Such a cool idea!!! and thanks for reading my articles.
RealDiehl suggests:
(To help prevent accidents) I pretend I'm being monitored ALL the time.
My method is to continually expect an accident, especially on the hard-to-see right side. Sometime just IMAGINE a car in the left-side lane quickly cuts in front of you. What would you do?
Errol V. (While stroking his chin for added effect no doubt) sagely proffered this little nugget of wisdom:
My method is to continually expect an accident, especially on the hard-to-see right side. Sometime just IMAGINE a car in the left-side lane quickly cuts in front of you. What would you do?
That's a great tip! I'll be sure to take advantage of it. Thanks.
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I was reading Rainy's article, Think Only Newbies Have Accidents? Think Again! In the article she mentions (I'm paraphrasing here) that sometimes experienced drivers can be TOO relaxed behind the wheel. That maybe all that experience could lead to a false sense of security and maybe they aren't as cautious as they should be. I'm on a dedicated route and I travel the same roads over and over. This could also lead to a false sense of security. When I was OTR and driving unfamiliar roads all the time I admit that I was probably a lot more vigilant while driving. A little trick I came up with to make sure I'm doing everything properly and safely is to pretend I'm being recorded by the in-cab camera we have mounted in our trucks. The cameras aren't filming all the time. They are triggered by an event such as hard braking, swerving or collisions. To keep myself focused I pretend I'm being monitored ALL the time. I even go so far as to make up a little scenario in which a member of the safety department calls me up and says, "We've been monitoring your driving habits. Your performance is about as perfect as it gets. Here's a little monetary bonus to show our appreciation." LOL! It will never happen but, it keeps me focused. Whatever it takes to be safe...right?
Dedicated Route:
A driver or carrier who transports cargo between regular, prescribed routes. Normally it means a driver will be dedicated to working for one particular customer like Walmart or Home Depot and they will only haul freight for that customer. You'll often hear drivers say something like, "I'm on the Walmart dedicated account."
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.