Traveling Tips

With the school year only about a month away many of us will be taking vacations in August, which is one of the biggest travel months of the year. A lot of people will be taking to the road via car, SUV, van and even RV. With that in mind I’m passing along some advice from professional truck drivers on how to best travel the highways, deal with traffic and even cut down on your gas costs.

· Always inspect your vehicle before leaving on a trip. Check your
tires, wipers and fluids and have your radiator and cooling system
serviced and your oil changed if needed.
· Leave early so you won’t be in a panic about arriving late and
expect delays for a variety of reasons. Know your limitations
and don’t drive when you’re tired or not feeling well.
· When sharing the road with large trucks be aware of their blind
spots. If you can’t see the truck driver in his or her mirrors, then
they can’t see you.
· Expect the unexpected and look about a quarter-mile ahead for a
safe path. Always leave yourself an “out.”
· Pull off the road to use your cell phone in a designated parking area.
· Signal ahead of time when you’re looking to change lanes. If a
truck is changing lanes give it the space to do so as it is often trying
to avoid another vehicle.
· Remember that trucks are larger and heavier and take longer to
come to a complete stop so don’t cut quickly in front of them.
· On entrance ramps remember that highway traffic has the right of
way. Maintain proper speed and smoothly merge into traffic.
· Understand that big trucks can’t always stop to assist you but will
likely use their radios to contact police if they see you’re in trouble.
· To save fuel, take direct routes, minimize side trips and keep a
steady speed. Of course if your car is tuned up and the tires are
properly inflated that will also help.

Happy Traveling!