Before backing, always get out of the cab and evaluate the situation. Look at the surrounding area and make sure you have enough room to maneuver. Check clearance on all sides. Don’t forget to look overhead for wires, tree branches or dock canopies. Note any existing damage to such structures before backing to avoid getting blamed for existing damage. Make sure there is nothing behind you including a pile of pallets, posts, barriers, or parked cars. Never back around a corner.

Back from the driver’s side if possible. This allows you to use your mirrors and still be able to look out the driver’s side window and down the driver’s side of the vehicle. Start the backing movement as close to the dock as possible.

Use a competent spotter whenever possible. Get your signals straight with your spotter before you start to back and remember, you are still responsible for any accident.

If a spotter is not available, you may need to get out of the vehicle several times to reevaluate your progress.

You should also be aware that the situation may change quickly. The space that was clear only moments ago when you checked may now have a pedestrian in it or another vehicle that has pulled into the area. If you are using a spotter, make sure you can see the spotter at all times. He/she may have moved and now may be between the trailer and the dock!

Go slowly. Backing slowly and correctly the first time means you don’t have to take another shot at it. If you do need to make a correction, pull forward and try again.

Keep your mirrors properly adjusted. Proper mirror placement will result in a minimum amount of movement on your part while in the cab of the unit. If you are constantly having to lean forward or back in order to see well with your mirrors, they probably need adjusting.

Always back out of traffic, not into it. Never back across a street, especially at night, unless traffic in both directions has been stopped. Most backing accidents are minor, but they can be very costly or even deadly.

We all have good days and bad days, but does a bad day excuse hurting or even killing another motorist? No matter what the circumstances, the professional driver must keep moods under control.

We all are capable of losing our tempers, especially when we see some of the risky or thoughtless things other drivers do. The mark of a truly professional driver is learning how to handle anger without endangering others or self.

Since 1987, the number of miles of roadway has increased 1 percent, while the number of miles driven has gone up 35 percent. More vehicles, bigger vehicles, more congestion, slower travel in urban areas and more frustration have all resulted in senseless acts of road rage. The peak moment for aggressive driving comes not during gridlock but just before, when traffic is moving briskly. That’s when lane changes or cutting others off raises the blood pressure and incites anger.

What can you do to control your own temper and keep from being the object of someone else’s anger? First, learn to anticipate others’ actions. Keep your focus on driving, not on the radio, cellphone, telematics, or the occupants in the car beside you. Try to avoid congested areas at rush hour. Tone down the level of noise in the cab of the truck. Make it a point to take deep breaths to help keep your senses alert. Be aware of the traffic around you. As passenger vehicles have gotten bigger, the attitude of the drivers has changed. They feel more invincible and thus take more risks. This may explain the way some professionals drive!

Your own physical condition may play a big role in your moods and how well you react to others. Avoid fatigue. The world always looks better to a well-rested person. Eat sensibly. Fast food or junk foods can cause drastic swings in blood chemistry. Sweets cause a spike in blood sugars followed by an inevitable plunge that can alter your mood. Eat balanced meals, easy on the coffee and spicy foods that can upset your stomach and your day.

The best advice – keep a positive outlook on life and keep your cool.

Fatigue is a state of mind as well as a condition of the body. It is our unconscious response to physical or mental activity. It’s more than just being tired or sleepy, and it can kill you.

Being tired or sleepy may be a symptom of fatigue, but additional symptoms include loss of attention, slower reactions, poor judgment and deterioration of vigilance, alertness and response.

Some of the causes of fatigue are obvious, others are not. Fatigue may result from inadequate rest, sleep apnea, disrupted sleep, stress, excessive physical activity or excessive mental or cognitive work including thinking, reasoning and decision-making. In short, everything you do as a truck driver contributes to fatigue.

Fortunately for you and the motoring public, fatigue can be prevented. The number one preventive measure is proper rest. Follow all current hours-of-service regulations which are meant to ensure proper rest. This includes not only the quantity or amount of sleep that you get, but also the quality of the sleep or rest. Everyone is different so it is important for you to know your limits and to rest before you reach those limits. You also should not make the mistake of thinking that rest and sleep are the same thing. In the battle with fatigue, there is no substitute for sleep. Like food and water, the body requires it.

