If you own a trucking business, you have a lot of responsibilities keeping your drivers safe while they’re on the road for long hours. Truck driving can have a lot of challenges and risks, so your drivers need to be sufficiently trained and prepared for their tasks. Here are a few things that your truck drivers need to do before leaving on a trip.
A Maintenance Inspection
Everyday a pre-trip inspection must be done for each driver, however these are often neglected. You need to make sure that each of your truckers does a comprehensive maintenance inspection on their vehicle before they leave for a trip. There are a lot of issues that could develop over time with any vehicle, and these issues are only exacerbated with a large, heavy vehicle such as a truck. Some possible maintenance issues that might happen are worn, defective tires, failed brakes, broken lights, and more. If you don’t take care of these issues as they arise, your drivers could end up stranded with a broken-down truck or in a vehicle accident.
An Emergency Kit
Next, you need to make sure that each of your truckers has an emergency kit before they leave on a trip. This doesn’t mean just your average emergency kit that consists of some Band-Aids and cleaning pads. It also doesn’t refer to your normal road kit either. Since commercial trucks are so large, they have a lot of special tools that are needed to maintain the trucks. So, you’ll need a specialized emergency kit to take care of your drivers. Truck drivers are likely to need roadside assistance at some point on their trips. If they have an emergency kit, it will keep them from dangerous risks.
A Mapped Route
Finally, your drivers need a well-planned and well-mapped route to take on their trip. Even though this might not seem like a huge deal, it can actually determine whether or not your drivers complete their trips on time. During different seasons, certain routes might be blocked or unavailable for the load being carried. For example, if your truckers are needing to pass through major cities, there needs to be a route that skips any residential or weight restricted areas. So, make sure that each of your drivers takes the time to carefully map each route before their trips.
If you’re trying to guarantee that your drivers will be safe on the road, remember to get them a maintenance inspection, an emergency kit, and a well-mapped route. Make sure that you do any additional research if your drivers have unique conditions that they’ll be dealing with on their routes. Even though your truck drivers might grow accustomed to their job and routine, make sure that they’re always taking these safety measures so they won’t run into danger on the road.
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