Common Mistakes New Truck Drivers Make

When you start a new career or job path, there’s always a level of excitement. However, if left unchecked, that excitement and enthusiasm can lead to mistakes.

Although you should be excited about your future as a truck driver (especially because there are so many available opportunities), remember to keep your head in the game.

At the end of the day, truck driving is about logistics—you need to stay focused, pay attention to details, and understand how to plan your day from start to finish.

In this article, we’ll focus on some of the most common mistakes we’ve seen new truck drivers make and how to avoid them on your new journey.

1. Skipping Pre-Trip Planning

Pre-trip planning isn’t just about ensuring you deliver your shipment on time. It’s ultimately about avoiding potential weather hazards, high construction areas, and traffic, staying safe, getting much-needed rest, and ensuring you encounter minimal delays.

Even if you slept in and feel like you have to rush through everything—don’t. Take a deep breath and focus on planning where you’ll stop and rest, the best locations to fill up, eat, and shower, and what areas to avoid due to road construction, as well as checking what the weather conditions will be like for the day.

While Google Maps is the most widely recognized app for driving directions, we recommend using SmartTruckRoute, CoPilot GPS, Trucker Path, or Truck Map, which are specifically tailored to long-haul truckers.

Each of these apps provides insight into the best routes, what bridges to avoid due to height restrictions, locations of rest stops, fuel stops, and parking, as well as weather conditions and forecasts. They even provide near-instant updates on weather, traffic, road conditions, and alternate routes.

2. Being Overconfident

There is a fine line between being confident in your driving abilities and becoming so overconfident that you take unnecessary risks.

Whether it’s making a risky maneuver, ignoring road conditions and hazards, or driving too fast to make up for lost time, all can have serious consequences. Think back on your defensive driving training; if any maneuver feels wrong, don’t do it.

It’s also critical to remember that you have an entire team behind you willing to help if you fall slightly behind schedule. Their help is more reliable than an all-too-risky maneuver that puts you, your truck, and your delivery at risk. Never be afraid to ask for help.

3. Not Resting

Another consequence of being overconfident is thinking rest isn’t required. It is. This isn’t just about adhering to the FMCSA’s Hours of Service regulations—it’s about ensuring your safety.

New truck drivers often underestimate how quickly they can succumb to fatigue. No amount of caffeine or loud music can make up for much-needed rest.

Fatigue leads to impaired judgment, poor decision-making, and severely affected reaction times. Without sufficient rest, you could cause a serious accident that can put your life (and other lives) in danger.

The FMCSA’s HOS 14-hour limit regulations state that truck drivers cannot drive for more than eight consecutive hours over a 14-hour shift and must take one 30-minute rest before driving again. Scheduling a quick 30-minute nap as part of your pre-trip planning routine is all that’s needed to wake up feeling refreshed and more alert.

4. Improper Scaling & Loading

Improper scaling and loading can lead to expensive fines. Always ensure you respect the maximum total weight for your truck and the axle weight distribution guidelines for an 18-wheeler. Steering axles have a maximum weight of 12,000 pounds. The drive axles are allowed a maximum weight of 34,000 pounds, and the trailer axles also have a maximum weight of 34,000 pounds. The total maximum weight for an 18-wheeler (with cargo and fuel) is, therefore, 80,000 pounds.

One of the more common mistakes for new truck drivers is having a total weight under this maximum of 80,000 pounds but not respecting the individual axle weights. Even if your total weight is half to three-quarters of the maximum 80,000 pounds for an 18-wheeler, you could still face heavy fines if that weight exceeded one of the axle weight limits.

5. Unsecured Cargo

Improperly securing cargo can not only damage that cargo but also lead to serious scaling fines. First, always ensure your cargo is evenly distributed according to the axle weight restrictions outlined above.

Second, ensure your cargo is properly secured within the trailer using tie-downs, durable, high-strength straps, and chains. Tie-downs should be fastened to the anchor points inside your trailer. Be sure to double- and triple-check that these tie-downs, chains, and straps are fastened properly so they do not become loose or unfastened during transit.

Third, be aware of cargo that can easily slide within your trailer. For this type of cargo, it’s often best to use blocks that keep the cargo from slipping or sliding. Using wheel chocks can help keep your trailer in position when loading and unloading cargo. Finally, periodically inspect your cargo during your first trip. It can be as simple as checking the cargo at a rest stop or when fueling up.

Stay Prepared With Help From TSI

TSI is committed to helping set truck drivers up for success. If you’re looking to start a career in trucking, check out our new driver program. This six-week course is hands-on and will teach you everything you need to know about getting your CDL. Contact us today to sign up for this program, or visit our blog for more driver resources.