Here are some tips to help you learn to safely drive a large freight truck.
If you are first starting in your trucking career, it’s important to make sure you know the basics of safe driving. A large commercial vehicle can be dangerous on the highway if handled incorrectly, for the driver and anyone else on the road. Here are some tips to help you learn to safely drive a large freight truck.
Beware of Blind Spots
For a truck driver, there are significant blind spots around the truck. Unlike in a normal car, the length of the truck makes bigger blind spots than the driver might realize, even large enough to conceal more than one car at once. That’s why it’s so important to keep an awareness of your blind spots, even if you don’t see any cars in your mirrors. Especially when you need to change lanes, make sure that you put your turn signal on as early as possible and take it slow and steady so that any cars you can’t see will have plenty of time to get out of the way.
Safe Turning
One of the riskiest maneuvers you will have to make in a freight truck is turning. It’s a pretty common warning for cars not to pass a truck that is turning because of a possible t-bone collision. However, you are more likely to crash from turning too sharply. On narrow roads with tight turns, it’s important to go a safe speed limit. Too fast, and you could be in danger of completely tipping your truck. Otherwise, you could get into a jackknife accident, where the cab of the truck turns almost completely back onto itself. Either way, by maintaining a safe speed limit and avoiding turning too abruptly, you could spare yourself from a dangerous accident.
Protect Your Cargo
The name of the game with freight shipping is getting your cargo safely to its destination. That’s why it’s a good idea to take extra care during loading. If you have a box truck, then you won’t have as much to worry about. But any type of open configuration, like a flatbed truck, means that you will have to take extra precautions. Make sure everything is tied down or sealed properly because the last thing you want to do is have a costly incident of cargo flying onto the road.
Baltimore Freightliner-Western for all Your Trucking Needs!
Whether you are looking to upgrade your fleet to tow trucks or simply interested in the latest trucking technology, you can rely on Baltimore Freightliner-Western Star. We have provided top-notch service for the trucking industry for 30 years and would love to assist you in buying a new top-of-the-line truck, finding the specialty parts you need, or repairing your truck. Give us a call toll-free at 800-832-7278 or locally at 410-685-4474, or contact us online. To find out more about what we are up to, follow us on Facebook, Twitter,and Pinterest.
Tags: driving safety, truck safety, trucking basics, trucking safety