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THETRUCKER.COM JULY 2022 • 15
BUSINESS
SAFETY SERIES
Keep safety in mind while
driving, even when it’s
necessary to be aggressive
CLIFF ABBOTT | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Anyone who has driven a commercial vehicle
professionally has likely received a ton
of training in defensive driving. Whether the
training is from the National Safety Council,
the Smith System, an insurer of a trucking
businesses or some other source, the focus
always points to keeping yourself out of accidents,
regardless of who might be a fault for
causing them.
However, some situations call for driving
that, for lack of a better term, is aggressive
in nature. Turns made at intersections, for
example, sometimes require the driver of a
commercial truck to occupy more than one
lane or to turn into a lane with oncoming
traffic, occupying the space before another
motorist does. Another example is merging
your vehicle into another lane, as when the
signs say that the lane you’re in is coming
to an end. Your turn signal is on, but traffic
in the lane you need doesn’t seem to notice.
At some point, you’ll need to either change
lanes or come to a stop.
Some types of aggressive driving, such as
FLEET FOCUS
traveling too close to the vehicle ahead in
hopes of intimidating the driver into speeding
up or moving over, are simply foolhardy.
At other times, such as the examples just
mentioned, being aggressive is almost a necessity
— as long as it can be done safely.
There are rules to any sort of aggressive
driving.
First and foremost, aggressive maneuvers
should be used only when absolutely necessary.
Every driver faces intersections where it
is impossible to make a turn without using
a part of a lane used by oncoming traffic. If
traffic is light enough, it is sometimes possible
to use that space without much accident
risk. When traffic is heavy, however, it’s
another story. Picking the right time to pull
out, making sure oncoming traffic is aware of
what you’re doing, is the key.
It’s also important to understand the risk
of the maneuver you’re planning to make.
Will other traffic have time to slow down
or stop when you make the maneuver? For
a lane change, for example, turn signals are
Preparation is key to passing
DOT roadside inspections
Drivers are often surprised when a DOT
roadside inspection turns up one or more
issues, especially if those issues are of the
shut down variety.
In the majority of cases, however,
discrepancies on an inspection end up
being relatively simple issues that could
easily have been taken care of before the
inspection … if only someone had checked.
Violations can be costly in terms of
fines, as well as lost time, late deliveries
and missed loads. The cost of repairs on the
road, such as a service call to the parking lot
of a scale house, can be very high.
There are multiple levels of inspections
performed on commercial vehicles, but the
vast majority fall into Levels 1, 2 and 3.
A Level 3 inspection deals with the
driver and compliance with the rules. The
inspector will look at the driver’s CDL to
determine that it’s valid and is appropriate
for the vehicle driven and the cargo being
hauled. All too often, drivers are cited for not
having their CDL with them or for driving
on a CDL that has been suspended for issues
like child support payments. Expired CDLs
aren’t uncommon, either.
The driver is also required to have a
CLIFF ABBOTT | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
medical examiner’s certificate. Usually
this is on file with the state that issued the
CDL, but some states require the driver to
carry a copy. Some drivers have difficulty
keeping track of the expiration date on their
certificate and fail to get a new one in time.
The inspector will also look at the
driver’s record of duty status, either through
the electronic logging device (ELD) or
by inspecting logbooks, if the driver is
authorized to use them.
The permit book falls into this inspection
level, too. Authority, registration, IFTA
authorization and other documents will be
inspected, as well as any permits required
in the state in which the inspection is
conducted. Proof of insurance will also be
checked. Drivers who never look in their
permit books are often surprised to find
they are found lacking.
The inspector may also check for seatbelt
use and look for signs of drug use or alcohol
impairment.
Passing a Level 3 inspection is mostly a
matter of making sure all documents are up
to date and in the driver’s possession.
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iStock Photo
Turns made at intersections sometimes require the driver of a commercial truck to occupy more than one lane or to
turn into a lane with oncoming traffic, occupying the space before another motorist does.
only one form of communicating your intentions.
Lane positioning can help others understand
your intentions, too. Even a slight
shift of your vehicle from the center of your
lane to the edge closest to the lane you want
can help communicate what you’re doing to
others.
A part of understanding the risk is this:
Never assume that the other driver will react
as you would.
As a professional driver, you would know
how to react when a large vehicle is moving
into the lane ahead. An amateur, however,
may not be able to see the cones and barrels
in the lane ahead of the truck, and he or she
may not be prepared for movement. Worse,
the motorist may decide to accelerate, attempting
to get ahead of the truck moving
into the lane. After all, big trucks are slow
and cumbersome, while cars are fast and agile,
right?
In another scenario, commercial vehicle
drivers sometimes have difficulty making left
turns against oncoming traffic. After waiting
for what seems a long time for an opening in
traffic, drivers sometimes see a gap and go
for it. In some cases, the speed of the oncoming
traffic is underestimated. In other cases,
an assumption is made that oncoming vehicles
will see the large truck turning in front
of them and will slow, as necessary, to avoid
a collision.
In this case, the problem is that the turn
isn’t complete until the trailer clears the intersection.
That can be as long as 20 to 25
seconds after the driver initiates the turn.
An oncoming vehicle travelling 55 mph can
cover one-third to one-half of a mile in that
time frame, perhaps reaching the intersection
before the trailer clears. If that driver is
distracted in any way, the turning truck may
not be seen until it’s too late to react.
Driving defensively should be the default
attitude of every professional. Where driving
aggressively could put you at the mercy
of mistakes made by others, defensive driving
helps protect you from the consequences
of those mistakes. So, while you’re figuring
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