Tips For Handling Semi-Truck Breakdowns On The Road

There are plenty of challenges that you will face when you are driving a semi-truck. One of which is when the truck or trailer broke down in the middle of the road or highway. The breakdown can be caused by numerous factors - break, engine, or transmission failure, accidents, flat tire, getting stuck in a ditch, etc. 

Not only is this inconvenient for the driver but can also be frustrating for other drivers. That is because semi-trucks are cumbersome, and they take up a lot of space on the road. If this is already true when the vehicle is merely parked on the side of the road, how much more if it breaks down in the middle of the road? 

A semi-truck breakdown could lead to dangerous driving conditions for other motorists. Because of these reasons and more, it is important to tow a semi-truck to another safe location as soon as possible. Here are some of the few tips to consider when you are handling semi-truck breakdowns on the road.

Make the Semi-Truck Breakdown Obvious to Other Drivers

First and foremost, your responsibility as the driver is to maintain maximum visibility during a semi-truck breakdown. Most of the time, other drivers are not too concerned with what is happening on the road and would rather get where they are going as fast as possible. This makes semi-trailer trucks stuck on the road a huge liability for other motorists. 

It is your responsibility to make sure that everyone is warned or alerted of the status of your stopped trailer vehicle. Make sure that other drivers see the obvious: that your semi-truck broke down to give them time to avoid you. 

You can do this by turning on the flashers of your vehicle. Approaching cars will see the lights and steer clear from your space. You may also place reflective warning signs to create a bigger space for you as well as your team to inspect and fix your semi-truck. In very dark and lightless roads, you can go for road flares to alert incoming cars that a vehicular breakdown or accident has occurred.

Know What Caused the Breakdown

One of the reasons why a semi-truck can break down is due to mechanical or electronic malfunctioning. Knowing what is wrong with your semi-trailer truck is crucial so that you or a service vehicle can get your vehicle back in order. You do not necessarily have to fix what is wrong, just have the knowledge why the breakdown happened in the first place. Do remember that you can have semi-truck towing professionals fix it for you. Once it gets towed to a safer location and fixed, have the nearby repair shop inspect what went wrong so you can better prepare next time. Additionally, you could single out potential problems before they can happen after getting  your semi-trailer truck inspected.

Know the Nearby Local Repair Shops

Do some quick research on the trailer repair shops near the roads or locations that you are going to travel to. That way, you are prepared to call for help in the event of an unexpected semi-truck breakdown. 

If you frequently drive in a certain route, then it is a great idea to familiarize yourself with the local truck repair services. That way you can contact them sooner, your vehicle will get the repair service it needs in a more efficient manner, and you can get your trailer truck up and running in no time. Even if your semi-truck breaks down in a location that is considerably too far for the nearest repair shop, you are at least guaranteed that you will get some semi-trailer service sooner than not actually getting one. 

Pass Smaller Vehicles Safely

It is common knowledge to pass another smaller vehicle on the road as safely as possible. Passenger cars are at a disadvantage against semi-trucks in the unfortunate event that a collision between the two occurs. 

A semi-truck requires more caution because its size does not allow it to be flexible on the road compared to passenger vehicles. When you are driving a semi-trailer truck, it will take you more time to react and adjust to the speed of other smaller cars. 

To avoid problems or potential semi-truck breakdowns, make sure that you are making your presence known. Despite the size of your vehicle, other drivers may still have zero visibility of your semi-truck for various reasons. So, always approach passenger cars from the left to allow the driver to see your incoming vehicle. Pass at a steady speed, maintain safe distance, and make sure that you can see the smaller vehicle in your rearview mirror before blending back into the lane. 

Get Enough Space When Making Wide Turns

When it comes to making wide turns, semi-trailer trucks require more space than smaller cars. That is because there is a high chance that the cab and the trailer of the semi-truck would take separate paths. It usually requires you to swing left to make room when going for a right turn and vice versa. The semi-truck might even need to start the turn in the middle lane. 

Driving a semi-trailer truck is also quite restricted on the road. For instance, you are not allowed to pass a small vehicle that has its turn signal on, and you should not drive between two smaller cars. The semi-truck also needs to get behind the line when stopping at an intersection so that you will have enough space when it  is time to turn left or right. It pays to be always on the lookout when making these turns. That way, you are reducing the odds of an accident or a semi-truck breakdown. 

Drive safely!

For prompt and expert semi truck towing service, choose Stauffer’s Towing. Call (801) 869-2727!

About the Author

Jeremy Keller leads the Content Marketing team for Elite Towing, a locally-owned, family-run business in Casa Grande, AZ that provides high quality towing services to both residential and commercial customers. He enjoys photography and doing drone videographies in his spare time.