Driving Safely – What Towers Need to Know

By Brian J. Riker

A colleague of mine recently noted an alarming increase of tow truck involved crashes, not struck-by or other slow down move over type incidents, rather simple crashes. Most of these have been single vehicle crashes, meaning the tow driver played a significant role in the events causing the crashes.A colleague of mine recently noted an alarming increase of tow truck involved crashes, not struck-by or other slow down move over type incidents, rather simple crashes. Most of these have been single vehicle crashes, meaning the tow driver played a significant role in the events causing the crashes.

Often tow bosses focus their training efforts on recovery challenges, roadside assistance procedures or basic towing training without spending any time on a key job function - the actual driving of the tow truck. I understand that training budgets are tight, and time is hard to find for training, however that does not make it any less important.

OSHA addresses motor vehicle operations for general industry using the general duty clause, a catch all that basically makes employers responsible for training against all recognized hazards. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) addresses this in several industry regulations and ANSI even has a published standard for commercial fleet operations.

Unfortunately, most service agreements between towers and law enforcement, or other vendors, make no mention of behind the wheel training. Most only focus on some sort of towing training, or certification, if any formal training at all. This means behind the wheel skills are often overlooked until something serious happens.

Proper driving techniques must be evaluated upon hire to both establish a base line of the new employee’s performance and verify that they possess the basic skills required to operate their assigned truck. This road test should also be conducted before a driver is permitted to move up to a higher class of vehicle, example from a light duty wrecker to a medium duty wrecker.

Although the regulations for non-CDL drivers vary widely from state to state, the FMCSA typically requires a road test for all newly hired drivers before you can allow them to operate a truck. I strongly suggest performing a road test on all drivers yearly in the same manner that pilots undergo a check ride with a qualified examiner.

Here are a few of my tips for safe driving that, although targeted towards tow trucks, are applicable to any vehicle you operate.

Perhaps the most important tip is to give yourself enough space to properly react to hazards once you recognize one. Depending on the size and speed of the vehicle you are driving it can take as much as 4 to 6 seconds to come to a complete stop.

To put that in perspective, studies have shown that the average human takes ¾ of a second to perceive a hazard then another ¾ of a second to begin reacting. Add in just 4 seconds to come to a complete panic stop and at 60 MPH your vehicle will have travelled 484 feet before stopping! You travelled 132 feet just during the time it took you to begin reacting.

For this reason, I recommend maintaining a following distance of at least 4 seconds in cars and small vehicles and up to 7 seconds in large trucks or tractor trailers. To make the best use of this following distance you should be continuously scanning the entire area around you while also looking at least 12-15 seconds ahead of where you are.

This extended eye lead time, combined with the situational awareness gained by scanning all around your vehicle, will allow you time to process the best possible escape route. Always be thinking about what your escape route will be, so you don’t have to make that decision in a split second.

Other conditions to be aware of include center of gravity and steering or braking loss due to improper load balance as well as weather conditions.

A loaded wrecker will not stop as well as an empty wrecker, especially if the towed vehicle is not equipped with a brake control device.

Carriers overall braking performance may be better with a load on them, however their tendency to roll over or be harder to steer is increased, especially with tall and heavy loads on the deck.

Speed is a critical factor in many wrecks, especially those on secondary roads. Be aware of the speed limits and environment you are driving in, paying particular attention to cross traffic and pedestrians when in metropolitan areas.

Lastly, make sure you are well rested and not ill. We are not superheroes, despite what we may think, and fatigue plays a very real role in crashes. Micro sleep will sneak up on you without warning. Please get plenty of rest, and if tired pull over and take a power nap. No ETA is worth a life!

For more on this topic please join the author, Brian Riker, this Saturday, March 15^th at 11 AM Eastern, for his American Towman Academy webinar Defensive Driving What Do Towers Need To Know?