind spots than those driving smaller cars. These blind spots could be in several places, including behind your mirrors, in front of the cab, or directly behind the truck. Be conscious of these blind spots, and adjust your driving accordingly to avoid accidents.

Contact Truckified.com for More Information

As a dispatch company, ensuring that our truck drivers follow these truck driver safety tips is our top priority. We believe that driving responsibly is crucial to meeting the expectations of our clients. The reason? Truck drivers that follow these truck driver safety tips, such as being attentive to weather conditions and planning out routes ahead of time, are both consistent and reliable.

If you have any questions about truck driving safety, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Our professional staff…