Basic Truck Safety Tips
Being a truck driver, you have a lot of responsibility regarding safety while on the road. You’re responsible for the safety of your freight, other road users, the truck and yourself. Sound truck safety habits may also help lower the risk of an accident related claim being made against your commercial truck insurance policy.
•Maintain brakes. Tires are the only thing between a truck and the road, and correctly working brakes are crucial to the way tires respond to the road. Trucks have a brake for each wheel and should have well maintained gauges that inform the driver if a brake fails.
•The weight of the freight usually dictates how the load should be secured. Using the correct strength chains is especially important when securing extremely heavy loads. Cargo inside a truck should be secured in a way that prevents shifting or rolling.
•Driver fatigue. A fatigued driver is potentially an accident waiting to happen. Each state has different laws concerning driving times and breaks, but typically a driver who is driving across interstate highways must drive no more than eleven consecutive hours.
Truck drivers should be aware of the individual state regulations regarding size and weight when driving long haul. Taking advantage of weighing stations is a smart idea that may help increase safety and may also help keep accidents and commercial truck insurance claims to a minimum.
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