It’s not a bad idea to become a driver of commercial trucks. Our economy needs truck drivers to remain strong, and there is a lot of demand for truck drivers. This means that you can enjoy freedom from being on our nation’s roads while making a decent living. However, being a truck driver requires a positive outlook, determination, hard work and commitment. Unfortunately, a lot of rookie truck drivers make critical mistakes, which can lead to things like truck accidents, before ever becoming really successful.
Common mistakes made by new truck drivers include:
1. Overconfidence
Confidence is important when it comes to truck driving. However, you can put yourself and others in danger by being cocky when you’re first starting out.
Ensure that you listen to your instructors closely while in school. Have a willingness to learn from more experienced drivers when your career is first starting out. It takes time to master skills and gain critical experience in order to become a great truck driver.
2. Speeding
Regulations for truck driving in the United States allow for 20,000 pounds of single axle weight and 34,000 pounds of tandem axle weight. This is a whole lot of weight!
When you are moving quickly, you can lose control quickly, and a single mistake can have catastrophic consequences.
A rookie truck drivers should always be sure to drive as carefully as the current situation demands. You shouldn’t worry with regards to how other drivers react. Remember: an accident will delay you a lot more than driving slowly will.
Take special care with regards to increasing speed when going downhill. After gaining speed, it can be nearly impossible to downshift, so it becomes difficult to slow down.
3. Neglect of Health
Over half of commercial truck driving accidents are the result of fatigue as a result of sleep deprivation. It is also, unfortunately, common for truck drivers to suffer from obesity due to eating a lot of fast food and not exercising enough.
Make sure you get enough sleep – try to sleep for eight hours every night. Try to eat healthy, drink plenty of water and make sure to take breaks which allow you to exercise and get outside.
4. Ignoring Signs
It can be convenient to have a navigation system, but they aren’t always accurate. They might fail to notify you of speed limit changes, or tell you to turn down one-way streets. Signs can alert you of things like this, though. Pay attention to road signs.
The one sign you absolutely don’t want to ignore is a clearance sign. You will not fit if the sign says you will not fit. Many foolish drivers press their luck and end up getting stuck.
5. Not Being Organized
If you think truck driving is just about driving, you’re wrong. Record keeping and paperwork needs to be done.
Ensure you learn any policies your company has regarding record keeping, and be sure to be organized. Learn how to keep any records in order, storing them on a computer or phone so you can retrieve them easily. Keep all expense receipts organized via category, which you can easily do using an accordion folder.
6. Fueling Up Before Weigh-Ins
Fuel can be very heavy. Every gallon of fuel adds about six pounds to your truck’s weight. The weight of fuel can affect your trip time, your gas mileage and your weigh-in.
It is an art to learn how much to fuel and when to fuel. It’s an art which becomes second nature once you drive countless routes.
When starting out, remember it’s not so bad to ride at half capacity with a full load, being just prior to entering an interstate. Fueling up can always wait until your trip’s last leg.
Plan routes with the availability of fuel stops kept in mind. Some sections of your trip, particularly in the western U.S., can last for hours without any truck stops in sight.
