Tips For New Drivers

Be Patient - Be Positive - Be On Time - Be Compliant - Be Safe

These trucking tips will serve new and seasoned drivers for the entire career.  Of course, we get into more detailed and specific information and advice that will help you navigate the trucking lifestyle below.

But first, 2 more tips a lot us drivers take for granted....Proactively take care of your health and nurture your relationships at home.

should help shorten the learning curve and adapting time to the trucker lifestyle.  It will help you be more productive, more safe and earn more money at an early stage in your trucking career.

• How Much Do Truckers Make
• Becoming an owner op
  
• Dispatcher Relationship
• Dating & Relationships
• Staying Healthy
• Weigh stations
  
• Truck Stop Tips
• Money Tips
  
• Backing Up
• Defensive Driving

• Winter Driving
• Handling Stress
• Getting to Sleep
  
• Making Extra Money
• Attitude of a winner
• Sharing the Road With Truckers
  
• What to take with you for life on the road
• Parenting
  

Get Your Confidence Video

Confidence is important.  It will come with time.  Just focus on doing the job correctly and watch the nervousness go away.  By the way, i was a little nervous at first too.  It's normal to don't feel bad.

Going Solo For the First Time

Safety Reminder Video

Safety is important.  Don't take things for granted.  People will leave trailers unfit for the next guy to pull.  So check your trailers that you pick up and pre-trip your truck. 

Defensive Driving Tips

Consideration For Going O/O Video

If you plan to go O/O learn all you can as company driver.  Don't create expenses.  Save your money.

Should I go Owner Operator?

Your 3 Most Important Assets

• Don't ever forget to value your time
• Keep your Family first (based on priorities)
• Stay on Track

You can't get time back.  Your mind should be focused on safely operating that truck but also if you have a family at home.  You CAN NOT forget that they need your attention at regular intervals.  Sometimes that is hard to new as a new driver, but it's possible.  You have to sacrifice any goofing off for family

Some drivers go crazy with the new freedom and money.  Remember why your out here.  Don't be so attached to material things or if you're single with punaah naah that you get off course and never reach your goal or heaven forbid, lose your family.

More Personal Development Related Videos

Use Trucking As A Tool

Get the most out of trucking.  Use it, don't let it use you.  You have an unique opportunity as a trucker.  You can blow it or make the most out of it.  This is one of my older videos but the message is still so true today.

Use trucking to...

• Change Bad Habits
• Create Wealth
• Improving Your Attitude
• Become a Better Man
• Improve Your Relationship
  

Use These Truck Driver Tips To Your Advantage

We share our tips, insights, and hard learned lessons from experience from life as a trucker. It is broken down into several categories so that you can select specific areas according to what is most important to you at the time of your research.

ShareFacebookXPinterestTumblrRedditWhatsApp

I was impressed to receive an email from a Don a driver from Canada that specifically asked about tips for new drivers that would save the company money and make him an overall better driver. Tips that save the company or driver time or money without compromising safety is good for the company and driver. Here's why saving the company money is also good for the driver too. If the company saves money it more profitable which means it's a more solid company.

A more solid company means they are like to stay in business. A more profitable company means they might one day get a clue and pass some of that profit down to the drivers as a raise or bonus. On the other hand if a company goes out of business because of its employees not being reliable, responsible or not caring about how they take care of the the equipment or customers that company may never have time to offer the driver any more pay or benefits and it may even end up going under which means the drivers and stock holder lose out. Most people don't think about all of that but it's a good thing that you do! It will make you a better steward of your job.

In any event, these newbie driver tips will help prepare a driver for being an owner operator also so might as well get in good habit forming mode now. Here are some Tips for new drivers to help save company money and be more profitable - Accelerate and Decelerate smoothly at low RPM range. Don't reeve the engine.
- When unhooking trailer don't pull on the black air hoses, grip the metal glad handle only.

- When backing under trailer make sure the trailer is up high enough so that it glides over the 5th wheel instead of hitting it square. That will cause excessive wear
- Do your own simple repair jobs like replacing light bulbs that are in easy reach. Also have duct tape, screw driver and pliers or adjustable wrench with you in the truck.

The other day I bought turn signal light bulbs for the truck instead of going into the shop where it would have been half an hour minimum charge. Plus it would have burned up 2 hours of my time putting me way late delivery my next stop. The company will often reimburse for such items if you turn in the receipt.

- Also pay close attention to your surroundings. If you don't think that you are somewhere you supposed to be stop and ask or call people again to get directions. Sometimes a person will say left when they should have said right or they may even send you down a street that big trucks are not allowed on. Just got through talking to Keith and here are some good tips that he threw in.

-Go up and down hills in the green range of the RPMs. In other words don't overwork the engine.
-Don't idle when you don't have to. (Fueling, etc) -Use the cruise control as much as possible under normal driving conditions.