The Brief and Only Truck Driver Safety Checklist You’ll Ever Need
Driving a truck is the ideal job for some people. It allows you to work with minimal interference and micromanagement from your boss.
Truck drivers also get to spend a lot of time to themselves. While this can be a downside for some people, others prefer the solitude and peacefulness of being alone.
Financially, truck drivers make great money and (depending on the company) have great benefits. However, driving a truck can be dangerous.
For this reason, truck driver safety should be a top priority. Are you staying safe on the road?
Keep reading for a brief but thorough trucking safety checklist.
1. Drive Defensively
First, even if you’re a safe driver, you must account for other motorists. People who’ve never operated big rigs have no idea how difficult they are to handle. You can’t make sharp turns, quick stops, or aggressive movements.
To maximize truck driver safety, drive defensively. Maintain a large following distance, especially at high speeds. Additionally, make sure you’re always using your turn signals, checking your blindspots, and planning ahead.
2. Eliminate Distractions
One of the most common causes of auto accidents is distracted driving. Each year, distracted drivers cause more than 3,000 deaths in America. These accidents stem from smartphones, eating while driving, adjusting the radio, children, pets, etc.
As a truck driver, the consequences of distracted driving are even more severe. If you want to be the best trucker, eliminate any distractions that could draw your attention off the road. This includes resisting the urge to look at roadside distractions, like animals, car accidents, etc.
3. Alter Your Driving Habits for Inclement Road Conditions
Accounting for road and weather conditions is an important truck driver safety tip. Obviously, you need to drive more carefully on snow and ice. Additionally, heavy rainfall can impair your vision or cause your truck to hydroplane.
In the trucking industry, you also need to be aware of high winds, which have the potential to push your truck all over the road. High winds cause major trucking accidents every year. Lastly, drive cautiously in low visibility conditions like fog, heavy precipitation, etc.
4. Avoid Driving Tired
In some cases, your truck driver salary depends on how many miles you log. While this is a powerful incentive to get more driving in each day, you need to be careful of driving while tired or groggy.
Falling asleep behind the wheel could end tragically. Even if you aren’t injured, you could damage the entire shipment of cargo. You might even lose your job.
The worst-case scenario would be falling asleep behind the wheel and causing a wreck that injuries or kills another motorist.
Is Truck Driver Safety Important to You?
If you want to excel in your career and be the best truck driver, you must make truck driver safety a top priority. Failing to do so could negatively impact your job. Worst yet, driving unsafely could cause an accident resulting in severe injuries or death.
For more driving tips or career advice, stick around. Read through some of our other articles to find more content on how to improve your life. Our blog was created to help people like you.