Driving a truck requires a constant alertness and ability to size up and react to an ever-changing pattern of traffic. How can you keep that edge? It helps to have a comfortable environment, but not too comfortable. A cool, air-conditioned cab will help. Even in the winter, keep it cool. Stop every couple of hours for a brief walk. Circulation is important to keep the blood oxygenated. A few deep breaths also will help. Many drivers rely on coffee and other caffeine sources including cola drinks or caffeine pills to stay awake. Caffeine can produce a relatively quick improvement in alertness but its effects are not a cure for fatigue. Once again, there is no substitute for sleep. How then do you get quality sleep as well as an adequate quantity of sleep? Surprisingly, you start with proper diet and nutrition. Next, get some exercise. When it is time to sleep, don’t rely on alcohol or other system depressants. Establish a routine or rhythm for sleep time. Have a good sleeping surface, one that is supportive and comfortable. Keep your bedroom or sleeper berth at a comfortable temperature. Minimize disruptive factors including light and noise. Use heavy curtains if necessary.

Fatigue is one of the most preventable accident factors, so get proper sleep.

It’s time to prepare your equipment for the upcoming harsh conditions before winter arrives. Don’t wait for the first cold snap. Start putting your survival gear together now. You may need: sleeping bag, gloves, candles, matches, water, protein bars, ski mask, flashlight, extra batteries, cellphone, auxiliary in-cab heater and a multi-use tool (all-in-one knife, screwdriver, can opener, etc.).

For your vehicle, consider: fuel additives, air-drying system, tire chains, lock lubricant, deicer, battery charger and starting fluid. One of the most important things to check is your antifreeze. Make sure the antifreeze you use meets your manufacturer’s recommendations and is mixed at the correct concentration.

Some things to check that you may not normally look at or even think about include:

• Fan blades
• Radiator shutter or winterfront
• Fan combination settings (the shutter setting should be about 10° under the fan clutch setting)
• Radiator coolant levels
• Thermostat calibration set to open at about 180° F
• Water pump – leak and flow rate
• Hoses, clamps and belts
• Fuel system
• Engine oil heaters and oil grade specifications
• Electrical systems and battery terminals
• Air systems – drain any water in the lines and check often to prevent brake freeze up.
• Tires – each 10° drop in temperature lowers air pressure by one pound.
• Locks and hinges adequately lubricated

Your battery is especially important. If you need to add fluid, use distilled water to fill the cells. Check a conventional lead acid battery with a hydrometer. A reading of 1.26 is fully charged. For a maintenancefree battery, use a voltmeter and look for a reading of 12.7 volts. If your battery freezes, warm it up to about 60° before charging. Overcharging will damage the battery.

Fuel problems start when the temperature gets down to around 2°. Drain your water separator each night to prevent freezing and fill your tanks at day’s end.

2. Move you head to a normal position. Begin pulling the top of the mirror down. Keeping your head straight, look to your left and move the mirror until you can see the road behind you.

3. Adjust the passenger side mirror. Move your head to the right until it is in the center of the cab. Start with the mirrors in a perpendicular position. Move the mirror toward you until you can see a sliver of your truck in the left side of the mirror.

4. Move your head to a normal position and pull the mirror down until you can see the ground next to the trailer in the bottom of the mirror. You have less peripheral visibility in this mirror, so it may have to be tilted down more than the other mirror.

5. Sit in your normal position and reassess both mirrors. If you think your vision falls short, bring your mirrors up and out a bit. Be careful not to compromise the visibility of the part of the road behind your periphery, as this is the crucial blind spot area.
 
Checking Your Blind Spot
Those driving trucks must effectively drive with blind spots even when their mirrors are correctly positioned. However, this method should ensure that the mirrors are positioned outward enough to minimize them. 
 
Changing Lanes
When changing lanes, always indicate to other drivers your intention of changing lanes or turning by using your directional signals. Check outside mirrors carefully for vehicles and before making the lane change, make sure to take a direct look with a “lean and look”. This will reduce the risk of a lane change accident.

Because the highway use tax is currently scheduled to expire on September 30, 2011, this extension is designed to alleviate any confustion and possible multiple filings that could result if Congress reinstates or modifies the tax after that date. Under temporary and proposed regulations filed today in the Federal REgister, the November 30 filinf deadline for Form 2290, Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax Return, for the tax period that begins on July 1, 2011, applies to vehicles used during July, as well as those first used during August or September. Returns should not be filed and payments should not be made prior to November 1.

To aid truckers applying for state vehicle registration on or before November 30, the new regulations require states to accept as proof of payment the stamped Schedule 1 of the Form 2290 issued by the IRS for the prior tax year, ending on June 30, 2011. Under federal law, state governments are required to receive proof of payment of the federal highway use tax as a condition of vehicle registration. Normally, after a taxpayer files the return and pays the tax, the Schedule 1 is stamped by the IRS and returned to filers for this purpose. A state normally may accept a prior year’s stamped Schedule 1 as a substitute proof of payment only through September 30.

