Driver Safety Tips

Safety tips for drivers of crane carriers, line trucks, and flatbeds, from the CertLok Driver Safety Tip series. Each tip has a short checklist, a bottom line, and the source behind it. New tips will be added to this page as they are released.

Terms used on this page: OSHA means Occupational Safety and Health Administration; mph means miles per hour; CDL means commercial driver's license; CFR means Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR is the electronic, online version); CMV means commercial motor vehicle; CCO means Certified Crane Operator.

General safety information only. Always follow your employer's safety program and the official OSHA standards.

Driver Safety Tip #1: Speed and Space Stop Rear-End Crashes

A crane carrier, a line truck or a loaded flatbed can't stop like a pickup. The more it weighs, the more road it needs. Speed and space are what give you that road.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) says that in crashes, large trucks most often hit the vehicle in front of them. Its rule of thumb: below 40 mph, leave at least one second of following distance for every 10 feet of vehicle length, and add one more second above 40 mph. A 40-foot rig needs 4 seconds at low speed and 5 at highway speed. Double it when the road is wet, icy or hard to see.

Before you roll:

• Ease off early when traffic starts to bunch up.
• Keep a big gap to the vehicle ahead, and count the seconds.
• Scan far down the road, not just the bumper in front of you.
• Add stopping room for weight, wet roads and downhill grades.
• Phone down, eyes up, mind on the drive.

Bottom line: the gap in front of your bumper is the one safety device you control every mile.

Operators, linemen and drivers all carry a CDL that has to stay current. With CertLok, your certifications live in one digital wallet on your phone, ready to share in seconds, with reminders before anything expires. We verify credentials like your CCO card and CDL.

Sources: FMCSA, "CMV Driving Tips - Following Too Closely."; 49 CFR 392.80 (no texting) and 392.82 (no hand-held mobile phone) while driving a CMV