The long months of snow and ice-covered winter driving for truckers is over (for now!)
As summer rolls around, temperatures rise, asphalt is heating up, and roads get busier with travel. During the hotter months, it’s important for truck drivers to keep cool and be considerate of mental health and stress levels. Heat stroke and dehydration are two real concerns for drivers.
4 Tips For Safe Summer Trucking
Here are four safety tips for truckers and companies to be mindful of this summer.
Wear Sunscreen
Spending hours driving can lead to extended sun exposure, leading to a higher risk of skin cancer. Statistics show that the left arm and face are 20 times more likely to get sun damage. This results in wrinkles, sagging, and brown spots. Even though sunblock is associated with summer, UV skin damage still happens from spring to winter.
Windows and cloudy days are not effective in blocking rays, which is why it’s essential to apply sunscreen every couple of hours as a trucker. Wearing long-sleeve shirts, a hat, and sunglasses are additional elements to protect your skin from the sun.
Stay Hydrated
It’s important to choose water and nutrient-dense snacks on the road. Staying hydrated and eating healthy on the road are two key components of staying alert. It can be easy to forget to nourish yourself on the road when you are focused on driving and multiple stops. Ditch sugar drinks and junk food can lead to dehydration, mental cloudiness, and nausea.
Pre-Trip Inspection
Inspecting your rig can catch costly repairs before they get worse. Even in summer, it’s important to check brakes regularly because higher temperatures can result in a loss of friction when the brakes can’t absorb any more heat. The heat also increases the chance of tire blowouts – be sure to check that all of your tires are properly inflated before you start driving. Understanding the most common things that lead to increased truck maintenance can help you identify potential issues.
Plan Your Trip Ahead of Time
During summer, there are more drivers on the road and plenty of construction to navigate. When possible, plan your trip ahead of time and choose alternate routes that can take you around high-traffic areas. Check weather forecasts so you can prepare for thunderstorms or tornadoes – roads can become flooded quickly in severe rain, which may put you behind schedule. Be willing to pull over and wait out the storm if driving conditions become too dangerous.