Page 85 - Driving Commercial Vehicles Manual

driving commercial vehicles

Road and traffic conditions

Different road and traffic conditions present different challenges. As a
professional driver, it’s important to keep the following in mind.
• Adjust your driving to the visibility. Wear sunglasses to reduce glare in
bright conditions in daylight, and reduce speed when driving in poor
lighting conditions.
• Keep your seat properly adjusted to help keep you comfortable and alert,
allow you to easily access the controls, see through the windows and use
the mirrors.
• Keep your eyes moving to check for hazards. Look well ahead, and check
your mirrors and blind spots frequently. This helps reduce sudden stops and
starts and lane changes — and saves fuel.
• Listen to your radio and check highway display signs for news of traffic
conditions.
• Maintain a safe following distance. Drivers of buses, trucks and other large
heavy vehicles should never be less than five seconds behind the vehicle
ahead at highway speeds. This allows you to gradually slow down or move
over if needed, and avoids sudden changes of speed.
• Look ahead and anticipate stops. It’s more fuel efficient to let off the throttle
to gradually slow down than to apply the brakes at the last minute.
• Look ahead to anticipate traffic lights:
- If you see a red traffic light that’s been red for awhile, gradually slow
down. If the light turns green before you arrive at the intersection, by not
coming to a complete stop you save fuel.
- On some major streets, traffic lights are timed so that if you drive at a
certain steady speed, you may make all the lights, which saves stopping
and starting and saves fuel.

Reduce idling
fast fact
Contrary to popular belief, turning the engine off when you’re not driving (for
Idling can burn up to four example, at a truck stop or depot) is more economical than leaving it running.
litres of fuel per hour. Many trucks have auxiliary power units that can run the truck’s air conditioning
or refrigeration system.
If fuel costs $1.50 per litre,
cutting one hour of idling Engine idling is simply a waste of fuel and money. Turn off the engine when
per day would save over you stop for any length of time. You’ll save fuel, reduce maintenance, prolong
1,000 litres of fuel and over engine life and prevent unnecessary emissions.
$1,500 in fuel costs per year.

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