There is an abundance of reasons for the continuation of safety for heavy vehicle driving, from less hazardous roads, to heavy duty vehicle design, to speed limitations, and within this advice piece we will share a bunch of our safety tips to ensure the equipment you are transporting is of no danger to yourself, other motorists or pedestrians and people on work sites.
- Check your vehicle
It’s always a wise idea to carry out regular inspections and maintenance to know for sure that you are behind the wheel of a machine that is reliable and passes all safety measures. If you heavy duty vehicle is involved in an accident on the road or on site, insurers will firstly check on these specifications to confirm whether there will be legal repercussions.
- Accident policy
Always have a procedure for how to deal with an accident that your vehicle is involved with, even if you are not at fault. A company that has good safety policies will have a protocol in place for their drivers for when the unexpected occurs. Take on training sessions to learn the potential hazards of being on the road, as such larger vehicles that carry haulage equipment have a different set of rules that are more stringent than the average driver.
- Get the weather reports
No two days are the same for weather conditions, which is a major factor when assessing whether it’s safe for your haulage truck or lorry to be in transit and amongst other vehicle. Check the forecast the day before your journey and on the morning your depart, in case of a sudden change. Making long distance journeys may involve the passing through of different climates and weather conditions that are sometimes difficult to navigate through, such as heavy wind, icy surfaces and flash floods. No your routes and inform your colleagues of your intentions.
- Check fuel
This may seem like the obvious starting point but many a driver has fallen victim to not filling up their haulage vehicle and run the risk of an empty tank way before reaching the intended destination. Not only does a low fuel count put a strain on the engine of your truck but it can cause major delays for your journey, that may result in a large project being held up. As well as checking fuel, ensure that all other inspections are carried out such as no water or oil leaks, the lights, steering, brakes are all working and there’s enough water, fuel and oil to last the duration.
- Keep good records
Always know the volume and quantity of good about your truck or trailer, for the purposes of delivering the full load and avoiding missing items that have been dislodged and fallen in the road during your journey. Even a single, item such as a hook, chain or rope can cause big problems if it collides with smaller cars and bikes in their path.
This article was written on behalf of All-Ways Rigging Gear, a specialist in haulage equipment and training services in Australia. More information can be found online at: www.all-ways.com.au