Do You Know Enough to Be a Trucker?

OTR, or "over the road" drivers are the ones who transport loads very long distances. OTR drivers know that they may not see their families for very long stretches.

Fast food is a trap that many truckers (and other people, too) fall into. If you're in trucking for the long haul, learn to eat healthy on the road or suffer the consequences later.

Some truck drivers make a habit of leaving their rigs parked at the pump while they wander around inside the store. This is the fast track to making other drivers very frustrated and angry, because they want to fill up and get going ASAP.

Mountain driving is challenging for every driver pulling a heavy load. Steep grades test shifting and braking ability at every moment.

There are crazy or inattentive drivers all over the place. Don't let them get to you even if they cut you off … as a professional it's important that you stay calm and safe while driving your huge rig.

Truck driving is a tough business even when the weather is ideal. In icy, snowy winter time? Leave that stuff to the veteran drivers.

For drivers, it's a beautiful policy. A "no touch" carrier means the drivers don't load or unload cargo by hand. That job goes to laborers.

Tires are a truck's lifeline to the road. You should check your tires frequently … and your brakes, too. They are incredibly important to the safety of everyone on the road around you.

Yes, we know you have deadlines. But precipitation of any kind contributes to many scary driving situations. Slow down in poor weather. It offers more reaction time.

Even experienced drivers struggle with backing up some days. Go slow, take your time and enlist the help of a spotter to aid you for this task. It might take you months or years to perfect this task on your own.

You can't just close your eyes and hope for the best. Backing up huge trailers takes a lot of practice, and it's a skill that you learn over many years of experience.

Mountain weather wreaks havoc with trucks. That's why many states require truckers to put chains on their tires before entering treacherous mountain passes.

Intersections are where many of the worst accidents happen, as vehicles cross each others' paths. It's at intersections that drivers should be especially aware, particularly in big rigs that require extra braking distance.

You're driving a huge rig for thousands of miles -- something is going to break. Be sure to pack a basic tool kit so that you can deal with minor challenges on your own.

Many trailers are so heavy that the legs will sink easily into a dirt surface. Prior to dropping the trailer, place a hard surface (like wooden boards) under the legs.

Right turns are, by nature, hard to execute with a big trailer in tow. On city streets, take these turns very slowly to avoid hitting things … like rushed drivers who try to dart around you.

Your trailer doesn't always cooperate the way you think it should. If you back up and turn the wheel to the right, the trailer will go left.

You'll sit for endless hours in your truck. Once parked, you need to get that heart pumping with some exercise -- fail to do this and years later you'll reap the sad consequences.

If another driver is trying to pass you from the left lane … let him. The sooner he can move back into the right lane, the sooner all traffic will begin flowing more smoothly.

You can't burn propane inside your cab, of course. But heated blankets are a great way to use very little power while staying comfortably warm in cold conditions.

The 18-speed transmission at your fingertips is fairly easy to learn. The shifter operates in an H pattern that will step you through the various gears.

Swallow your pride and just get out of the truck. Look around, drive a few more inches, get back out and look again -- it's a learning process and it's much safer than guessing.

Mountains place incredible strain on all parts of your rig. If your engine begins to overheat on the ascent, pull over and reevaluate your situation instead of pushing the machine to its absolute limits.

Visualization is a mental exercise that many people use for all sorts of complicated tasks. Backing up a trailer? Imagine a bird's-eye perspective and it may help you steer better.

Many drivers "float the gears" as they zoom down the highway. It basically just means they're shifting without using the clutch. Some drivers make this process look much easier than it is.

You don't always have to use the service brakes to slow down. The jake brakes -- engine brakes -- are helpful in many places, particularly hilly areas.

This is a standard procedure for commercial drivers. Honk your horn before (and during) your backing up process, in hopes of keeping the attention of people in the area.

Runaway truck ramps are a measure of last resort. In the mountains, it's where truckers aim their rigs if they've lost control, perhaps due to a brake malfunction.

Backing up -- the bane of many drivers -- is hard work. If you need a spotter, ask for help from another trucker ... because a random person might actually make your predicament even scarier.

On slick roads, you want a good amount of weight on your drive tires. Keeping the fuel tank topped off adds weight at the front … right where you want it.

Icy roads can cause horrendous accidents, and your heavy rig can't stop quickly in a snowstorm. Give yourself at least a 10-second cushion from the vehicles ahead of you.

Because truck drivers like their space, too. If you pull in for the night in a place where there's lots of room and few trucks, give the other drivers some space. No need to crowd.

If the road is snowy, don't put your tires in the tracks of the person in front of you. Instead, shift your rig a bit to the side and make your own tracks for a bit better traction.

But more is even safer. The rough guideline is that you should maintain at least a three-second cushion between your truck and the vehicles ahead of you.

Typical passenger cars have just a single reverse speed. Big trucks, though, have three, although many drivers don't make use of all three.