Important heavy haulage safety measures

Safety during heavy hauling is crucial to prevent damage of goods in transit, as well as to protect the well-being of the driver and other road users. There are standard safety measures that every heavy hauling company should maintain during these trips. They include:

Getting regular maintenance and standard pre-trip inspection

It is critical to maintain all heavy haulage vehicles in a perfect working condition. The demand for good performance is paramount when it comes to hauling heavy goods. The trucks should always have regular maintenance, especially for crucial parts such as braking systems, steering, wheel bearings, tires and transmission. Besides the regular maintenance, a standard policy of pre-trip inspection should also be implemented. Some working parts of the vehicle may be worn out or damaged in between the regular maintenance checkups making the pre-trip inspection crucial for safety.

Checking the weather forecast

Every trucking company should maintain a report on the weather conditions of all their routes. Extreme climate, such as rainstorms, heavy snow and tornadoes, affect driving abilities and techniques. With prior information on the expected weather, drivers can make strategic pit stops in between bad weather conditions to avoid being caught out on the road where chance of having an accident is very high.

Training drivers

Not every truck driver can drive a heavy hauling truck over a long distance. It takes special training to be able to handle these massive machines on the road. Defensive driver training is necessary such as how to handle slippery roads, blowouts or other motorists cutting. The drivers should also get training on how to handle accident situations, how to keep their workplace safe and even how to read the road signs. They should be able to handle sharp corners, gradients and angles of curves and so on.

Testing for drugs and alcohol

Allowing intoxicated drivers to handle heavy machinery such as these heavy-duty trucks is completely unacceptable. The results may be catastrophic. The trucking company should conduct routine drug and alcohol testing just to keep the drivers on their toes.

Avoiding fatigue

One of the biggest challenges that truck drivers face is driving over long distances while facing many challenges on the road. Fatigue is a big risk that can lead to very bad accidents. The driver schedule should be organized in a way to give them maximum rest time. Driving in pairs can also help ease the burden especially when there is a very large distance to cover.