Penske Truck Leasing

Use Leasing To Transform Your Safety Program

Safety is critical in the trucking industry. A robust safety program not only keeps drivers and cargo safe but also reduces the risk of an accident, ensures compliance with regulatory standards and keeps operations running efficiently. Leasing can be a cost-effective strategy to enhance a company’s safety program.

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Top 5 Dangers of Driving After Dark

What do you get when you add up the early sunsets of autumn with the end of Daylight Saving time? A lot more hours of driving in the dark.

Nighttime driving creates many additional hazards for professional truck drivers. While only 25% of all driving in the U.S. happens at night, half of all fatal crashes occur after dark, says the National Safety Council (NSC).

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Make Pre- and Post-Trip Inspections Easier for Drivers

Pre- and post-trip inspections are essential to fleet safety. Drivers are also legally required to conduct pre- and post-trip inspections by the Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Thorough inspections ensure regulatory compliance, help prevent roadside violations and minimize the risk of over-the-road failures.

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Find and Keep Drivers With the Right Equipment, Technology and Programs

Driver shortage issues have shifted as capacity has fluctuated. However, the fundamentals behind the driver shortage have not disappeared, and it remains a top industry concern. The right equipment and technology can appeal to drivers and give fleets a competitive advantage when building and retaining their pool of drivers.

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Safe Rules of the Road: Rural, Urban & Highway

As a professional driver, you might travel new routes every day. But the rules of the road can change depending on the landscape and road conditions around you.

Urban routes require lots of starting and stopping. Rural roads can get isolated and tricky. Highways offer their own unique challenges. And if you haven’t driven on one of these types of routes for a little while, adjusting can be tricky.

Prepare yourself by knowing the biggest risks and following these top safety tips for each type of road.

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9 Ways To Park Safe and Smart This Holiday Season

With holiday traffic volumes expected to be at increased levels this year, professional drivers can expect to share the road with millions of motorists nationwide. But the highways won’t be the only crowded place. Truck stops and rest areas will be jam-packed, too!

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Brake for the Bus: Back-To-School Safety Tips for CMV Drivers

Summer is winding down, which means school will be back in session soon. As school buses and their precious cargo – children and teenagers – return to the roads, professional drivers should proceed with extra caution. These five areas bring the biggest challenges and require your utmost attention:

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Top 5 Dangerous Driving Behaviors To Avoid

Summertime doesn’t just make the temperature soar. Other drivers on the road get short-tempered in hot weather, too, increasing the risk for dangerous and aggressive driving behaviors.

The best way to keep your cool is to avoid aggressive driving at all costs by being a defensive driver and avoid reckless, careless and otherwise dangerous driving. What does that mean?

Reckless driving is driving with willful or blatant disregard for the safety of people or property.

Careless or dangerous driving is driving without reasonable consideration for other motorists or people on the road or otherwise driving in an unsafe manner placing yourself and others at risk of injury.

Whenever law enforcement personnel see the signs of reckless, careless or dangerous driving, they’ll pull you over. Last year, a total of 5,756 warnings and 4,494 citations were issued during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual Operation Safe Driver Week.

Don’t run the risk of a citation or accident. Avoid these top 5 dangerous driving behaviors:

1. Speeding: Always drive at or below the posted speed limit. Slow down even further during storms or while driving on rain-soaked roads.

Speeding was a factor in 26% of all traffic fatalities in 2018, killing 9,378 people. (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, NHTSA)

2. Distracted driving: Avoid anything that takes your eyes off the road or hands off the steering wheel, even for a second! This includes talking or texting on a phone, using dispatch devices, eating, reading, adjusting the radio, or looking at passing billboards, buildings or people.

Distracted driving claimed 3,142 lives in 2019. (NHTSA)

3. Drunk or drugged driving: Never operate any vehicle, including CMV’s, while under the influence of alcohol, marijuana or other banned substances. When you get caught, you will be disqualified from driving.

Drunk driving claims the lives of 1 person every 52 minutes. (NHTSA)

4. Following too closely: Maintain a following distance of one second for each 10 feet of vehicle length. Add a second if you’re driving over 40 mph.

Rear-end crashes account for 29% of all crashes. (NHTSA)

5. Not wearing a seat belt: Federal law requires CMV drivers to always wear seat belts. They remain one of the cheapest, easiest ways to protect yourself behind the wheel.

Seat belts saved 14,955 lives in 2017 alone. (NHTSA)

A few other risky driving behaviors to avoid: Changing lanes frequently, not using turn signals while changing lanes, disobeying traffic signs, cutting off other motorists and falling asleep while driving.

