There’s no way to deny it. Sometimes, life as a trucker is filled with challenges. The trucker’s job allows for a lot of freedom. Still, you still need to be a professional while on the road. Additionally, there are certain rules and guidelines to follow. If you want to put your best foot forward while on the job, here are a few important things to keep in mind. Avoid these mistakes, and you’ll have a good track record on the road.

Don’t Drive While Distracted

This seems pretty obvious, but it’s important to repeat it anyway. There’s never a good reason to text, take a phone call, look at a map, or be distracted in any other way while you’re driving. The safety risks just aren’t worth it.

It’s best to take advantage of time when you’re stopped, such as refueling, resting, or loading/unloading to plan out your route and catch up on correspondence. Therefore, you won’t have to worry about these things while behind the wheel.

Make Rest a Priority

Driving while tired is another, and potentially even more form of distracted driving. When a person is tired, it gets harder for them to focus on the task they need to do. This can have dangerous, even fatal consequences. When you’re driving, you need to be 100% focused. Pull over and sleep when you absolutely need to. Your employer wouldn’t want you to risk your safety in order to make a deadline.

It can also help to make sleep a priority during your rest period, so you don’t experience fatigue while on the road. Sleep as much as you can when you have the opportunity to do so.

Take It Slow When Descending a Hill

Many truck drivers have shared scary stories of speeding down large hills. If you descend too quickly, you’ll have a much harder time engaging the brakes, and you may begin to lose control of the vehicle. You definitely don’t want that! Pick a low gear and descend slowly down hills.

If you have any other advice for truckers, drop it in the comments below!