Are you looking forward to staying safe on your job? In case you’re a trucker, you will require taking extra care of your job. As per the statistics from the DOL or the US Department of Labor, trucking is considered as one of the most precarious occupations which can lead to fatal accidents at times. In fact, material and transportation occupations account for the biggest numbers of fatal injuries of the biggest occupational group. The fatalities keep rising with each day and each year.
Now that you know the state of truck driving and the accidents associated with it, how are you going to avoid the number of fatalities and injuries? What steps should the truck drivers take in order to avoid accidents? Read on to know more.
#1: Take Enough Time to Move around and Take a Break
When we say ‘move around’, this means stopping by a place, taking necessary intervals and breaks or just getting out of the vehicle. The experts always suggest you to minimize the time spent on the driver’s seat during the rest stops. You can easily change your posture and walk around in short distances so that your body rejuvenates before you start off for the next trip. If you take a long stop, lie down on the bed in case you have one in your cabin.
#2: Don’t Overload your Truck
Overloading your truck is yet another huge mistake committed by the truck drivers and which leads to fatal accidents. Use an onboard truck scales to measure the load that you’re carrying on your truck as this will also reduce the possibilities of accruing a fine in the middle of the road. Not only should you check your truck load for avoiding fines but the main reason is for staying safe. Overloaded trucks have more likelihood of turning upside down during overtaking or speeding.
#3: Recognize Situations on the go
There are too many accidents which occur due to the fact that the driver was extremely inattentive or was distracted by something else apart from driving. If the driver has a poor reflex action and is he takes too much time in observing things and reacting on it, he will definitely meet with more accidents rather than a driver who is prompt with reactions. Hence the power of recognition is vital for a truck driver.
#4: Take into Account the Effects of Vibrations on Road
Truck seats should have anti-vibration characteristics and this is called whole-body vibration. Te natural frequencies which the trucks operate at are frequencies at which the spinal cord is more likely to get injured. You can tilt back the seat a little so as to reduce the level of vibration and also consider the pressure of your tire.
Being a truck driver is a huge task of responsibility. Unless you follow the above mentioned truck safety tips, you won’t be able to successfully avoid accidents. Make sure you consider the above listed safety advices.