As a trucker, I know the road can be a tough teacher.
I’ve learned a few things the hard way myself.
I’m here to tell you about five critical mistakes that can have serious consequences in this profession. I’m speaking from experience here.
All of these things are easily avoided.
A simple lapse in judgment or a bad habit can lead to serious consequences, from huge fines to wrecked equipment—or worse.
Some of the biggest mistakes truckers make come down to:
- complacency
- bad habits
- or small oversights
that seem minor at the time, but can turn into a major regret.
Whether it’s skipping a pre-trip inspection, misjudging clearance, or pushing too hard when you should be resting, these mistakes can put your career—and your life—at risk.
Although, there are many things you shouldn’t do as a truck driver, here are 5 that can lead to pretty ugly outcomes.
1. Don’t Speed (Especially going down a mountain)
Let’s talk about mountains. Specifically, going down them.
There is a right way and a very, very wrong way to descend a mountain road.
Let me tell you a story about the wrong way.
Early in my career, I was hauling fuel tankers in BC, Canada, in the Rocky Mountains.
I’d loaded gasoline and was running Highway 3, going over the Salmo Creston hill between Creston and Salmo.
Now, I was pretty comfortable with the hills on the Trans-Canada Highway. I thought I had it all figured out.
I was wrong.
I got to the top of the hill, looked down, and thought, “This doesn’t look so bad.”
Famous last words, right?
I picked the wrong gear to start down.
Before I knew it, the truck was gaining speed, and I was using the brakes more and more.
The Jake brake wasn’t holding, and the truck was starting to get away from me.
I remember looking in my mirrors and seeing smoke rolling out of the brakes.
It was not a good feeling!
I managed to find a flat spot and get stopped, but the brakes were smoldering.
I had to sit there for about 45 minutes for everything to cool down.
It was a real wake-up call.
The lesson? Never go down the mountain too fast. No one ever died from going down the mountain too slow.
Check out these mountain driving tips for truck drivers to keep yourself safe.
2. Don’t Text When Driving (Apparently this needs to be said)
This one should be obvious, but apparently, it needs to be said.
If you’re texting and driving, you’re an idiot.
There’s no other way to put it.
What could possibly be so important that it’s worth risking your life and the lives of others?
Put the damned phone down and focus on the road.
3. Keep Your Reefer Tank Fuel Topped Up
Here’s a story about a guy we called “The Lettuce King” (not his real name, to protect the guilty).
He was hauling broccoli, and he was one of those guys who could drive straight through, barely stopping.
He had a big 650 HP CAT engine in his Pete, and that thing didn’t even slow down in the hills.
The Lettuce King was making great time, but he made one critical error.
He forgot to check his reefer fuel.
Somewhere around Wyoming, the reefer ran out of fuel.
He was so tired or in such a hurry that he didn’t notice.
By the time he got to Toronto and opened the doors, the broccoli had flowered. It had gotten so warm that it sprouted.
The moral of the story?
Don’t ever let your reefer run out of fuel.
Check your fuel and box temperature often.
You don’t want to end up in the same pickle as the Lettuce King.
4. Drive For The Road Conditions.
Anyone who’s been trucking for a winter has seen at least one wreck.
Trucks or cars, neither one stops as quickly on snowy pavement as they do on dry pavement. It’s just a fact.
I don’t know why everyone feels the need to travel at the speed limit or above it when the conditions are bad.
You can be out there, and it’s snowing like crazy, and you’ll still see guys flying by.
Those are the guys who end up in the ditch.
Don’t be that guy.
Drive according to the conditions.
Slow down, increase your following distance, and be careful out there.
5. Don’t Drive Tired. Ever.
This one is huge.
Don’t ever drive tired.
With the mandated ELDs (Electronic Logging Devices), some carriers think they’ve got it all figured out. But really, you’re the only one who can judge if you’re tired or not.
The judgment call is completely up to you.
When you’re tired, all sorts of things can go wrong.
You just don’t have the mental capacity to absorb things at the rate you need to.
Your attention span is down, your timing is off, and your reaction times are slow.
Forget about the ELDs.
They’re only a safety check measure. The ELDs were brought in to make sure that you get more sleep on the road, but no one’s figured out how to make sure that you get the quality sleep you need when you’re out on the road.
Sleep when you need to sleep.
Don’t drive one of these rigs when you’re tired.
Hell, don’t even drive a car when you’re tired because the possibilities are endless, and none of them are good.
You need to be on top of your game to combat the dangers of being overconfident as a truck driver.
Conclusion
So, there you have it: 5 things that could potentially end badly.
- Don’t speed downhill
- Don’t text and drive
- Don’t run out of reefer fuel
- Don’t drive too fast for conditions
- Don’t drive tired.
Simple, right?
Stay safe, keep the rubber side down.
