KEN'S KORNER - DECEMBER 2005

DRIVING SEMINAR?
By Author, Educator and Big City Driver Ken Skaggs

Most trucking companies these days love to keep training their drivers. They’ll show videos on proper logbook procedures, defensive driving tactics, distracted driving concerns, load securing techniques, even drug abuse. They’ll talk for hours about pre and post trip inspections, equipment maintenance and more. When first hired, they’ll usually spend two to five days explaining company policies, paperwork, job description and all of the above, before they ever even think about giving a new driver a truck. Then, they will periodically show videos and other presentations to refresh current drivers.

All of this is well and good and very important. Drivers need to learn all those things, or be reminded of them occasionally. However, there is one subject that nobody I know of covers in much detail and it’s one of the most important things a driver needs to learn and know. It’s probably the most challenging and dangerous aspect of driving a truck. I’m talking about city driving. Traffic jams, road rage, construction, low overpasses and crazy drivers are everyday occurrences in metropolitan areas, and most trucking companies don’t even talk about it. That’s why I do (somebody has to).

It’s a growing problem and big cities aren’t the only ones dealing with it on a daily basis. Smaller cities have their fair share of problems too. Many would argue that suburban areas are even worse, because they have really grown in recent years and the traffic control devices just weren’t designed to accommodate that much traffic. For example, a lot of small towns and suburbs have no sidewalks. It can be scary just trying to take a walk, when you have to walk in the street and everybody is driving like their rear-end is on fire. Which, of course, makes even more people want to drive. And what about children? They have no choice. They have to walk or ride a bike. They really have it rough, especially when there is no sidewalk and the cars are just flying by like there’s no tomorrow.

Drivers these days really must have patience if they are going to survive, especially if they drive for a living. But patience is a skill, which must be practiced. And what about new drivers? Someone has to plant a seed in their heads that patience is a virtue, especially when it comes to driving. I’d like to think that most drivers figure this out after several years of driving, but wouldn’t it be nice if they knew it right from the beginning? So go ahead and plant that seed. Tell a young driver you know that haste makes waste and patience is not only a virtue, but a skill, which requires practice.

How many times have you heard a new driver say that he didn’t learn much in truck driving school, and that he learned more in his first month of actual driving than he did in several months of school? Experience truly is the best teacher. I think we can all agree on that. But, it takes a long time to learn the intricacies of city driving. Some people never quite get it. Most, in fact, don’t. That’s why there are (and always will be) traffic jams - because most drivers, especially the ones in the four-wheelers, go around causing them instead of preventing them. Do they even know what causes traffic jams? Do you? Think about that for a second. Do you know what causes traffic jams? If your answer was a resounding and sarcastic, “Yeah, there’s too many people on the road,” then you are on the right track.

The simple answer, of course, is that there is too much traffic AND not enough space to accommodate it. Well, obviously we can’t make all of that traffic go away, but we can add some space. By simply keeping some space in front of our vehicles at all times, we can bring some space to this equation. This, too, requires some patience, especially at first, while you develop the habit.

How about construction zones? Have you noticed how most drivers don’t even slow down when they enter a construction zone and the speed limit drops? And, if you do slow down, they pass you like you’re the idiot. More and more police are cracking down on this. I see a lot of signs nowadays that say, “Reckless driving, tailgating and speeding in construction zones is $X amount per violation.” What they don’t tell you is that if you’re a trucker and you get two of these tickets while driving a truck, you can lose your CDL. Think about that the next time you blast through a cone zone.

When you drive a truck, a lot of responsibility falls onto your shoulders. Not only is the DOT breathing down your neck and your company eager to blame you for everything, but the simple fact is, you are setting an example. Cars look up to trucks (and it’s not only because they are taller). They look to you for guidance. Many car drivers look at truckers as professional drivers. They may not fully understand what it is that ticks you off, but they know that some things do. So, when you speed through a construction zone, they do too. And however fast you go, they have to go just a bit faster.

I guess you can say that these subjects, plus everything else related to city driving, are things that experienced drivers should know. But don’t shrug it off and assume that they will learn it all on their own eventually. Nobody knows it all. Those who think they do are sure to mess something up. We all have a lot to learn and we can all learn something from each other. If you would like to have me come to your company or truck driving school and speak to your drivers about the hazards of city driving, please send me an e-mail at me@bigcitydriver.com.

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