When someone else moves and drives for you, you never know what objects may get scratched, broken, or misplaced during the packing and moving. However, driving a large box truck or van does come with its own hazards when you are not used to maneuvering such a large vehicle. Special caution must be taken when navigating steep hills, curves, fast freeways and highways, and sharp turns to avoid a potential rollover.
Anatomy of a Rollover
A rollover on a straight road occurs when a truck is going at a high speed and catches a wobble, either due to a small maneuver to avoid another vehicle, a wind gust, or the truck driver’s inattention. Next, the driver overcorrects, loses control, and hits a “trip,” which can be anything from the soil off the side of the road, a car, or a sidewalk curb. Rollovers also occur at sharp bends, at on and off ramps, while changing lanes too abruptly, and when making a turn onto a different road.
Rollovers Account for Over Half of all Truck Driver Deaths
A plethora of problems plague large trucks including box trucks, on busy highways. These hazards include the following, according to a recent study:
- Out of date and deteriorating infrastructure;
- Roads designed with slower speed limits in mind;
- Severe traffic congestion;
- Overloading the truck;
- Truck driver distraction or fatigue;
- Failing to adjust speed before turns or curves;
- Oversteering;
- Distracted passenger vehicle drivers who swerve, tailgate, or pass when they should not; and
- Aggressive or impatient passenger vehicle drivers.
Of course the largest hazard is the truck itself. Large box trucks are at odds with physics when it comes to navigating a tight corner at speed due to their relatively narrow wheel base in relation to their height. The more weight stacked up high, the more the truck wants to roll.
How to Avoid Rollovers During Your Move
- Drive the posted speed limit (for trucks) or slower. Excessive speed is usually the greatest contributing factor to a rollover;
- Slow down before you get to a sharp curve, not during the curve itself. If you slam the brakes on in the middle of a bend without slowing down beforehand, it increases your chances of losing control of the truck;
- Do not use your cell phone while driving or allow yourself to get distracted in other ways; and
- Get plenty of sleep before your drive, and do not drive when you are fatigued.
Contact Marcus/Allard Truck Rental Today
Call Marcus/Allard Truck Rental today for more information on safe driving techniques and to talk to one of us about renting a truck, van, or box truck for you upcoming move. Driving a large vehicle may seem intimidating at first, but it is actually quite easy once you get the hang of it.
