Tips on Safe Trucking for the Back-to-School Season

Driving a truck requires putting full concentration on the road. Not only do truck drivers have to cope with the other drivers on the road, they also have to deal with dangerous weather and wildlife, all while maintaining large rigs and sometimes incredibly dangerous cargo. One slip-up and there could be serious consequences.

That is why making sure your trucking service in Minnesota is following any and all forms of safety protocol when driving on the road, especially now that school is starting up. With school starting up there are double the amounts of cars on the road throughout the day as well as buses carrying children.

In order to keep any and all drivers safe while driving on the road, consider the following safety tips when operating your trucking service in Minnesota:

1. Check your blind spots. This is especially important because of the size of the trucks that you are driving. Other drivers on the road may not be aware that a truck has zones where cars cannot be seen, and that’s typically where the most crashes happen. Make sure that you are constantly checking your blind spot and making sure the area is safe for you to merge if needed.
2. Drive at safe speeds, especially in work zones. It’s surprising that almost a third of all fatal work-zone incidents involves a large truck. Make sure than you pay attention to what you are doing and you are taking your time as you cross through a work zone.
3. Perform regular maintenance. Making sure that your truck is in good, working condition and up to code is imperative. Make sure you check things like your horn, mirrors, fluid levels, etc. If you are to see anything out of the ordinary or damaged, make sure you report it before driving away.
4. Safely load cargo. This may seem like common sense, but it’s something that can easily go overlooked. Make sure that when you are loading cargo, you are loading it evenly and safely, thus avoiding anything falling over or causing you to lose control of your truck. This can also improve your fuel economy.
5. Slow down when approaching curves. No matter what, you should always be following the speed limit, but when it comes to curves, it’s easy to tip your truck over if you take a curve too fast. Speaking specifically about on/off ramps and curves in the highways, make sure you set your speed much lower than what is posted based on how big your truck is, to avoid tipping.
6. Plan for bad weather. There’s nothing worse than inclement weather when driving. It can inhibit any driver in any size car, but trucks can be incredibly susceptible to accidents if not handled correctly in the weather. Cut your speeds in half when it comes to wet or icy roads and make sure you turn your blinker on sooner and leave it running longer before actually switching lanes.

No matter what, when it comes to operating a vehicle it’s important that you always exercise safety, even when it’s not back to school season.