The Golden Rule

  Exercise common courtesy for all drivers. Let them merge into traffic from entrance ramps or other lanes. Signal lane changes. If someone makes a mistake or drives aggressively, take three deep breaths and let it go.

  Keep a safe distance at all times and avoid tailgating to reduce the risk of accidents by allowing more reaction time for abrupt stops. Besides—it's a lot easier to see road signs, traffic signals, and changes in traffic if there's some distance between you and a truck in front of you.

Safe, courteous driving is no accident. By knowing and following the rules of the road and staying alert, you'll enjoy your time behind the wheel

1. Trucking is a very dangerous profession, about 600 drivers a year die in highway accidents.

2. Driving certain types of rigs like tankers and flatbeds is probably the most dangerous major occupations in the country.

3. About 55% of all class 8 (semis) driver fatalities occur in rollover accidents.

4. Another 10% occur in fuel oil fires.

  A pretrip inspection is one of the most important thing that can be done to help insure the safe operation of your vehicle. The pretrip inspection can catch items that will cause the vehicle not to operate correctly in an emergency situation. Checking items before you leave is the only way to know that if you need stop or change direction quickly you vehicle will operate the way you need it to. Once you are in a bad situation it is too late. Checking the brake adjustment is one major item can reduce your chance of an accident, once you need the brakes is not a good time to find out they are not working properly. Tire pressure is another item that should be check regularly, not only does it save money at the pump but if you have to swerve to avoid hitting something a low or flat tire can cause a vehicle to handle very poorly or even roll over. The lights on you vehicle should be checked regularly as well, if you can't see or be seen and you can not signal your intentions to other drivers you greatly increase your chances of an avoidable accident.    

These numbers are the cornering "g's" required to roll the vehicle. No car can generate 1.3 g's in cornering but your rig can probably generate 0.4 g's going around a corner or in a variety of other maneuvers involving steering. If you go around a curve too fast, you will go over, but you probably already knew this. Here are some things you may not know

You can roll your rig at speeds as low as 5 mph, especially on slopes or where a strong tipping influence is present. You can roll backing up if you're jackknifed.

  Safety Council estimates that 85% of collisions are preventable. But simply being in the right is not enough to save you from injury or death. You must be prepared for the unsafe actions of other motorists or for poor driving conditions

  Summer is construction season, and it is important to pay extra attention to your driving, as there are more people in leisure mode as they take road trips with their families or friends. With all the extra traffic and new lane restriction popping up every day road rage is on the upswing.  Here are a couple driving tips to remember when you take to the road in the summer heat.

   1.  Loosen up. Getting yourself worked up while driving won't get you there any faster.

   2.  Make your trip heavenly. Pleasurable travel depends on the mood inside your vehicle.

  "Give 'Em a Brake" and "Road Safe" are two national programs that deter drivers from traveling too fast around road construction crews. In 2000, 1,093 people died in highway construction zone fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That includes drivers, nondrivers and workers. So please "Give'em a brake" and slow down when you enter "the zone."

   As a professional driver you are held to a higher standard when it come to the rules of the road. A new attitude on the road will increase your ability to operate your vehicle safely and skillfully.