You’ve completed your truck driver training and have found work as either a commercial or owner operator truck driver. As you know, there are two types of learning: what you learn at driving school and what the road teaches you. The difference between the two is vast and it will take years before you learn most of what the road has to teach you. Here are five tips to help you start the journey:
Keep In Touch With Your Family
Truck driving often demands being on the road for weeks at a time. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t stay in touch with your family. Get a mobile device such as a tablet and sign up with a web cam service. Let your family know what you’re up to by sharing photos, videos, and talking about your experiences. Stay on top of what’s going on at home and stay involved.
Get Plenty Of Sleep
Driving long hours while physically exhausted is not only miserable, it’s dangerous. While fatigue is dangerous for experienced drivers, it’s especially so for new drivers unaccustomed to long hours of driving. Get 8 hours of sleep every night and pull over at a rest stop whenever you’re feeling exhausted. Coffee or even chewing a stick of gum will help you get to a rest stop where you can take a nap. Don’t exclusively rely on coffee to keep you going because its effects weaken with constant use, and your reflexes and judgment will suffer.
Look After Your Health
Do 15 minute exercise routines twice a day. They can be as simple as a brisk walk around a rest stop. If there’s enough room in your truck, you might try running in place, jumping jacks, or even using a jump rope. You’re not obliged to eat at every fast food joint, diner, or truck stop you come across. Bring or buy healthy food at stores and prepare sandwiches, snacks, and prepare food with a slow cooker. Road side food joints should be the exception rather than the rule. Use them for occasional food variety.
Drive Safe
Truck driving is a dangerous job and the only way to avoid accidents and injury is putting safety first. Always wear your seatbelt, observe speed limits, maintain safe following distances, watch your blind spots, and slow down on curves. These are only a few of the many safety issues to keep in mind when driving. For the sake of yourself and others on the road, be safety conscious.
Get Insurance
Sometimes accidents happen even to the most cautious and experienced drivers. Truck insurance protects you, your truck, and your cargo in case of an accident. The economic welfare of yourself and your family are on the line so choose your insurance carrier and policy carefully. If you are looking for commercial or owner operator truck insurance in Texas that provides affordable insurance for trucking rigs of any size, contact us at J.E.B. Insurance Services, LLC.
