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We all have roadside mishaps once in a while. If you need semi truck roadside assistance in Willow, MI, contact J&J Truck & Trailer Repair at 313-999-3088. Whether you need collision assistance, a jump start, lockout assistance, fuel delivery, or breakdown assistance, we’ll get you back on the road and logging miles in no time.
I think we can all agree it’s better not to have an accident at all if we can help it. So here’s a quick rundown on how to avoid those costly problems going forward.
Preparing for your trip
Before you leave, follow your pre-trip inspection checklist. It can take a little time, but it’s there to save you from having to wait to be rescued. Check all of your tires, your battery box and connections, signals, horn operation, windshield fluid and wiper operation. This is by no means a comprehensive list—a good checklist may have as many as thirty items. But notice how each contributes to your safety and the safety of others on the road and can help you avoid calling semi truck roadside assistance.
Before leaving, plan your route and then stick to it. Don’t make unplanned stops or make drastic detours. The time to plan for traffic is before you leave. A good plan will prevent you from getting stuck in traffic burning up gas while you don’t clock any miles, but it’ll also prevent you from being in the middle of nowhere, far from anyone who can help, if you run out of gas or have a breakdown.
Be sure to check your seatbelt and to wear it while driving. You’re legally required to wear one, and it can save your life should you ever be in a serious crash.
Check your cargo to make sure it’s fully secured before you go. You don’t want anything to shift or fall out of the back while you’re driving and cause a crash.
Sometimes you really do just have bad luck and need to call a Wayne County truck road service near me for a rescue. But if you follow your pre-trip checklist, you can minimize your stuck time and maximize your miles.
Another time people need truck road service near me: getting up and running after a collision. Nobody wants to get into a crash. No matter who is at fault, crashes are costly in terms of possible injury (to you or others), property damage, and time on the road. Worse, it can be hard after the fact to prove who exactly was at fault unless you have a dash cam (another reason to follow your checklist—make sure your dash cam, if you have one, is in good working order!). A crash where you’re found to be at fault can be costly in fines. And if you lose your job, that’s the biggest financial lost at all. So the best way to protect yourself is not to get into crashes in the first place.
First of all, don’t do anything that could impair your judgment. Drinking, drugs, and fatigue can all severely impair a driver. Driving intoxicated is a crime that could, if you’re caught, lead to criminal prosecution, loss of your job, and loss of your license. It’s also incredibly dangerous. Drinking and drugs severely impair your judgement and reaction time. It’s incredibly common for drivers to work while fatigued, but working while extremely tired can impair you in the same way alcohol can. In addition to slower reaction times and impaired judgment, very tired people will fall asleep for a few seconds at a time in what scientists call “micro sleeps.” You may lose control of your vehicle multiple times without even knowing it before you crash.
This is the one exception to the rule of “make a plan and stick to it”: if you feel extremely tired on a trip or otherwise too sick to drive safety, find a place and get a nap. Even fifteen minutes of sleep can make the difference between safe driving and a potentially serious accident.
Another extremely common cause of accidents is distracted driving. When you’re texting while driving, you’re not keeping your eyes on the road. Anything that distracts you, including phone calls, can impair you. In some states and municipalities, there are laws against texting while driving or any other activity that isn’t hands free. Check the laws in Willow, Michigan to see if texting or speaking on the phone while driving is illegal where you are. Also be careful, if you like to watch Netflix or listen to podcasts, that whatever you’re doing isn’t distracting you while you drive. The last thing you want is to look away from the road for just a moment and find that a car, or worse a person, you didn’t realize was there right in front of your vehicle before you have time to brake.
This leads to some more general advice: be a defensive driver. Don’t just follow the letter of the law and expect the courts to sort out who is at fault if there’s a crash. If you do crash, you’ll have to stop driving. Every minute you’re sitting by the side of the road waiting for the police to show up is time you’re not making money. Give yourself plenty of time to brake between you and the car in front of you. A fully loaded truck in good road conditions needs two football fields to brake. Know the space cushion for your vehicle and what you’re hauling and be aware of what drivers around you are doing at all times. Be aware of any debris on the roads—anything that could damage your tires, your windshield, or any other part of your vehicle. Defensive driving can keep you from having to call for semi truck roadside assistance.
And finally, be aware that despite your best efforts, accidents or other mishaps do happen. That’s why you want people you can trust to help you out when they do. If your fleet can’t help you here in Willow, Michigan and you need truck road service near me, call 313-999-3088 to speak to us. We’ll be happy to get you back on the road.