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Safety Technology for a Better Driving Experience

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, also called ADAS, are designed to augment driver capabilities and enhance safety. They also have the added benefits of increasing driver comfort and improving the overall driving experience.

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Getting Drivers on Board with Safety Solutions

Fleets are using technology to improve truck driver safety and shape driver habits. Onboard safety technology improves safety and can increase efficiency, reduce liability and cut costs — but fleets need to gain driver acceptance of any new solutions.

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Wake Up! 7 Ways To Beat Fatigue Behind the Wheel

It typically begins with a simple yawn. Next thing you know, your eyes feel heavy. You find yourself turning up the radio or opening a window. Then you realize you forgot the last few miles you drove and wonder how you traveled so far without realizing it.

What’s happening? It’s fatigue, and it’s one of the most common and dangerous safety risks for professional drivers. About 65% of truck drivers say they feel fatigued while driving, according to the American Transportation Research Institute. What’s worse, fatigue plays a role in 31% of all deadly truck crashes, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The good news is that staying more alert while driving is well within your control. Try one or more of these seven smart strategies to beat fatigue behind the wheel. You may just save a life!

1. Take your breaks. Always follow Hours of Service (HOS) regulations and take a minimum of 30-minute breaks every 8 hours. Try to find your own rhythm. For example, you may be more alert if you take shorter breaks every two-to-three hours instead of “saving” your break for that eighth hour on the road.

2. Get your sleep. Aim to sleep for seven to eight hours every night. If possible, avoid or limit driving mid-afternoon (between 2 – 4 p.m.) or overnight (between midnight – 6 a.m.), times when the body is naturally drowsy.

3. Watch what you eat and drink. Skip fast food, vending machines, and other types of food that lack nutrition. Instead, pack healthier meals. Choose fruits, vegetables, nuts or string cheese for snacks. Don’t eat a heavy meal right before bed. But don’t go to bed hungry, either. Avoid sodas and other sugary drinks. Choose water instead so you can stay hydrated.

4. Stay active and fit. While you can’t exercise while driving, you can add some physical activity during your breaks and during your off time. Take a brisk walk. Do some stretching exercises. Aim for 20 minutes of physical activity at least three days a week. Being physically fit lowers your chances of fatigue.

5. Check your medicines. Sleeping pills, allergy medications and cold medications can make you drowsy. Avoid or limit them whenever possible. Always ensure you discuss any medications and their side effects with your doctor.

6. Avoid the traps. Many drivers think that they can fight fatigue by smoking, turning up the radio, or opening a window. Those activities may refresh you for a few seconds, but they won’t keep you alert for the long haul. If tired, do the right thing, pull to a safe area, and take a break!

7. Don’t tough it out. If you start yawning, making sudden lane changes or start to grow irritable, it’s a good bet you’re tired. Find a safe, legal place to park, such as a truck stop or well-lit rest area, and take a break.

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Keep Drivers and Technicians Safe During Roadside Repairs

In trucking, uptime is critical, and no one wants to experience unscheduled maintenance, especially if it occurs while a driver is on the road. Unfortunately, mechanical failures happen, and when they do, keeping drivers and maintenance technicians providing emergency roadside services safe is the top priority.

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Driver Assistance Technology Continues to Improve

The use of advanced driver assistance systems, also called ADAS, in commercial vehicles continues to increase as fleets and regulatory agencies work to improve safety, control costs and limit liability. ADAS applications include adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot detection and forward-collision warning systems. The technology can improve driver performance, reduce fatigue and enable customized coaching.

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Take Steps To Prevent Wheel-End Problems

Wheel-end components are essential to safety, and properly maintaining and inspecting wheel ends, which include the wheels, rims, hubs and tires on a commercial motor vehicle, is essential for over-the-road performance.

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Over-The-Road Breakdowns & Accidents

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Take Advantage of Safety Technology

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Keep Up With Regulatory Compliance

Reinvest in Safety

Finding the Best Solutions

Collision Mitigation Technology

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How Can I Increase Visibility When Driving in the Dark?

What Should I Do if I Feel Drowsy While Driving?

How Do Other Drivers Impact Driving in the Dark?

Should I Driver Slower at Night?

How Do I Avoid Hitting Deer or Other Animals at Night?

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Urban Roads

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1. School Zones

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Tap Into Technology Without Upfront Costs

Minimize the Risk of a Failure

Addressing Risk

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Know the Signs of Wheel-End Problems

Wheel-End Items Inspectors Often Check