The Most Important Road Safety Tips Every HGV Driver Should Know

Being a truck driver is a demanding and high-risk job. You are in control of an 18 to 44 tonne vehicle that poses a large threat to other road users and pedestrians, so ensuring safety is critical, so how can truck drivers stay safe on the road?

Take a break

The number one rule for any long-distance drive is that you utilise your rest periods as tiredness when driving can not only put you, but others, at risk of an accident.

HGV driving jobs require you to spend several hours at a time on the road and up to 45 minutes for a break, so you should plan these into your route in advance. Stopping every 3 to 4 hours for 30-45 minutes allows for you to stretch your legs, grab a drink and enjoy some downtime from driving. After these breaks, your alertness and reaction times should be higher, which means you should pose less of a risk to other road users.

Plan in advance

As truck drivers are travelling long routes, sometimes cross country, you need to know where you’re going and the kind of roads you will drive on.

Use a Sat Nav or app like Google Maps to help you plan your route in advance, and you can then ensure that you have enough time and will arrive at your destination on time. Apps such as Google Maps can also be extremely useful when checking for road works, closures and delays as you should always factor these into your journey.

When planning your route, you should also consider the weather and the potential impact of this. Heavy rain and stormy weather can increase your journey time, as there may be delays on the road or road closures. You should know the weather conditions throughout the journey and keep up to date with this whilst on the road via radio weather reports.

Additionally, in case of a break down or accident, you should have access to emergency contact information, insurance details and roadside assistance so you can access help as soon as possible. You can keep a physical copy of insurance certificates in your truck cabin as well as digital copies on your phone.

Secure your trailer

You should never leave unless your load and trailer is secure. An un-secure trailer is at risk of getting damaged, which could be very costly.

Ensure your trailer load is evenly balanced for safe handling. In addition, you should never overload your truck’s load above the trailer’s weight capacity as this can put too much pressure on the axles, tyres and brakes which could lead to issues when trying to safely stop. This can damage the structure of the trailer and lead to expensive repairs trying to get this corrected.

Pre journey inspections

Inspecting your vehicle on a daily basis is crucial to ensure its road safety. Firstly, you should check your tyres for any nails, damage or cracking and ensure they have enough tread, so they are road legal.

Secondly, check your mirrors to ensure they’re clean and your trailer is visible in all positions. Next to check are your headlights, you should make sure that they are clean and clear from any debris and in full working order, so you are visible at all times, especially in darkness.

Finally, ensure your suspension is in full working order as they can be damaged from poor road surfaces and potholes. If you deem your vehicle not road safe, you shouldn’t drive as the condition may worsen and you are an increased threat to other road users.

Know your vehicle

Every HGV is different. From braking distances, turning circles to gearboxes, they are all slightly different. It is highly important to familiarise yourself with the handling of the vehicle you are driving. If you are driving a new vehicle for the first time, take the time to practice and get use to the trucks handling.

Furthermore, you should also be aware of the limitations for your vehicle, especially loading capacity and overloading your truck is not only highly dangerous as it puts more pressure on the suspension on brakes, it is also illegal and can lead to prosecution.

Understand road rules

You should know HGV road safety rules, especially on fast moving roads such as dual carriageways and motorways. On all UK motorways, HGV’s weighing over 7.5 tonnes should stay in the left-hand lane unless you are overtaking or moving over to allow a vehicle to join the motorway.

Furthermore, HGV’s are strictly prohibited from entering the right-hand lane of a motorway with three or more lanes.

Avoid distractions

In today’s modern world, drivers face many distractions that they have to ignore. Mobile phones should be placed in a secure location within your truck’s cab and not touched until you are parked up and secure. No phone call is worth putting your driving and other people at risk.

Other distractions include music as this could be too loud and distract you from focusing on the road ahead of you or missing key directions from your sat-nav, this can lead to you arriving at your destination late because you was re-routed.

