Tag Archives: big-rigs

Accidents Affecting Heavy Duty Trucks

In recent years, the number of road mishaps including heavy-duty trucks is significantly higher. We are not talking about the small pickup trucks carrying furniture around; we are talking about those 18-wheelers that can provoke disasters on the highways. Even though the reasons behind these accidents can vary, the majority is the fault of the driver of these massive trucks. Ironically, even if those drivers are responsible, they usually go away from those kinds of accidents in one piece because of the robust construction of the truck.

A serious crash involving a truck typically involves a couple of small cars, injuries and probably death. Should you want to avoid these types of crashes, you probably need to get better at defensive driving. The unfortunate part is, in truck driving school, they are only taught how to drive fast, and completely ignore the concept of safe driving. It really is crucial that your instructor train you on everything and that you carry on studying on your free time.

Lots of people think that driving a semi truck is as easy as driving a regular car. Although they both actually do the same things, they are two very different vehicles. A small-scale car involves less attention, the maneuverability is higher and even the accidents involving small cars are less dangerous. The difference is apparent when you try to imagine parking your car and then visualize parking a big 18 wheeler.

A substantial number of accidents involving trucks originate from tiredness. While transport companies are expected to present reasonable transport times, like three days for distances up to 1500 kilometers, many drivers spend their time at home then try to do everything in one day. 24 hours of driving a truck is not so easy even for the most skilled driver, and it requires coffee, energizers and other methods to stay awake.

The most impressive transfer companies attempt to avoid those scenarios by installing GPS on the cars. This way, the driver is obligated to drive only for 8 hours, he won’t be able to break the speed limit, and he will have to adhere to the rules of the road. Even if the expenses are higher in the short term, you will see the positive aspects later. First of all, just think about the costs if one of your trucks is involved in a massive accident. Plus, your clients will certainly recognize your efforts to see that goods are delivered in a safe and secure manner.

There are a few times when drivers would rather take the truck driver’s license and skip the standard car test. Even though this scenario is rare, it happens. Nevertheless, it is actually better to take the traditional method: take your license for driving small and medium cars, and get to the big cars later. By having a decent foundation of basic driving knowledge, you will be able to become a very safe and effective truck driver later.