Professional truck drivers must be well versed in all the rules of the road—but nobody’s perfect, and slipups can happen when they forget regulations or some best practices they need to follow.
Even if you have the best truck driving skills, you should never do any of the following things.
Travel too fast while descending a steep slope
Driving along a road cutting through the mountains can be beautiful, but it can also be treacherous. The first mistake truck drivers must avoid is driving too fast along these roads, particularly when heading downhill. Heavy trucks rapidly pick up speed, and many of those steep inclines can last for miles on some roads. Always drive under the speed limit to avoid putting too much pressure on your brakes.
Drive too fast for the weather or road conditions
Similar to the point above, truckers need to be aware of the weather conditions and adjust their speed accordingly. Even if you think you have the best truck driving skills, nobody is better than Mother Nature. Traveling too fast when it’s raining, snowing or even in high winds can result in an accident or an overturned truck.
Text and drive
No driver should ever be on their phone when they’re behind the wheel, but this is especially true for truckers carrying thousands of pounds of cargo. Even glancing down at their phone for a second could lead to a deadly accident. Turn off text notifications while driving or turn your phone off to avoid the temptation to send a text or look at your messages.
Drive when tired
Another thing truck drivers should never do is continue driving when they’re getting tired. You might not notice it, but your reaction time and attention span get shorter when you’re tired.
Needless to say, those can lead to accidents. Even if your Electronic Logging Device (ELD) says you’re fine to continue driving for a few more hours, pull over when your body clock tells you it’s time to get some rest.
Work for the Energy Trucking team
If you’re looking for a new career or to switch to a different trucking company, consider joining our team at Energy Trucking. Here are a few reasons to join our fleet:
- Steady paychecks: Being an owner-operator has the advantage of being your own boss; however, it comes with the pitfall of rarely having a steady paycheck. At Energy Trucking, we pay our drivers a weekly base salary and pay per mile—it’s the best of both worlds.
- New trucks: We go above and beyond to give our drivers everything they need to succeed. This includes providing brand-new trucks for every driver. You can rest easy knowing your truck will be comfortable to drive and rarely have any issues.
- 24/7 assistance: Should you run into issues when you’re on the road, we’re here to help. Our 24-hour support team is always on call to help get you out of a sticky situation.
Now that you know some more things truck drivers should never do, we invite you to apply to be a driver with Energy Trucking. Fill out the form today or give us a call to learn more about starting your career with us.