Don't Drive Above Your Skill Level

As I sit in my office listening to the weather reports about the upcoming first significant winter weather event for our part of the world, I find myself thinking about the first year transporters that are on the road. Be it under a load or bob tailing, they are finding new ways to become stressed. No matter their individual experience level they have no control over the experience level of the driver next, beside, behind, or in front of them.

It's during these times that the driver finds out how much they have learned since deciding to become a professional driver. Now following distance is not just something you do, it's something you live by. Not just you but how close is that guy behind you. Is he too close? What to do? If you slow down too fast you could cause him to hit his brakes which could cause him to go into a spin. If you can't get him to go around or back off should you have to make a maneuver, the same could occur or worse, he could run up your rear end.

Ice and snow can cause added stress for a driver which causes fatigue quicker. You may be wide awake due to the adrenalin rush during your stress period, but afterwards you will find yourself totally exhausted. You will need rest!

Your stress level should be a reliable indicator of your skill level. The higher the stress the lower the skill level. Over time your winter driving skills will improve and you will find yourself not being as stressed. The key words in the previous sentence is "over time". You've got to allow that time in order to become a better driver.

The point I'm wanting to make though is that it's much better to get off the road and have your load in tact, your truck in one piece, and your health rather than attempting to drive above your skill level and failing. I was told a long time ago when I was just starting to drive big trucks...

You are able to go down a hill too slow a thousand times, you can go down the same hill too fast once!