This National Trucker Week, Burbank Express is reminding motorists in the Portage la Prairie area how to share the road safely with semi-trucks.
Tyler Robertson, a dispatcher and truck driver with the company, and General Manager Marshall Hagborg are both emphasizing key safety measures to prevent accidents and protect both drivers and roadside workers.
An important reminder for motorists
"Visibility is key. Making sure that your lights are on so truck drivers can see where you are at all times," says Robertson.
He stresses that when pulling in front of a truck or merging onto the highway, you must leave ample room.
"Trucks can't stop on a dime, and when they've got a load on, it takes quite a long time to stop."
Robertson advises drivers to either accelerate and get well in front of a truck or let the truck pass and merge in behind it.
Another crucial safety tip from Robertson is to pass trucks quickly.
"When passing a truck, make sure you do it quickly and safely. Don't take your time with that."
He explains that trucks can have sudden tire blowouts, which can cause a driver to lose control. After passing, drivers should only move back over when there is plenty of room for the truck driver to respond if needed.
"If a truck is stopped on the side of the road for a repair or any other reason, make sure that you're giving at least one lane to allow that truck driver to do what he needs to do. Get in the other lanes so that everybody stays safe," Robertson notes.
The physics of stopping a truck
You might have heard the classic country lyric, "18 Wheelers can't stop on a dime," and it's a critical safety lesson for drivers of all ages to remember.
Going back to high school physics for a moment, the reason for this is all about momentum.
In physics, momentum is the mass of an object multiplied by its velocity (or speed).
A car has a certain amount of momentum, but a fully loaded semi-truck can weigh up to 20 times more than a car.
Even if both a car and a truck are travelling at the same speed, the truck has significantly more momentum. To stop, the truck's brakes have to work to overcome all of that momentum, and that requires much more time and distance.
This is why a truck needs a considerably longer stopping distance than a car, and why it is so dangerous - to yourself and to others - to cut one off.
Slowing down for roadside workers
General Manager Marshall Hagborg emphasizes a major safety concern: drivers who don’t slow down or move over for roadside workers.
"When we're doing service work, when we're doing either towing or we're responding to a breakdown on the side of the highway, we're pulled over on the shoulder, you see the three cones, we would encourage anyone driving on the road to pull over [to the other lane] and slow down when they see a service truck," Hagborg says.
He explains that working on the side of the road is a dangerous job and that motorists are increasingly not giving workers a safe space.
"Give them at least one lane of space," he says, adding, "If you can give them more, do it. If you can't change lanes for whatever reason, then at least, you know, slow down."
Hagborg notes that the company has invested in dash cams that can live-stream footage. "The new ones we have are connected to cell towers, so we can remote in at any time." He says this helps them ensure their drivers and mechanics are safe, but it's not a substitute for responsible driving.
Hagborg has one final message for all motorists: "The big thing is when you see those 3 little orange pylons out behind a vehicle, there may be a man or woman underneath the vehicle working on it at that time. So if you see those 3 little pylons, make sure you pull over, give them lots of room, and slow down."
