If you’re driving a commercial truck and you experience a breakdown, it’s important to know how to handle the situation. The first thing you should do is try to assess the problem and see if you can fix it yourself. If you can’t, then you’ll need to call a tow truck. Be sure to give the towing company Brunswick GA all the relevant information, such as your location and the make and model of your truck.
Once the tow truck arrives, they will hook up your truck and take it to a nearby repair shop. In the meantime, you’ll need to arrange alternative transportation for yourself and any passengers. If you have cargo, you’ll need to make arrangements for that as well. Having a breakdown can be frustrating, but if you know how to handle it, it won’t be a major inconvenience.
There are plenty of challenges that you will face when you are driving a semi-truck. One of which is when the truck or trailer broke down in the middle of the road or highway. The breakdown can be caused by numerous factors – break, engine, or transmission failure, accidents, flat tire, getting stuck in a ditch, etc.
A semi-truck breakdown could lead to dangerous driving conditions for other motorists. Because of these reasons and more, it is important to tow a semi-truck to another safe location as soon as possible. Here are some of the few tips to consider when you are handling semi-truck breakdowns on the road.
Make the Semi-Truck Breakdown Obvious to Other Drivers
First and foremost, your responsibility as the driver is to maintain maximum visibility during a semi-truck breakdown. Most of the time, other drivers are not too concerned with what is happening on the road and would rather get where they are going as fast as possible. This makes semi-trailer trucks stuck on the road a huge liability for other motorists.
You can do this by turning on the flashers of your vehicle. Approaching cars will see the lights and steer clear from your space. You may also place reflective warning signs to create a bigger space for you as well as your team to inspect and fix your semi-truck. On very dark and lightless roads, you can go for road flares to alert incoming cars that a vehicular breakdown or accident has occurred.
Know What Caused the Breakdown
One of the reasons why a semi-truck can break down is due to mechanical or electronic malfunctioning. Knowing what is wrong with your semi-trailer truck is crucial so that you or a service vehicle can get your vehicle back in order. You do not necessarily have to fix what is wrong, just have the knowledge of why the breakdown happened in the first place. Do remember that you can have semi-truck towing professionals fix it for you.
Know the Nearby Local Repair Shops
Do some quick research on the trailer repair shops near the roads or locations that you are going to travel to. That way, you are prepared to call for help in the event of an unexpected semi-truck breakdown.
If you frequently drive a certain route, then it is a great idea to familiarize yourself with the local truck repair services. That way you can contact them sooner, your vehicle will get the repair service it needs in a more efficient manner, and you can get your trailer truck up and running in no time. Even if your semi-truck breaks down in a location that is considered too far from the nearest repair shop, you are at least guaranteed that you will get some semi-trailer service sooner than not actually getting one.
Pass Smaller Vehicles Safely
To avoid problems or potential semi-truck breakdowns, make sure that you are making your presence known. Despite the size of your vehicle, other drivers may still have zero visibility of your semi-truck for various reasons. So, always approach passenger cars from the left to allow the driver to see your incoming vehicle. Pass at a steady speed, maintain a safe distance, and make sure that you can see the smaller vehicle in your rearview mirror before blending back into the lane.
Get Enough Space When Making Wide Turns
When it comes to making wide turns, semi-trailer trucks require more space than smaller cars. That is because there is a high chance that the cab and the trailer of the semi-truck would take separate paths. It usually requires you to swing left to make room when going for a right turn and vice versa. The semi-truck might even need to start the turn in the middle lane.
Driving a semi-trailer truck is also quite restricted on the road. For instance, you are not allowed to pass a small vehicle that has its turn signal on, and you should not drive between two smaller cars. The semi-truck also needs to get behind the line when stopping at an intersection so that you will have enough space when it is time to turn left or right.
It pays to be always on the lookout when making these turns. That way, you are reducing the odds of an accident or a semi-truck breakdown.