People avoid driving too close to trucks or tractor trailers for some reason. Did you know that every 15 minutes someone dies or is seriously injured in an accident caused by these big rigs? Time magazine consistently lists truck drivers as one of the “10 Most Dangerous Jobs,” but not many drivers know the truck driving tips needed to drive safely.
According to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, there are approximately 500,000 trucking accidents in the United States each year, of which about 5,000 are fatal. Driving such a large, long, heavy 18-wheeler can be an extreme maneuverability, and it must take years or even a lifetime for a truck driver to master an important technique.
Truck driving requires great skills and experience. (Image source: Border Crossing Point)
What are some truck driving tips? Equip yourself with these very useful truck driving tips provided by experienced professional truck drivers that few drivers know about, including key technical skills such as driving on hilly roads, as well as eye-opening tips that can save lives.
How to load the goods
How to drive a truck? The heavier the cargo, the more important it is to distribute the weight of the load wisely. If the impact on your ability to control a large vehicle is greater than you think.
The higher the load is stacked, the greater the resistance on the truck. Instead, you should stack the cargo low by spreading it across the entire space of the truck’s container. This even weight distribution helps to better maintain the stability of the truck, which improves fuel economy.
Truck Driving Guide: How to Adjust Speed in Bad Weather
It may not sound like a big deal, but many truck drivers pay a heavy price for ignoring weather reports. Bad weather causes about 1/4 of truck accidents.
Speeding rules
The rule of thumb for truck driving tips is to reduce your speed by 1/3 in the rain and 1/2 on snow or icy roads.
Slow down in bad weather because trucks are 100 times harder to control than a regular car. (Image source: RGJ)
When you’re driving, especially when driving long distances on large, heavy, bulky gorillas that are difficult to control, it’s best to be overly cautious and well-prepared rather than underestimate the possible dangers. If the weather gets worse and you see many truck drivers pulling over, maybe it’s time to stop driving.
Other tips
Allow more time to reach your destination in bad weather. Be extra cautious when turning and signal ahead. Let your flash flash flash five times before slowing down.
Since 18-wheelers take up a lot of road space when turning, let the vehicles behind you slow down in time and keep a good distance.
Walk to check the delivery location
Backups for large rigs are more challenging due to blind spots. 18-wheelers can easily get trapped by obstacles such as fire hydrants or can’t turn around due to limited space.
A handy truck driving tip shared by experienced truck drivers when delivering to new customers is to thoroughly inspect the place on foot after you have safely parked your truck. Make a note of the obstacles and imagine the best way to drive in your mind.
Don’t turn away from that animal
As mentioned above, it is not recommended for trucks with a body weighing up to 80,000 pounds to turn abruptly and brake violently, as this can wear out the brakes and, more importantly, make it nearly impossible to correct the skidding.
If there is an animal running in front of your truck (which happens quite often), do not slam on the brakes or turn on the road to avoid it. Sadly, the best thing you can do is slow down and use the horn while keeping the truck unit straight at all times.
If there are animals on the road, do not brake or make sharp turns. (Image source: PXFUEL)
These truck driving tips may sound brutal, but it is the actual policy of traffic safety departments to avoid casualties.
What are some truck driving tips? Ways to avoid slipping
Due to the weight and size of the truck, it is almost impossible to correct the vehicle once a slippage occurs. Therefore, knowing how to avoid skidding is an essential lifesaver in truck driving skills.
Skiding is fatal for trucks because it cannot be corrected. (Image source: nanaimobulletin)
To avoid skidding, keep the forklift unit at all times when braking as much as possible. Straighten the truck unit on a straight road as much as possible. Never try to go straight on a curvy road.
How to Drive a Truck: Brake Tips
To avoid skidding, make it a good habit to “press” the brake pedal when you want to slow down your truck. Feathering, as the word suggests, is a gentle repeated braking rather than a heavy braking. This technology is especially important when driving on hilly roads and in mountainous areas.
If your truck has an anti-lock braking system (ABS), this will also help maintain the stability of the truck and minimize skidding. However, it may not work well all the time, and it’s best to have both the truck’s safety system and your driving skills.
