Situational Safety Precaution Tips for New Towing Drivers
Forklift transport and the transport of other heavy-duty machines can be an exciting experience as well as a nervous one, especially for a newbie. You can attribute such feelings to the numerous safety procedures that are undertaken before transportation gets underway. However, such procedures are meant to protect you, the driver, and the client's property. As a new tow truck driver, you should keep the safety procedure handbook with you at all times. Aside from that, try to go beyond the safety guide because heavy-duty transport situations and sites are unique. Therefore, what might have worked in one situation may require out-of-the-ordinary safety procedures in another. This article explores three situational safety precaution tips.
Physical Blind Spot Check -- It is the responsibility of employers to provide drivers with towing vehicles that have adequate mirrors. Since hauling trucks are specialised vehicles, it is critical that they are fitted with enough mirrors to assist in the elimination of blind spots. However, as a new truck driver, make a point of looking for blind spots physically. Once the forklift has been secured firmly onto the vehicle, get out and ensure that nothing is standing in the way of your truck. Physically checking for blind spots builds your confidence on the road.
Stay on the Ground -- As mentioned earlier, your first tow duty might make you nervous concerning safety. As such, you might be tempted to get onto the truck as you place fasteners over and around the cargo. Do not do that. As much as you want to ensure that the forklift is safely secured, getting onto a truck with an unsecured load is a safety hazard. Therefore, ensure that you do all the securing you need while on the ground. Only when you believe that everything is tight should you climb on the truck to check for possible slack on the fasteners.
Interval Re-tightening -- The need to tie down loads tightly cannot be overstated. However, that does not mean that the straps will stay tight all the way to your destination. It is especially true if you plan to use a bumpy route. During towing, the load can jiggle enough to eventually loosen the fasteners. Therefore, ensure that you stop every couple of miles to re-tighten the load-securing cables. Interval re-tightening will, however, depend on the amount of jiggling. For instance, if you are towing on a highway, you can stop every 15 miles to re-tighten the cables. However, if the road is relatively bumpy, you should stop every five or so miles to fasten the load again.