For those acquiring and registering a new or used vehicle during the July-to-November period, the new regulations require a state to register the vehicle, without proof that the highway use tax was paid, if the person registering the vehicle presents a copy of the bill of sale or similar document showing that the owner purchased the vehicle within the previous 150 days.

In general, the highway use tax applies to truck, truck tractors and buses with a gross taxable weight of 55,000 pounds or more. Ordinarily, vans, pick-ups and panel trucks are not taxable because they fall below the 55,000 pound threshold.

For trucks and other taxable vehicles in use during July, the Form 2290 and payment are, under normal circumstances, due on August 31. The tax of up to $550 per vehicle is based on weight, and a variety of special rules apply to vehicles with minimal road use, logging or agricultural vehicles, vehicles transferred during the year and those first used on the road after July.

Last year, the IRS received about 650,000 Forms 2290 and highway use tax payments totaling $886 million.

• Traffic around you – Look for approaching traffic as well as for vehicles coming onto the highway or turning into the passing lane. There should be at least twice the distance you will actually need to pass between you and any oncoming vehicles. Passing safely requires the cooperation of both drivers, the one passing and the one being passed. You should only consider passing if you are driving at least 10 mph faster than the vehicle that you would like to pass, and you can do so safely and legally. It is also important to look to the rear to make sure no vehicle is passing you or close behind you in the left lane.
• Road conditions - Look for hills, curves, intersections, construction zones, traffix signals and other road conditions that may affect your ability to safely pass.
• Weather conditions -  Extra precautions are necessary during inclement weather and twilight hours. Oncoming vehicles may not be easily visible at these times, especially if they aren’t using their headlights. Check for sufficient road traction. Avoid passing on a slippery road.

A jackknife can occur at almost any speed, but speed too fast for conditions is the most frequent cause. Tractor skid results from a variety of causes including wheel lockup and over-braking.

There are several factors to consider before you start your next trip to help avoid a jackknife situation.

First, think about the condition of your vehicle.

• Do a thorough pretrip inspection, especially of brakes and air lines.
• Consider the current weather conditions and those you will be driving in. We often think of jackknifes being more of a cold weather problem caused by snow or ice, but summer rain after a long dry spell can cause oily buildup to be especially trecherous.
• Maintain safe following distance.
• Give yourself time to react gradually and to apply your brakes accordingly. Sudden, sharp movements and brake action may cause a jackknife.

Know your load and your road.

• Weight distribution of the load may affect braking action.
• Type of road surface, uneven lane changes, or road-to-bridge surface changes may all contribute to loss of control, which can result in an overreaction and ultimately a jackknife.

As has been noted, a variance of 15 degrees between the tractor and trailer can place you out of control. You must regain traction and steering control before you get to that point. Steering control and traction can only be achieved if the tires are rolling, not skidding. This concept applies to every axle from the steering axle to the back trailer axle. Stay off the service brakes and do whatever is necessary to release the trailer emergency brakes. Take your foot off the accelerator. Countersteer only as much as necessary, don’t oversteer. Aim your line of sight to where you want to go and steer in that direction. When you have a little traction, accelerate slightly to pull the trailer back into alignment.

There are about 5200 commercial vehicle unintentional jackknifes every year. Fortunately, 76% of them involve property damage only, but 19% involve injuries and 5% involve one or mor

We all are capable of losing our tempers, especially when we see some of the risky or thoughtless things other drivers do. The mark of a truly professional driver is learning how to handle anger without endangering others or self.

Since 1987, the number of miles of roadway has increased 1%, while the number of miles driven has gone up 35%. More vehicles, bigger vehicles, more congestion, slower travel in urban areas and more frustration have all resulted in senseless acts of road rage. The peak moment for aggressive driving comes not during gridlock but just before, when traffic is moving briskly. That’s when lane changes or cutting others off raises the blood pressure and incites anger.

What can you do to control your own temper and keep from being the object of someone else’s anger? First, learn to anticipate others’ actions. Keep your focus on driving, not on the radio, cellphone, telematics, or the occupants in the car beside you. Try to avoid congested areas at rush hour. Tone down the level of noise in the cab of the truck. Make it a point to take deep breaths to help keep your senses alert. Be aware of the traffic around you. As passenger vehicles have gotten bigger, the attitude of the drivers has changed. They feel more invincible and thus take more risks. This may explain the way some professionals drive!

Your own physical condition may play a big role in your moods and how well you react to others. Avoid fatigue. The world always looks better to a well-rested person. Eat sensibly. Fast food or junk foods can cause drastic swings in blood chemistry. Sweets cause a spike in blood sugars followed by an inevitable plunge that can alter your mood. Eat balanced meals, easy on the coffee and spicy foods that can upset your stomach and your day.

The best advice – keep a positive outlook on life and keep your cool.