As a novice truck driver, there are several things to know to avoid trucking accidents. Accidents are scary, and when driving a truck, these accidents are scarier. More than 50% of fatal accidents involve trucks, which means you must be extremely cautious while maneuvering your truck on the road and driving on the highways.
The underlying reason why trucking accidents are more serious has a lot to do with the bigger size of the truck and the cargo type that the truck might be hauling. Nonetheless, here are several tips that will prevent truck accidents.
Click Here For More Information: wholesale drinks suppliers
Leave Space
The golden rule is always to leave space between your truck and other vehicles. Also, for the days when you might be driving your passenger car, you will want to leave more space when following a truck than a normal car.
If you missed a blind spot while reversing the truck, you might want to opt for heavy duty recovery to get your vehicle out of the ditch. However, the first rule is to leave enough space between you and other vehicles to prevent accidents.
Also, by leaving enough space, you will have time to make sudden stops without bumping into other vehicles.
Maintain a Reasonable Speed
The thing about the speed limit is that it is the maximum speed at which you are allowed to drive on a particular road. So, if you are driving in bad weather, you will want to slow down and adjust your speed to a safer level.
Instead of getting your cargo to the destination quickly, you will want to get to the destination safely, as this will benefit you in the long run.
Plan the Route
As a trucker, you want to be efficient and smart, which is why you will want to plan ahead. An essential part of your trucking job is to make deliveries to new destinations, which is why it is in your best interest to plan your routes ahead of time – before embarking on the journey.
As a trucker, you might not be able to use the same roads as cars, which is why you will want to check ahead with the map on time so that you have a full picture of the road. This way, you can also ensure that your truck doesn’t get stuck on a road where it doesn’t fit.
Get Enough Sleep
As a truck driver, you cannot compromise on your sleep. You will always want to get enough sleep, and you will always want to follow the strict rules regarding the number of hours that you can spend behind the wheel. Drowsy driving can get you into a fatal accident, which is why you cannot cut corners on your sleep.
Stay Connected
You never know what road conditions you may encounter, which is why it is in your best interest to stay connected with the customer or the management at the delivery location. Let the management know the approximate time that you might arrive and also ask them about the potential hazards and conditions that might affect your driving conditions.
