5 Things Professional Truckers Should NEVER Do

Being a professional truck driver offers individuals many perks and opportunities, such as seeing new sites and places, being free on the open road, and expanding your network and career knowledge. However, to become a professional truck driver, you first and foremost need to be a safe driver. 

As one of the best trucking companies in the country, the safety of our professional, qualified drivers, as well as others on the road, is our top priority. Here are five things professional truckers should NEVER do! 

Text and Drive

Texting and driving is the number one no-no for not only truck drivers, but any driver. However, this term doesn’t only mean “texting”. In fact, professional truckers should always avoid being on their phone while driving, no matter what. Truckers who text and drive completely disregard the safety of other drivers, as well as his or her own safety. Be smart, don’t text and drive!

Give unauthorized passengers rides

Another thing that professional truck drivers should never do is give any unauthorized passenger a ride. Sometimes, truckers will give friends or family members rides to certain destinations on their route. However, doing so is highly restricted and ultimately not allowed. 

Drive too fast for road conditions

As a professional truck driver, it’s your job to know how to drive on certain road conditions. This primarily pertains to those who drive in colder areas of the country during the winter months when ice and snow may be present. If the roads are wet, snowy, or icy, it’s a good idea to simply slow down. As a professional driver, do not feel inclined to travel at the speed limit if the roads are bad. 

Travel too fast when descending a steep hill

Another thing professional truckers should never do is travel too quickly while driving down a steep hill. When driving down a hill, you naturally pick up speed. When truckers do not take caution, the high downhill speed can cause drives to lose control. Every professional driver should take hills slow to ensure they are keeping themselves and their truck safe. 

Let your ELD make all of your decisions

Lastly, ELD’s or electronic logging devices offer truckers many benefits. This technology allows truckers to see how many hours they have been driving as well as how much longer they need to drive. However, when drivers notice that their ELD says they are running out of driving time, sometimes they tend to speed up and try to maximize the remaining time. This can create unsafe driving that is unnecessary. Professional drivers should not let their ELD dictate how safe they need to drive!

As one of the best trucking companies throughout the country, we want to make sure all professional drivers are keeping themselves and others safe while on the road. It’s important to be mindful while driving, and avoid doing any of the five things listed above!