How Truckers Can Keep Themselves Safe on the Road

Truck driving is a well-respected profession. Transporting goods and products around the country – and even the world – means you’re helping communities get the items they need. Whether you’re transporting produce, electronics, or oil, your efforts help keep the world running. However, truck driving isn’t for everyone, and truckers need to take their jobs seriously or accidents can happen.

Driving Academy, based in Linden, NJ, and with locations nationwide, provides professional truck driver training courses. Here, we offer a list of truck driver safety tips. Learn more about how our programs can help you get on the road quickly and safely.

Trucker Driver Safety Tips

Truck driving can be a rewarding career, but truckers must keep safety at the top of their minds to make sure each trip goes smoothly. Here are some precautions you can take to help ensure there are no hiccups while you’re on the road:

Check Your Blind Spots

Like cars, trucks have blind spots. However, these blind spots cover larger areas, and you’ll even have a blind spot directly behind your truck, so it’s important to check them consistently. Checking your mirror every eight to 10 seconds can help you recognize vehicles that might be entering your blind spots.

Prepare for Stopping

With smaller vehicles, stopping quickly is easy. Unfortunately, when driving a large truck (especially one full of goods) the sheer weight of the vehicle makes it more difficult to slow down. When driving on interstates or wet roads, you should prepare to slow down and stop well ahead of time.

Take Turns Carefully

Large trucks can’t make turns as easily as smaller vehicles, so you’ll need to take your time and make sure you have more than enough space. If not, you could accidentally bump another vehicle, a street sign, or some other obstruction. You’ll also want to make sure to take sharp curves slowly, as attempting to turn at faster speeds can lead to rollovers and crashes.

Make Sure Your Truck Is Good for the Road

Getting your truck inspected based on state regulations is not only wise but also follows the law. Additionally, make sure you keep up with routine maintenance and get any issues checked out immediately. Because trucks are relied upon to travel long distances nearly every day, you can’t afford to ignore needed repairs.

Stay Focused

The life of a trucker involves long days on the road. Prepare for this by getting enough rest and stopping for food or stretching your legs when needed. This will help you avoid distractions while driving, which is essential to truck driver safety.

Practice Defensive Driving

Defensive driving relies upon safe responses to potential hazards. This means being aware of other drivers, debris on the road, harsh weather, and more. Defensive driving helps you avoid risky situations, reduces the likelihood of an accident, and lessens your chances of getting a ticket.

Be Prepared

As a trucker, much of your day is spent away from home. This means you need to plan for the worst. Roadside accidents do happen, and when you’re away from home or driving overnight, it might take a while for assistance to come. Truck drivers should have snacks, water, blankets, and other helpful items with them in case of emergency.

Why Choose Driving Academy?

Driving Academy is focused on preparing students for life as a trucker. This means you’ll learn how to drive the vehicle along with learning special regulations, truck driving safety tips, and more. We’re proud to offer experienced and knowledgeable instructors who can teach you everything you need to know. Our truck driver training programs include full CDL training courses, half CDL training courses for those who already have their CDL permits, and guaranteed CDL truck and bus training courses that allow unlimited attempts at your road test until you pass. Our flexible schedules make it easy to fit your education into your lifestyle, and some coursework can even be done online, allowing you to work toward your goal in the comfort of your own home.

We help you learn on our fleet of vehicles and even provide state-of-the-art simulators that allow you to train in a virtual environment. Our programs can help students get their Class A, Class B, or Class B+P CDL licenses, allowing them to pursue whatever driving position they have in mind.

Reach Out to Driving Academy Today

Truck driving can be such a rewarding experience, and when you follow these truck driver safety tips, it can be a long-lasting one. Driving Academy is headquartered in Linden, NJ, and has locations nationwide with more coming soon. We even offer affordable payment plans and job placement assistance. If you’re ready to get things started, call our Linden location at 908-525-3609 or fill out our form.