As a trucker, you are liable for a lot of money if you ever get into an accident. You are operating a vehicle that, in many cases, is up to 30 times as massive as any of the other cars on the road. Even if you aren’t moved by the human dimension of safety, surely the financial dimension is absolutely necessary to consider.
Engine Safety
A faulty engine is the first sign of trouble in a truck. Make sure that all your fluids are at the proper levels, especially engine coolant and engine oil. You run the truck for sixteen to eighteen hours a day, and you don’t want the engine to burn itself out. Turbo diesel trucks require frequent glow plug inspections in order to keep from overheating and causing problems. Signs of leaking fluid and broken wires should, of course, be checked out immediately. If the truck has been parked for a long time, make sure to check the engine for rats.
Wheel and Tire Safety
Make sure that all your treads are adequate and that all your tires are inflated properly. When a normal car gets a flat, it’s annoying; when a truck gets a flat, it’s dangerous. Check for damage to the sidewalls of the tire, which can cause them to blow out at high speeds, especially with loads of up to 10,000 pounds and beyond. Make sure that your brakes and brake lines aren’t corroded, damaged, or excessively worn! Brakes are often the first things to go in a truck.
Lights
Make sure that your headlights, turn signals, brake lights, and hazard lights are all operational. If you’re traveling late at night and you’re already tired, you can’t afford not to let other drivers know where you are.
Yourself
The most important safety check is the one you do, internally. Are you safe to drive? Have you been drinking? Did you get enough sleep? How far do you plan to drive? Ask the questions inside your head that your mother would ask you, and don’t be embarrassed. Just remember, you’re doing this because you don’t want to lose your license because of a million dollar lawsuit. More trucking accidents are caused by human error than by anything else. Fatigue, in general, plays a huge part in trucking accidents across the country. Make sure to stop and take a break every so often. It’s not just for you, not just for your wallet, but for the safety of the road as a whole!
When you have been involved in an Atlanta truck accident, you need the help of a qualified truck accident lawyer.
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