Why do you need to practice smooth braking? The brakes can heat up quickly due to friction, especially if you often press the brake pedal suddenly and violently, temporarily affecting its function. If the driver has a habit of braking hard, this can lead to a complete loss of function at some point in time.
In contrast, feathering technology allows air to enter between the brake and the drum, cooling the brake to some extent.
Mountain biking is long, with twists and turns, ups and downs, and emergency disembarkations are far away. In this driving condition, you don’t want your brakes to fail. If your truck doesn’t have this feature, the feather brake mimics ABS.
Learn about ABS and other security systems
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Truck Driving Guide: Drive in the Mountains
When driving on hilly roads, drive to the right so that a set of wheels runs on the shoulder for extra traction from gravel. If you need to straighten the truck unit, take advantage of the gravel on the shoulder.
If the weather conditions call for it, signs are posted at the base of the hill telling truck drivers to keep their wheels on a chain. If you dare to ignore the chain signs, you may find that your vehicle has descended a short distance before sliding backwards down the slope.
When driving in the mountains, the weather conditions from one place to another can change a lot due to the significant change in altitude. Be prepared and react accordingly.
When driving a truck in the mountains, never ignore the signs, especially in bad weather. (Image source: autosocks)
Use the truck driver’s GPS
You can find GPS customized for truck drivers and offer good value for money. This useful tool can be a good assistant in uncharted areas, showing drivers important information, including traffic reports, the safest exit, the distance to the next exit, and the best route for larger vehicles.
While this is convenient, don’t rely solely on systems and tools. To become a professional truck driver, practice and master these truck driving tips below and make them your daily habit.
What are some truck driving tips? Avoid changing lanes
For bulky vehicles with large blind spots, it’s best to stick to one lane and avoid changing lanes. If you must do this, slow down, signal ahead, watch for blind spots and keep checking your mirrors.
An important truck driving tip provided by experienced drivers is to always avoid the first lane on the right side of the highway to avoid merging vehicles.
Leave plenty of room for the cushion
Everyone who drives regularly should know that they should keep a safe distance from other vehicles in front, behind, and to the side. Trucks need additional buffer space, or “buffer zone,” especially when going downhill or uphill, as it is more difficult to control and correct large rigs in the event of unexpected hazards.
Leave plenty of space cushioning in all directions, especially up front. (Image source: Volvo Trucks)
Leave plenty of space around your truck, especially in front, and you’ll have more time to slow down and react accordingly if anything goes wrong ahead. Even if you have 30 years of driving experience, you should never ignore the first two truck driving tips.
Truck Driving Guide: Proper Pre-Departure Checks
Last but not least, one of the truck driving tips that many truck drivers, both novice and veteran, often overlook.
Delivery trucks often have to travel long distances, so it’s especially important to thoroughly inspect your truck before traveling to make sure everything is working properly and that you have all the tools you need to quickly resolve common issues.
How to drive a truck: Pay attention to the police
In addition to safety, proper pre-departure inspections can save you the hassle of dealing with commercial vehicle enforcement officers.
Due to their commercial nature and the dangers they pose, large rigs or tractor trailers are subject to inspection by DOT police, who refer to them as “diesel bears.” If you don’t want to lose your job, you can’t refuse an inspection.
Check out our comprehensive library of DIY maintenance tips so you know what to look out for.
Truck Driving Guide: Double-check your truck before every trip, especially if you’re passing through the mountains. (Image source: Favorites)
Becoming a professional truck driver is a stressful job that requires good driving habits and always skilled hands. Time magazine ranked truck driving as the most dangerous job, and the reason is clear: In the United States alone, there are 500,000 accident statistics involving tractor trailers each year.
What are some truck driving tips? Whether you’re new to the trucking industry or have been driving for a while, this list of truck driving tips includes the most important skills and rules for experienced truck drivers that are rare and often underestimated by many others. Master these truck driving tips and skills to drive safely for the benefit of others and yourself.
