When you set out on a long journey, you place a lot of trust in your vehicle to get you to your destination safely. Whether you’re transporting large quantities of goods or delivering a single package, it’s vital that your truck is up to the difficult task of taking you along miles of open road.
But as with any motorised technology, your vehicle may occasionally fall into disrepair, no matter how consistent you are with your servicing and maintenance. Vehicular failure is just a part of life, where you can reduce the stress that surrounds this possibility by understanding how to proceed in case of an emergency.
Read on to find out exactly what steps you should take if you find your truck has stopped working out on the road.
Exit The Road
If your vehicle feels as if a breakdown is imminent, then you should use any remaining time you have to remove your vehicle from the road. Look for the nearest hard shoulder or safe layby, indicating to other drivers that you intend to make a hard stop.
Emergency Lights
Once your vehicle is safely positioned, it is vital that you switch on your hazard or emergency lights to warn others of your condition. If you have been unable to remove your vehicle entirely from the road then this is even more important, where you should do everything possible to alert other drivers.
Hard Stop
If your vehicle has come to a sudden and complete stop on the hard shoulder then you should ensure that your wheels are turned away from the road in case of an unexpected start. Applying your emergency brake can also prevent any mishaps once you’re stationary.
Protect Yourself
Whilst you should do your best to alert other drivers of your position, you should never put yourself in jeopardy to do this. Stay inside your vehicle if you feel it is safe to do so, otherwise you should remain behind the hard shoulder barriers and well away from oncoming traffic.
Call For Help
Once you and your vehicle are safely positioned, you should then call for help as soon as possible. Inform National Highways of your position on 0300 123 5000, as well as your breakdown provider and your employer if you’re driving a fleet vehicle. Try to be as accurate as possible when describing your location so you can be helped quickly.
Transcare: Dependable On Site Truck Repairs & Servicing
At Transcare, we can provide on site roadside repairs and emergency assistance for your vehicle to help you get back on the road as soon as possible. In addition to this, we also offer commercial fleet maintenance services and tachograph calibration, so get in touch with us today to speak to one of our expert engineers.
