The trucking industry is the lifeblood of the United States, with truckers and trucking companies responsible for transporting countless tons of freight across the nation each and every day. It’s vital work, but it’s also challenging work, with a lot of dangers to avoid and challenges to overcome for any trucker to have a safe and successful career. It is also necessary to have a commercial trucker insurance.
Indeed, statistics show that trucking is ranked in the top 10 most dangerous jobs in the United States today, with a range of physical and mental hazards that have to be navigated with care and consideration. Read on for some useful tips that every trucker needs to know, not just to stay safe, but also to enjoy the best results throughout their career.
Make Use of Online Resources
The internet is a veritable goldmine of information on any subject you could want to learn about. It can teach us so much, as long as you know where to look, and it can prove to be an absolutely invaluable source of useful resources for truck drivers too.
From online courses and classes to help you improve your trucking skills to job boards that can help you connect with new companies and find more loads to deliver, there are countless sites out there to provide you with information and assistance to strengthen your trucking career.
Minimize Out-of-route Miles
One of the things you learn quickly as a truck driver is the importance of keeping your out-of-route miles to a minimum. These miles are classed as unnecessary and not part of your planned route, so you won’t be paid for them. Don’t forget that Car Repair in Telluride, Colorado is made affordable and quick at TTA.
Unfortunately, it’s only natural that you might make a wrong turn or take the incorrect exit every now and then, leading to those miles adding up. Try to minimize this by knowing your route, communicating with your dispatchers, and keeping your concentration levels high.
Work Well with Dispatchers
Following on from the previous point, let’s talk about dispatchers. As a trucker, you’ll be doing a lot of work with dispatchers over the course of your career, and it really helps to treat them with courtesy and respect in order to form good working relationships with them.
Dispatchers can help you in a lot of ways, from keeping you up to date on weather reports and traffic news along your route to providing you with information on fuel costs, customers, truck stops, and more. By being friendly with them, they’ll be useful to you in return.
Always Check Your Truck After Parking
One of the most common mistakes many truckers make, especially those who are new to the profession, is to simply park up their trucks, switch off their engine, and walk away without taking the time to do a quick check around the vehicle first.
You’ll be surprised to see how many times you accidentally leave a blinker on or forget to turn off certain lights around the truck. It might only seem like a little thing, but this simple inconvenience can wear out your truck’s battery and lead to more wasted time and resources later on, so it’s a bad habit you’ll want to avoid.
Be Mindful of Your Health
Trucking isn’t an easy job. Many people make the mistake of thinking that it doesn’t require all that much skill, but any experienced trucker will be able to easily explain the pressures of this profession, especially when it comes to driving long routes through dark nights or rainy conditions, trying to hit deadlines and keep focus levels high for hours on end.
It’s very common for truckers to overlook their own well-being while trying to get the job done, forgetting to eat, drink or take breaks now and then. Make sure you avoid making the same mistake. Always take breaks when you need them and keep yourself hydrated and energized.
Find Ways to Pass the Time
As a trucker, you’ll be spending hours and hours sitting in the same seat, surrounded by the same cabin, driving along roads that may all start to look the same after a while. It can be boring and monotonous, and a little entertainment can help to liven up your journeys and keep you awake as well.
Try to find fun podcasts you can listen to while you drive or a reliable radio station you enjoy. You can even consider bringing audiobooks along to play while you work, as long as they don’t distract you from the road.
Final Word
Being a successful trucker requires a lot of hard work and patience, but if you follow these tips and have the right approach, you can have a long and happy career in this industry.
