Truck drivers face the challenge of driving long hours, often through the night to make deliveries on time. Many find themselves struggling to stay awake during long drives, which can lead to accidents. Here are a few tips to help truck drivers stay awake and alert while driving.
Winter weather brings with it many hazards that can affect your day-to-day driving if you’re not used to it. Each winter, flatbed drivers spend countless hours behind the wheel in awful conditions – everything from heavy snow to sleet to rain. Even if you don’t live in an area where winter weather is common, trucking companies will often place their inexperienced employees on routes through these areas during the winter months. Here are some tips and tricks to help you drive this winter.
Truck drivers do more than sit behind the wheel and ship goods all over the country. They operate some of the largest vehicles on the planet, while navigating through inclement weather and cities not designed for their weight or size. These drivers operate under a comprehensive regulatory regime managed by federal and state governments and insurance companies.
There is no precise guide for all truck drivers to follow when loading and unloading cargo off or on a flatbed truck. Despite this, a few comprehensive procedures can be followed to make these processes safer. The variety of loads transported on these trucks varies, so every truck driver should understand their own procedures. The following are four important safety measures that should be put in place when loading and unloading flatbed trailers.
Trailer ladders are relatively simple tools to use. Injuries from falling off a ladder are unfortunately quite common, with more than 100,000 people treated for them each year. With such alarming numbers, you cannot assume that your workers are familiar with their safety ladders. The following are some tips to help you instruct your workers on how to safely and effectively use these important tools.
There is a variety of safety equipment available on the market to protect workers from trailer falls. Workers who fall from flatbed trucks can be seriously injured and some even die from their injuries. Taking a proactive approach to safety can protect you and your workers from serious flatbed falls.
Deckmate Ladders are a portable ladder that will allow you to easily access your truck and trailer. This ladder works well with flatbed trailers, vans, dump trucks, reefers and semi-trailers. It will easily and quickly attach to the rub rail of any trailer so you can climb on or off. This eliminates the dangerous option of jumping from the trailer.
According to a report from the Trucking Safety Council of BC, falls from stationary vehicles account for about 46 percent of all falls experienced by truck drivers. This means that falling from a non-moving truck accounts for almost half of all falls that truck drivers experience. In total, falls from stationary vehicles account for 12 percent of all trucker-related injuries and $2.8 million in damages.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) does not define a ladder, but they accept the dictionary’s definition. Their standards are categorized by being either fixed or portable. A fixed ladder is one that is permanently attached to equipment, a structure, or a building. A portable one can be moved from one location to another as it is not attached. One other type of ladder in their categories is the mobile equipment ladder. This type is not required to be offset or have railed landings.