Calvin Cochrane at the wheel of his 1959 Mack B61T - Photo by Duncan Putman

Safe Driving Tip # 1
Winter Driving Safety Tips

Prepare your vehicle and equipment.

• Always take a flashlight, snow scraper, shovel and an extra fuel filter.
• Always perform a thorough pre-trip inspection of your vehicle before every trip.
• Always inspect your loading and securement equipment for damage or wear and tear due to snow, ice and salt. make sure your chains, binders, tarps, ropes, bungee straps, etc. are intact and damage free.
• Keep your windows, mirrors and lights clean.
• Drive with your lights on in poor visiblity conditions.
• Keep your fuel tanks full.
• Check chains often for tightness.
• If you don't feel comfortable driving in the current weather conditions, park at the first safe location.
• If you have to park on the shoulder in an emergency, turn on your four-way flashers and put out warning triangles as fast as you can. Then as soon as you can safely do so, move to a safer place out of the flow of traffic.

Prepare yourself and plan to stay warm.

• Always take survival supplies, (warm clothes, blankets, hat, gloves, nonperishable food and drinks, first aid kit, etc.)
• Be sure to wear work boots with a good sole and nonskid tread. Trailer decks can be very slippery when wet.
• Always keep an extra pair of one-piece insulated coveralls that you can wear while working outside.
• Always wear a seat belt.
• Never drink or use drugs and drive.
• Watch out for slippery conditions in parking lots and truck stops.

Slow down and increase your following distance

• Slow down before curves and change lanes gradually.
• Keep moving at steady speeds.
• Try to time traffic lights to keep moving.
• Do not pass or try to squeeze through on a closed road or lane.
• Increase your following distance to an absolute minimum of 7 seconds.
• Do everything slower and more gradual: Lane changes, stopping, starting, etc. Avoid any sudden or quick movements.

Watch for changing conditions

• Stay constantly alert for changing road conditions.
• Use common sense and adjust your driving to existing conditions.
• Watch for melting, or hard-packed snow, and strong side winds.
• Watch for "black ice", especially on bridges and overpasses.
• Listen to radio and CB for current information about weather and road conditions.

Always expect the unexpected

• Watch for other vehicles having problems with conditions.
• Give snow plows plenty of room and do not pass near a bridge.
• Avoid quick or sudden turns, brake applications and hard accelerations.
• Keep your attention far ahead of your vehicle and when in traffic try to ride alone, not in a pack of traffic.

 In a skid:

1. Depress the clutch first.
2. Watch your trailer in the left mirror to get the larger view and maximize your time for corrective action
3. Steer, and counter steer, as fast as you can to get back in front of the trailer.
4. Keep fighting it to avoid a jackknife.

The primary cause of winter-driving truck accident is:

Driving too fast for conditions.

Safe Driving Tip # 2

 Tire Inspection

The best way to assure you are operating in sage and legal tires is by carefully checking your tires during your pre-trip, and post-trip, inspections. A proper tire inspection includes more than hitting each tire with a tire thumper. A proper inspection should include:

• Inspecting all of the tire.
• Checking for proper inflation.
• Looking for missing valve caps.
• Checking the mounting.
• Looking for missing components.
• Making sure the tire is of proper depth.
• Looking for any foreign objects in the tire.
• Looking for flat spots or uneven wear.
• Checking for cracks in the wheels or rims.'
• Looking for objects lodged between dual tires.
• Checking for signs of cuts or punctures.
• Make sure lugs are free of rust.

Tires are a major expense for every fleet on the road today. For most fleets, the only item that costs more on a day-to-day basis is fuel.

Here are some more hints when checking your tires:

• Check the pressure when the tires are cold. A gauge is the only accurate way.
• Never bleed air from a hot tire.
• Maintaining appropriate tire temperature and pressure is important in the safe operation of your vehicle and the pre-trip inspection.

Safe Driving Tip # 3

Don't overload

Many accidents are caused by inadequate loading proceedures. Heavy, high, or offset loads can cause rollovers during emergency steering maneuvers or when driving at higher speeds.

Beside the fact that driving overweight is prohibited by law for safety reasons, driving overloaded is extremely hard on the tires. When tire load rating is exceeded, a blowout is far more likely, especially when you are driving at high speeds, because of all the heat that is generated in that situation. Blowouts can cause accidents, injuries, or fatalities, in addition to delays in your schedule.

Here are some tips for safe loading:

• Make sure your vehicle and axle weights are within legal limits.
• Make sure you know your vehicle weight rating.
• Make sure that tire ratings and inflations are compatible with the load and driving conditions.
• Make sure that suspension and coupling ratings are appropriate for the load.
• When the trailer is being loaded with mixed cargo, load the heaviest articles on the bottom.
• Check to see that heavy articles are not offset to one side of the trailer.
• When driving with heavy, or high loads, reduce speeds. Remember that you may have to make an emergency lane change.
• Curve speed advisory signs are for 4-wheelers; you must go 10mph slower to be safe. 

Safe Driving Tip # 4

Your brakes

The braking system is one of several key safety-related items. Sudden brake failure, such as air loss, may lead to loss of control and inability to recover. Progressive brake deterioration, such as brake shoe wearout without corresponding adjustment, can be even more troublesome because it may appear harmless during normal driving, but cause an accident during emergency braking.

Maintaining Peak Brake Performance

To help assure that your brakes are performing well:

• Test your brakes for stopping performance before going on the highway.
• Assure yourself adequately that your brakes are properly adjusted.
• Learn how to determine if the air system is operating satisfactorily.
• During a trip, before entering severe downgrades, stop and check brake adjustment.

More Preventive Maintenance Tips

Trailer coupling

• Check to see the hitch components are in good condition on the trailer and truck.
• Adjust coupler, in necessary.
• Ensure the pintle hook, or ball hitch, (if so equipped),is properly locked.
• Ensure that safety chains are properly connected.
• Ensure that electric and air lines are properly connected.

Safe Driving Tip # 5

FIGHT FATIGUE

The following are some suggestions to help you fight fatigue:

• Become aware of your own biological clock - Be aware at which times of the day you are most alert or the most drowsy.
• Eat a well balanced diet and exercise regulary - Adequate diet and exercise will keep your body in optimum shape and will promote alertness.
• Develop good sleep habits - Establish a pre-bed routine, don't go to bed hungry and make sure there is a good sleep environment that is dark, quiet and cool with a comfortable sleep surface.
• Get enough sleep before your trip.
• Don't depend on caffiene or cigarettes. Stimulants are no substitue for sleep. Drinks containing caffeine can help you feel more alert, but only for a short time. Cigarettes create an unnatural high and cause distraction while you are driving.
• Schedule a breakevery two hours or every 100 miles - Stop sooner if you show any danger signs of sleepliness. During your break, take a nap, stretch, take a walk, and safety check your vehicle.
• Learn to to recognize when you are tired or drowsy - You are probably drowsy if you experience any of the following danger signs:

1.  Eyes close or go out of focus by themselves.
2. Trouble keeping your head up.
3. Frequent yawning.
4. Wandering, disconnected thoughts.
5. Can't remember driving the past few miles.
6. Keep drifting out of your lane.
7. Driving slowly in the high speed lane.
8. Driving fast in the slow lane.
9. Braking for no apparent reason.

• Take a nap when you need one!