Driving Strategies That Work

Once you get out on the open road, you quickly realize not one road is the same as the other. To cover instructions on how to drive might be ok in one place, but not in another. Driving on the interstate and other limited access highways, can differ depending on the terrain you are on.

THE DRIVERS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE STATE OF THE VEHICLE - The state of your vehicle is your responsibility, so checking in on your equipment is very important. Before beginning to drive, every commercial driver must make sure that the vehicle is safe and in compliance with regulations, and that the cargo is loaded safely and in compliance with regulations.

CHECK YOUR EQUIPMENT OFTEN! - The advice I give most drivers is to come to a stop after traveling 5 hours maximum. It will do both, your truck and yourself some good. I used to stop every 4 – 4 ½ hours to use a bathroom facility, stretch my legs, and check up on my truck's condition. Checking the vehicle systematically can last 3-5 minutes, and although you do not have to log it, why not place a little mark in your log with a remark that reads "TC or Tire Check"?

This is how I did it: - When departing your vehicle, note the condition of the ground you're parked on, and note any stains on the ground. Take a picture of it with your phone for comparison, as the new times allows us to do this now. When approaching the vehicle again, check it's general condition. Is it leaning? Is there parts missing? Can I see any leaks on the ground I didn't note earlier? Open the door, grab your tire bat, and hit the light check switch if your truck comes with it (this ensures the test of every part of your lighting system). Perform a quick walk-around, stopping at every tire, checking for air/oil leaks, checking for debris or missing parts along the way between the axles and on the chassis, check the condition of your tires and step back to check your lights. Before you move the truck again, check and make sure nobody pulled your fifth-wheel pin. Most experienced eyes can note a problem and perform the check very quickly. This three minutes can save your or another road user's life, and can give you the peace of mind, knowing everything is in good shape for another 4 to 5 hours of travel.

FLAT HIGHWAYS - Flat highways are easy, yet they can cause conditions such as highway hypnosis. It is very important to keep your eyes moving, even though it may look like you have time to read a news paper at the time.

Fast moving traffic can sneak up on you, and you never know the condition of the driver behind the wheel, which is why it is important to pay attention.

Checking your mirrors to be aware of upcoming traffic, scanning the road far ahead for possible obstacles, like out of service vehicles, emergency vehicles, debris, etc. is very important. One who is aware of all the surroundings has much less of a chance from becoming another road statistic.

FOLLOWING DISTANCE - Six seconds of space in front will save you from running into the vehicle ahead of you. Easiest way to count six seconds is to watch once the vehicle ahead of you passes an obvious stationary marker, like a bridge or a sign. Why six seconds? Every person has a reaction time. Even the most cautious and trained drivers can have up to two seconds reaction time from the moment the vehicle ahead is involved in a collision, and by the time you apply that brake. Now, you have four seconds to bring your vehicle to a halt. Most trucks are equipped with air brakes, which once they're fully applied, take another second to second and a half to fully apply. You're left with 2-3 seconds of stopping. Most of the time, this will work great, and has great potential to stop you in time, even with fifteen to twenty percent of your brakes being out of adjustment.

Six seconds is the best judgment at any speed. If you were to move slower than highway speed, like city streets, the gap between you and the vehicle ahead of you will be smaller, while at highway speeds, the gap will be larger.

Do consider to increase the gap in case the road conditions are wet or icy, as well as in case you notice the vehicle ahead or behind you acting erratically. Having someone on your tail, regardless of the vehicle size, should prompt you to increase your following distance to account for theirs, to avoid that vehicle from running into the back of you during a hard braking situation.

CROSS-TRAFFIC TURNING - A fully loaded truck, pulling a 53 foot trailer can take 15-20 seconds to complete their turn if you are crossing two lanes of traffic. So let's say you're sitting in a turning lane on a 50 mph speed limit highway, and you see a vehicle coming up, which is ¼ mile away from you, do you have time to turn? Answer is NO. Why? It will take that vehicle less than 20 seconds to arrive to your location. Even if you know for a fact you can clear that intersection before the 15 second mark, you shouldn't try it, as you never know if you or your truck (if auto-shift) will miss a shift, or have a mechanical issue which might make you take longer to clear that turn. Never assume the oncoming traffic is paying attention. People are finally taking time to keep their phone or other electronic device away from them while driving, but not all are doing it. Let's not be the cause of a collision.

PASSING - When operating a massive piece of equipment down the road, and most of the larger companies tend to limit the top speed of the truck, passing can become more of nuisance than in a passenger vehicle. If you encounter a truck, which is traveling at 64 or 64.5 mph, and you are moving along at 65 mph, it can take a long while before you clear that vehicle. This condition is a prime source of heat for road rage incidents as well as increased risk of a collision. You're entrusting the driver of another vehicle to keep it straight and narrow, while you travel in very close proximity of the other vehicle. Often, there is 4 to 6 feet of space between the two of you. Even with a more experienced driver behind the wheel of the other truck, what happens if their steer tire goes flat? It is not worth the risk. Slow down that mile or two and enjoy the ride.

MOUNTAIN BRAKING - Most truck drivers who travel up and down the mountainous terrain on regular basis will instruct you to travel downhill as fast as you came up, and to ride in lower gear on the way down, running your engine brake on the downhill, which is very good advice. It is most important to keep your brakes from overheating when traveling downhill, and best way to do this is to avoid using them as much as possible. This is achievable through lowering your speed, raising your engine revolutions and riding on the engine brake down the hill, but how do we slow down when needed, without overheating the brakes? A good technique is to use snub-braking. Snub-braking is a technique where driver applies brakes harder than normal, slowing the truck down 5-7 mph, followed by releasing the brake to let it cool for a few seconds, then applying it again.

Keeping your foot on the brake will ensure they heat up to a point where they no longer work, cause a fire and possibly make you crash. Please, be aware.

Also, using your engine brake in slippery conditions is not advised. If this is the case, make sure you're reducing your speed to match the road condition, or pull off to a safe place until the condition clears. Remember, no freight is worth your life.