Be Professional On and Off the Road

Are you required to drive a van or other vehicle for work related purposes? If so, it’s important for you to understand that, when you’re driving a company vehicle, you serve as a representative for your workplace. If you act like a crazy person on the road, people are likely to get a bad impression of your employer, which can lead to a downturn in patronage which, in turn, can lead to less work and less income for you. So, when you drive unsafely, you don’t just run the risk of hurting others on the road and/or of potentially damaging your work vehicle, you run the risk of harming yourself, both in terms of safety and in terms of job security and workload, and of harming your employer’s organization.

One of the best things you can do is to always obey the posted speed limits. Since work vans are large, you may even want to travel at speeds slightly below the speed limit to ensure maximum safety. Not speeding is also important if you have work van equipment on or in the vehicle. Excessive speeds can cause often heavy equipment to go flying off of your vehicle where it can potentially do some serious damage. To further reduce your risk of incidents, make sure all work van equipment is properly secured to or in your van.

For more great tips on how you can drive safely and properly represent your business, talk to the friendly, knowledgeable sales representative at Auto Truck Depot.

Staying Safe on the Road

Did you know that car accidents are one of the leading causes of death and serious injury? To put it simply, driving is dangerous. It’s also something that most people do every day, which makes it all the more important to do the best you can to protect yourself and your vehicle and to reduce the risk of serious injury and accidents for you and your passengers. One of the most important things you can do to protect yourself, your passengers, and others on the road is to avoid driving drunk or under the influence of drugs. Driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol seriously impairs your ability to make smart decisions and to drive safely, so think before you take that drink. Also bear in mind that it can be difficult to accurately assess your own level of sobriety, so it’s best not to drink and drive at all. Even one drink could be too many, so why take the risk?

Texting is another thing to avoid while driving. Texting might not mentally impair you in the way that drugs and alcohol can, but it does take your mind and your focus off of the road and the task at hand. As such, you should avoid it at all costs.

In addition to protecting your on-the-road safety, there are things you can do, such as buying and using Sprinter products, to protect yourself and your passengers while your vehicle is in park. Sprinter products include things like Sprinter rear grip steps and Sprinter side grip steps, which can make entering and exiting your vehicle easier and safer for everyone.

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Reduce Your Risk of Getting Rear-Ended

Car and truck accidents happen every day, and they happen to even the best driver, which means that, every time you set foot in your truck, you are at risk of being involved in an accident. Even if you’re a safe, skilled driver, you can’t control others on the road, which is why rear-end collisions are so common. You should take steps, such as installing truck bumpers, to protect the front and back ends of your vehicle. The back end is particularly vulnerable, since you have little control over how others drive and whether or not they slam into you. With that said, however, there are a few tips that, if followed, can reduce your risk of getting rear-ended.

The first step to staying safe from rear-end collisions is to be alert and aware of other drivers on the road and of what they are doing, while at the same time still paying attention to the road and your own driving. If you see a driver engaging in a particularly dangerous activity, one that could likely lead to a rear-end collision, do your best to stay away from him or her. If you see a driver, for example, who is talking on his or her cell phone or who is following you too closely, move over into another lane if possible, being sure to do so only when safety permits. If you are not able to move into a new lane, you may wish to increase your speed, reasonably and safely of course, to produce distance between you and the unsafe driver. And, in the event that a rear end collision does occur, your truck bumpers can help protect you and your vehicle.

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Check Trailer Hitches

In order to be considered a responsible truck owner, you need to regularly attend to your truck and perform various maintenance tasks. Some tasks, such as checking the windshield washer fluid and making sure all of your lights are in the proper working order, need to be performed as often as once a month. Others, however, can wait a little longer, generally around once every three months.

One thing you should do at least every three months or so is to check your vehicle’s transmission fluid levels. You can easily do this job yourself if you have the right know-how, or you can take it to a qualified mechanic. If fluid levels are low, fluid should be added. You can find the best fluid for your particular truck at Auto Truck Depot.

If you have trailer hitches installed on your truck, you should walk around and check the hitch periodically. Trailer hitches tend to be fairly stable, but there is always a chance that they could become partially or even fully detached from your vehicle. If you notice any signs of damage or wear, replace or repair your hitch before hauling any more cargo.

You should also check the exhaust pipe at least every three months. Look it over carefully for any signs of a hole or other damage. Generally, you’ll be alerted by strange noises if there’s a problem with your exhaust pipe, but this isn’t always the case, so be sure to give it more than just a passing glance and to fix problems promptly.

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Don’t Drive Without These Essentials

Every time you step into your truck and push that gas pedal down, you are taking a risk. This isn’t something that the average driver thinks about, but it’s true. Anything can happen when you’re behind the wheel. Be it accidents, a truck breakdown, a flat tire, running out of gas, or anything else, you need to be prepared for the unexpected. The best way to do that is by keeping the proper goods and supplies in your truck. Start with a truck box, which can securely hold a variety of items, and use truck box liners to keep your truck box clean and free from damage.

One good item to include in your truck box, aside from truck box liners, is a disposable camera. Disposable cameras might seem old-fashioned, but they are a must-have for any well-prepared driver. Unlike your cell phone camera or your digital camera, they never lose charge or need a new battery. They are always ready to go in an instant and can really come in handy for taking photographs of accidents and/or damage to your vehicle.

You should also keep an extra supply of (preferably warm) clothes in your vehicle. Hopefully, you’ll never be in a situation where you are stranded for a long period of time, but this can happen to even the most well prepared of drivers. Having a clean change of clothes can be comforting and, more than that, it can be lifesaving, especially if you find yourself stuck in cold weather.

 

Deer Present a Driving Hazard

When you see them on the side of the road, deer can look cute, gentle, and sweet. Behind that innocent veneer, however, lurks an animal that can do serious damage to your vehicle. Collisions with deer are some of the leading causes of accidents. You don’t have to hit a deer head-on to do damage to your vehicle either. These animals have been known to run right into the side of vehicles unexpectedly. You can protect your truck’s front end from deer by installing truck bull bars. As the name implies, these devices were invented to protect against run-ins with bulls, and if they are strong enough to stand up to bulls, they can certainly stand up to deer!

Don’t rely on your truck bull bars alone though. It’s also important for you to utilize safe, smart driving techniques. In order to do that, however, you have to be informed about deer. You should know, first and foremost, that deer are most active during dawn and dusk. If you can avoid driving, especially in heavily wooded areas, during these times, do it. If not, just make sure that you are extra alert, watchful, and careful during these hours

Part of being careful is not speeding, especially if you are driving through an area known for a hearty deer population. When you travel in such areas, go as slowly as the speed limit allows and slow down even more if you happen to see deer in the area. The slower you are going, the easier it is to stop if a deer happens to run in front of you.