Be alert. Know everything going on around you. Always look well ahead down the road and around your rig. When rolling down the highway, especially in heavy traffic, always plan an ‘escape route’. Be aware of who’s in front of you, beside you and behind you at all times. Be aware of everything, so you can act accordingly, if and when necessary.Being well rested keeps you at your best. The electronic logbook system, potentially provides a system for drivers to be well-rested.

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Check weather reports. Be aware of weather conditions prior to departing on a trip, and check the reports as often as you’re able while traveling. Keep an eye on your outside temperature to watch for changing road conditions. Knowing what to expect, helps a trucker be better prepared for bad weather driving and necessary precautions can be taken. Good trip planning is essential.

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Avoid traffic. Whenever possible, avoid traveling at high volume traffic and peak traffic times. The more traffic, the greater the odds of an accident.

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Check out delivery spots, on foot. Of all driving safety tips, this one is most often ignored by truckers.  When delivering, especially to a new customer, find a place to park safely, leave your rig for 5 minutes and scope out the place. Shippers will too often say, ‘Oh, we have trucks in here all the time, it’s ok’.     Check for yourself.     Many times a truck can get trapped in a place and unable to turn around or the docking facility isn’t suitable for big rigs. This way, you’ll see obstacles that may be in your way, such as low fire hydrants, posts, ditches, etc. Take a mental picture of the area. If you just drive in, you will NOT see the hazards.
A large percentage of big rig accidents happen when backing up. Accidents are costly for everyone, and can seriously impair your driving record.

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Be extra cautious at night. Always exercise ‘extra’ caution at night, especially in tight maneuvering situations. I’ve seen too many truckers leaving a truck stop at night, thinking they’re headed for the road, and drive straight into a ditch, slam into the back end of a trailer and hit light posts head on.  Be alert, be aware, move slowly and cautiously.

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Leave room in front of your rig. Always, always leave plenty of room in front of your vehicle. It can be very frustrating if you are only traveling 50 mph, and everyone else is doing 65 mph, BUT it can keep you out of trouble. This ‘buffer zone’ or ‘cushion’ in front of your rig, will protect you and your truck. Usually, if anything goes wrong, there’s a good chance it will be ahead of you. The more empty space you have in front of you and your unit, the more time you’ll have to ‘correct’ and slow down, if necessary.

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Change lanes as little as possible. Pick a lane and STAY in it. Cars will dodge and change lanes no matter what. If you do find it necessary to change lanes, move over very carefully, being aware of your blind spots and constantly check your mirrors. The odds of an accident increases dramatically, each time a vehicle makes a move to another lane. If you have maintained your lane position, in the event of an accident, the other vehicle will most likely be at fault, not you.

When entering a city from the freeway, take the 2nd lane from the right, to avoid merging vehicles. Cars love to hug the right lane and dodge all over…. they tend not to merge. Merging seems to be a ‘lost art’. This tip should also appear at the top of driving safety tips for cars too.

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Use a trucker’s GPS. A GPS designed especially  for truckers, will show vital information such as which exit to take, distance before exit, when to change lanes, traffic reports etc. They are well worth the cost. These units can be a huge help and can alleviate a lot of stress for the driver, especially when traveling in unknown area. They are another great tool, but not to be relied on…. compare results with a good old fashioned map.

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Slow down…..THE most important of driving safety tips for truckers. I can’t stress this point enough. Big trucks don’t corner like a Ferrari, nor do they handle like one. Always take the corners and ramps very slowly. Speed signs on ramps are for cars, not big rigs. It doesn’t matter if you hold up traffic. The main focus is to get around a corner and be ‘upright’.
Travel slowly and maintain control. There’s never a need to get above 2nd gear in a parking lot. The only place to travel safely at top speeds? Perhaps in the middle of Wyoming on I-80 on the flats on a clear day. Always drive with care and control. Don’t drive as fast as you think you can get away with.

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Take breaks and check your rig. Stop and stretch yourself as needed. Do a walk around the vehicle and trailer. Check your load, too, especially if you’re hauling a flatbed. Look for soft tires, air leaks, check under the truck for any dripping coolant or oil.

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