If you are a truck driver, you know that each season brings with it its own set of headaches. You deal with rain in the spring and snow in the winter. The winds pick up in the fall. What about summer? It would seem that summer driving would be a breeze. The sun is shining, it stays light for longer and the temperatures are pleasant. You aren’t the only person thinking those things.
When summertime hits, millions of people take to the roads. From family vacations to commuters, truck drivers have to deal with heavier amounts of traffic during the summertime. If you don’t know how to deal with congested roads and traffic jams, you could easily find yourself the participant in a roadway collision. Here are a few ways you can handle that summertime traffic you will be facing very soon.
1. Choose Your Time of Day Wisely
You may need to adjust your driving times during the summer if you want to avoid the heaviest traffic. The best times for you to get on the road are early in the morning and late at night. If you can drive Monday through Friday instead of on the weekends, you will be better off. The same times that are especially congested with commuters during the year — before and after the business day — will still be congested during the summer, so avoid them.
2. Be Defensive
Your safest driving habit will be to drive defensively. Assume that the car next to you is going to cut you off. You see that car trying to haul a mattress on its roof? Assume that mattress is going to come flying off toward your front tires. If you need to brush up on your defensive driving skills, now is the right time to enroll in a bit of continuing education.
3. Prep Your Cab
Now is the time to be ready for anything. Stock your cab with as many extra supplies as will fit. You should have a few jugs of drinking water, some non-perishable food items, sunblock, a small first aid kit, a couple of changes of clothes, and foil blankets. Being stranded on the side of the road during the heat of the summer is different than being stranded in the winter, though just as dangerous.
If you do happen to be involved in an accident, follow the procedures set forth by the law and your employer. Keep in mind that you can prepare yourself as much as possible, but you can’t avoid everything. While no trucker wants to be involved in a collision, it is always a possibility.
One of the best ways to protect yourself and your investment is to make sure that your emergency commercial roadside assistance coverage is up to date. We can help you with that. Call our team today and learn more about the affordable protection we offer truckers across the country.
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