Blocking out distractions and making time to deal with them when safe to do so, such as phone calls goes a long way when ensuring your and other road users’ safety.

Prevent tailgating

When driving an HGV, you should never tailgate the car in front of you as you can quickly lose sight of their whereabouts, especially if they brake suddenly and you haven’t or can’t see this from your position.

Tailgating could lead to an accident with disastrous implications for both the vehicle, passengers and truck driver.

Always leave plenty of space between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead as this distance is your reaction time should they unexpectedly hit the brakes. In wet, icy and snowy condition, the gap you leave yourself should be at least doubled to allow for you to come to a safe and complete stop.

Awareness

The most important factor when driving is safety. You should always be aware of your surroundings to spot any risks. You should also always remember that your HGV is the biggest vehicle on the road and poses the greatest risk to other road users.

When driving an HGV, you need to anticipate other drivers doing something rash and how you can react to this. Analysing other road users’ movement is useful when planning your own movement on the road.

For all HGV drivers, no matter how many years of experience you have, there’s always something different that can happen everyday, and you must be able to react to this by being aware and alert at all times.

Speed management

Speeding is dangerous in any vehicle, but even more in a 44-tonne truck that already has a greater braking distance than other vehicles. Speed limits are never a target, they are a maximum limit that you have to comply with otherwise you can be fined and prosecuted.

If you speed because you are in a rush, frustrated or angry, you put other road users as well as yourself in danger of an accident. Speeding is never the solution, and it may even cause you to get there later than expected if you have an accident or get stopped by police, additionally accumulating speeding points could even lead to you losing your job and your driving licence.

Steady acceleration and braking is not only better for fuel consumption, but in adverse weather conditions it is also far safer for yourself and other road users.

Remain level headed

When driving, you can become impacted by someone else’s actions and this can cause stress and frustration, which can then impact your driving. If you are caught in a case of road rage, you should always try to remain calm, regardless of the situation.

Driving when frustrated can lead to you driving in a more erratic manor, potentially putting yourself and other road users at risk, especially in a large commercial vehicle. Always take the time to pull over at the nearest safe location and cool down before continuing your journey.

Prioritise your health

Being healthy and fit to work is the most important factor to being an HGV driver, without this, you cannot work safely. To ensure that you are in good health, routinely visit your doctors so they can confirm that you are able to do your job.

Medicals assessments can test your reflexes, eyesight, memory and physical condition and will highlight any potential areas of concern that could mean you are not safe to be a HGV driver,

If you have any past medical conditions, you should make your employer and doctor aware from the start so this can be monitored.

Manage fatigue

Long hours driving can lead to fatigue and this is a major cause of accidents on UK roads. One single lapse of concentration can have a potentially massive impact so it is important to ensure you are not tired whilst behind the wheel.

Frequent breaks, staying hydrated and avoiding distractions from your phone and other road users can help you concentrate and ensure a safe journey.

Monitor the road

You should always monitor the road ahead for any potential hazards, such as roadworks, pedestrians or even cattle. These can cause delays or may not even be passable for your vehicle, causing you to find a different route.

You should also scan the road whilst driving for any objects or potholes that could cause damage to your tyres and truck.

Communication

It is critical to ensure that you communicate with other road users on your intentions. Using indicators clearly and early allows for drivers to anticipate your movement and also allows for you to safely change lane or direction. Additionally, you should always monitor your blind spots as cars can quickly disappear from view.

In busy urban settings, be particularly cautious around cyclists, motorbikes and pedestrians as these can more quickly in and out of view, especially at junctions and traffic lights.

Contact FleetEx Today

FleetEx are recognised suppliers of used trucks in the UK. We have an extensive range of vehicles from trusted brands and have the ability to ship our vehicles internationally. We handle all paperwork and strive to deliver a stress free experience.

Browse our range of used trucks online today and if you have any questions regarding our vehicles, please contact our friendly team and we’ll be happy to help.