As a new commercial driver, there is a lot that you need to learn. One of the best ways to learn all about driving effectively is by attending trucking driving school. In trucking driving school, you will learn about the theory and the practice of driving a commercial rig. Professional trucking schools will help ensure you are ready and equipped to get on the road yourself with a commercial driving license. Here are a few tips to get you started.
#1 Make Sure Your Mirrors Are Set-Up Correctly
Before you turn on your vehicle, you need to make sure that the mirrors on your vehicle are set-up correctly. If your mirrors are not set-up correctly, you will have more blind spots around your vehicle. Blind spots around your vehicle put you at risk on the road.
You want to adjust each mirror just beyond the bounds of your vehicle so that you can't see just your car in the mirror. You should be able to see as much as possible around your vehicle. It may take some time to learn how to adjust the mirrors on your commercial vehicle, but work on getting them into the right position so you can eliminate as many blind spots as possible.
#2 Adjust Your Rear View Mirror at Night
Next, you need to make sure that you adjust your rear-view mirror at night. Most rear-view mirrors have two modes; a day mode and a night mode. There is a little button on the bottom of the rear-view mirror that you can move forward, this will put your mirror into evening mode. This will protect you from the glare of headlights when you are driving at night.
#3 Know How All the Controls Work & What Everything on the Dash Means
After that, you need to be familiar with the car that you are driving before you get on the road. You need to know where all of the controls are at on the car and how they work. Make sure that you know where the signal lights are at, where the hazard lights are at, how to turn on the nighttime driving lights, and where the cruise control is at. You should have a good idea of what all of the controls on the truck do. There are lots of additional controls on a commercial truck that you don't see in a passenger vehicle, so make sure that you fully understand what every control does.
Additionally, make sure that you understand what everything on the dash is about. There are a lot more controls and gauges on commercial vehicles, so make sure that you understand what they really mean and how they help you be a better driver.
Work on learning how to adjust your mirrors and learn what all the controls do and what everything on the dashboard means will give you a head start when you start your commercial driving training.
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