Defensive Driving

Drive like you don't have any brakes,just like daddy.

 

Learn to "look at the big picture." As a general rule, most drivers do NOT do this. Keep your eyes moving and keep your vision as far ahead of yourself as possible. If you are looking 20 feet in front of your hood, you aren't going to see something a quarter mile away. But if you are scanning as far as you can see, you will also see things that are closer.

 

Remove head from rectum before inserting key in ignition.

 

Any time you are out of that truck even just to fuel and go inside for a quick restroom break, check that truck and trailer when you come back out. only takes a second to duck down and make sure someone hasnt pulled your pin while you were out of sight. Always put a padlock on your trailer even if it is empty, dont chance that someone might try to sneak a free ride without you knowing it.


I was about to leave a truck stop one day when a call came out over the radio warning drivers that the on ramp was blocked due to a dropped trailer. The driver had gotten into an argument over the radio and while he was inside the other driver came out and pulled his pin.

 

Padlocking the trailer can have it's good and bad points. Among the bad to a lot of thieves if it's locked there must be something in there worth stealing. Bolt cutters can make quick work of a padlock. I've seen instances where the theif ignored the padlock and cut through the tab the lock went through since it is softer metal.

Just make checking inside your empty trailer part of your pre trip walk around, it only takes a few seconds to crack the door and peek inside.

 

But what if someone is waiting inside that trailer when I get out to do my pretrip?
If I put a lock on it and they cut it off or cut through the tab, I will be prewarned before I open the doors.

 

"Don't padlock because thieves might think there's something of value inside." I've never heard that one. There are shippers who require that you padlock before you leave their lot and who also require that receivers record that you removed the lock. Life is simple: you padlock. If someone cuts the lock, you're covered. I padlocked every loaded trailer I pulled. I padlocked my empties too--no one ever tried to get inside. I played a hard game of CYA. I never forgot my locks.

Wargames is right. Yield. Put your ego in your pocket. Squeezeplays are for children. It doesn't mean anything if someone cuts you off--unless you want it to.

 

How does someone get in your trailer and close/latch the door? Honestly if I found someone inside my empty trailer I might be seriously tempted to shut the door and take them for a ride.....up the roughest winding road I could find. A couple brake checks later I leave their battered sorry ##### out in wrong turn country.

I'm only required to seal my trailer. If my seal is there I'm good. If it's broken I call the company. Course things like backing up to light poles can also prevent prying eyes from popping in your trailer. If a shipper wants the padlock, then no problem, I'll lock it. I've just never been asked to.

 

What he said.