When starting a truck driving career, being out on your own for the first time is a daunting experience. Your trainer is no longer in the cab with you and you are now solely responsible for your truck and your load. As a beginning truck driver, there are many tricks of the trade you do not know yet, things that could really help you be a safe driver and make your truck driving career a long and rewarding experience.
To get a better understanding of what life on the road is really like, experienced truck drivers were asked to provide some tips for those just starting out. The drivers, some with over twenty years experience, provided a list of what the most important things to look out for are. The list was then broken down into the top three.
The first tip for truck drivers concerns one of the scariest aspects of driving a big rig: driving on the ice. When driving in winter conditions, the most important thing to remember is do not step on the brakes while driving on black ice. If you do, you will find that instead of slowing down, your rig will spin, potentially into oncoming traffic.
Instead of slamming on the breaks when you start to feel yourself slide, simply take your foot off the throttle and let gravity slow you down. Be sure to watch the road ahead and steer in the direction your trailer is drifting, following with a counter steer. This will help you keep control until you pass the ice and are able to pull over.
The second tip from the experienced drivers is to say focused. When starting your day, tell yourself things are going to happen. People are going to cut you off, slam on their breaks and follow too closely. However, it is very important to remind yourself that you can’t control their driving, but you can control yours. Don’t let yourself become upset at the actions of others. Doing this will only make you become a part of the problem instead of a solution.
The third tip is for recent graduates, or those about to graduate: learn and remember how to slide your fifth wheel and tandems to balance your load. This is very important because it is one of the top reasons why truckers get tickets. Remember to always inspect your truck before any trip. New truckers often make the mistake of thinking that the pre-trip inspection is simply something unnecessary taught in school, but this is not so. There are many states doing random inspections, and if your rig is not up to the standard, you will pay for it.
With these top three tips from experienced drivers, you are now ready to hit the road after school as a CDL carrying truck driver. For more information about the trucking industry and to learn how to obtain your CDL visit www.crengland.com.
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