Safety Posts

Situational Awareness

Aug 27, 2023  

Sports coaches in America are famous for their advice to “keep your head on a swivel.”

That advice is useful in trucking too. Maintaining good situational awareness of what is happening around you at all times will help you to preemptively avoid accidents and adjust to changing road conditions. Make it a habit to check your mirrors, both driver side and passenger side, every 3-5 seconds. Doing so will enable you to maintain that “head on a swivel” posture, so that you always know what’s happening around your truck.

However, keeping your head on a swivel is only one part of situational awareness in trucking.

Other situational awareness issues include:

Make sure you’re using your turn signal every time you make a lane change or turn.

Because of off-tracking, make sure you swing wide enough on your turns to avoid striking objects and vehicles on or near the roadway.

Before any movements that require moving the unit in reverse, get out and look. Make a 360 degree walk around so that you are aware of any individuals, objects, or other hazards in the vicinity of your vehicle.

Use your four-way flashers and sound your horn before reversing.

Always look twice before changing lanes or pulling out into an intersection or roadway.

Be Predictable

It’s easy to forget that people can’t read our minds and most individuals on the highways do not understand how to operate their cars near a large commercial vehicle. Predictably operate your big truck to make things safer for yourself and others. What does this mean?

Slow down on turns.

Activate your turn signal several seconds before you change lanes or turn.

Avoid frequent, unnecessary lane changes.

The greatest visible sign of a skilled truck driver is their ability to keep their rig between the lines at all times. In other words, maintain your lane and you’ll stay safer and look good doing it.

If another big truck is behind you and you have to turn, keep in mind they take longer to stop just like you. Signal and slow down earlier to give them more time to react.

Maintain a consistent speed when possible. Slowing down and speeding up can create traffic congestion around you and reduce the amount of safe space around your vehicle.

If you cannot quickly pass another commercial vehicle do not attempt it. Doing so will only create a traffic jam around you and reduce your safety cushion 360 degrees around your truck.

Working safely, driving safely, and returning home to your family safely should always be your highest priority when on the road. Keep in mind that no load is worth your life and drive accordingly.

If the road conditions are too hazardous, slow down or stop. If you’re getting texts on your phone, whatever it is can wait until you stop because that 4.6 seconds spent looking at that text has been the last 4.6 seconds of too many people’s lives.

Make sure your vehicle is well maintained, your brakes work, your tires are good, and you can steer safely.

Keep your head on a swivel, mind the blindspots, stop if you’re tired, and always drive defensively.

Mirrors & Blind Spots

Aug 25, 2023  

Put together by @Brian Buckley

"One second the car is there, next it's gone...almost like a magic trick. As professional drivers, we have multiple tools we can utilize, blindspots are and always will be problematic.

As drivers, we have mirrors and in some cases blind spot detection sensors. Mirrors are the most effective way to manage your safety cushion as well as your blind spots. We may all joke about GPS sending us the wrong way, so why would we think a blind spot sensor to be infallible? We get frustrated with the front-facing detection for the following distance saying it’s incorrect, so why is blind spot detection thought as 100% reliable?

As with all mechanical, electrical and technological devices they all fail. Without these failures we would have no need for mechanics, plumbers, electricians and the list goes on.

Proper mirror adjustment and monitoring is essential! Drivers should set their mirrors to get the best overall view of the space and conditions around their truck. Monitor your mirrors every five to eight seconds with a quick glance and observe what is around your vehicle. Should you see a blue car or a set of headlights approaching from the back of your truck and now it's gone, it most likely is in your blind spot. By keeping track of what is around your vehicle you can minimize your blindspot.

Blind spot detectors are only to be used as an additional tool to manage your blindspot but not to be 100% relied on."

Please click on the link below to see the mirror adjustment presentation Brian has put together for everyone!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AT5h1VYuXY&t=49s