Poor Driving Habits That Impact Semi-Trucks

While truck drivers may do everything in their power to take care of their truck and protect it from road hazards and bad weather, few consider how they themselves may pose a threat to their truck while traveling across the country. Let’s talk about poor driving habits that impact semi-trucks.

Rapid Acceleration

The proper way to accelerate a truck is to gently press down on the pedal in a low gear and then switch to a higher gear once you pick up speed. However, a common habit of drivers in all vehicles is to accelerate too rapidly. The immense weight of your truck combined with sudden acceleration puts a lot of strain on the engine and burns an unnecessary amount of fuel. To get better mileage and protect your engine, try to be more mindful about how hard you press the gas pedal.

Straining the Brakes

The most common of the poor driving habits that impact semi-trucks are drivers who either slam on the brakes or keep their foot on the brake when going downhill. While understandable, you’d want to be cautious going downhill with all that weight. Doing so places a lot of stress on the brake pads, and the friction wears them down. Soon, you’ll quickly find your brakes aren’t working nearly as well as they should.

Lack of Awareness

When you’ve spent a long time on the open road, a lot of drivers develop a dangerous sense of tunnel vision, which is colloquially referred to as “highway hypnosis.” To always keep yourself aware of your surroundings, make sure your truck is equipped with functioning aftermarket commercial truck mirrors so you can eliminate blind spots and see your surroundings. Furthermore, if you find yourself having trouble focusing or stay awake after driving for a long time, it’s vital you pull off the highway and take a break—otherwise, you risk dozing off and causing an accident.