Prevent a disaster by boosting safety habits around farm trucks

In the rush of the harvest season, shortcuts concerning truck safety are a detour to disaster, according to farm safety and transportation experts at North Dakota State University.

"Harvest season always feels too short for the amount of work that has to be done. There is an urge to go faster, work longer and push harder, but a few minutes invested in safety is time well-spent," notes Angie Johnson, NDSU Extension farm and ranch safety coordinator. "That's especially true on rural roads where heavy trucks may frequently mingle with other typical traffic."

North Dakota ranks near the top nationally for truck-involved crash fatality rates, says Kim Vachal, a senior researcher and expert in rural road safety with NDSU's Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute. State crash records show that 66.7% of serious crashes (those with fatalities and disabling injuries) occurred on rural roads between 2016 and 2020. During that period, 16% of those crashes occurred on gravel roads, more than twice the rate for non-truck crashes.

The NDSU experts recommend several steps for boosting farm truck safety:

• Inspect the truck. Walk around the truck when starting the day, refueling or changing shifts. Check tires and lights. Wash windshields, mirrors, headlights and taillights to make sure you can see and other drivers can see you.

• Wear your seatbelt. In a crash, your seatbelt is your best protection.

• Fight fatigue. Take short breaks to get out of the truck and stretch your muscles. Use those breaks to check your truck's lights and tires and other equipment. Stay hydrated.

• Maintain safe speeds. A typical 5-axle semi loaded with corn weighs more than 75,000 pounds and takes about 40% longer to bring to a stop than the typical passenger vehicle. Loose gravel road surfaces and rough fields can make controlling trucks a challenge at any speed.

• Ditch distractions. Don't multi-task. Make driving your singular focus. Eating, drinking, talking on the phone, texting, even adjusting the radio can be a distraction.

• Prevent fires. Park in areas with minimal vegetation. Repair fuel leaks and damaged wiring. Never refuel with the engine running. Clean chaff and debris from exhaust and other hot vehicle components. Carry a fire extinguisher.

• Account for visibility. Darkness, glaring sun and dusty conditions all limit visibility. Adjust your speed accordingly. Don't overdrive your headlights – if you can't stop within the area illuminated by your headlights, you will not see hazards until it is too late.

• Use caution when entering and leaving fields. Field approaches may be narrow or soft. Go slow and make sure that the tractor and trailer have enough room to maneuver. Watch for traffic. Other trucks may be using the same field approach. Remember that a fully loaded truck takes a long time to come up to speed.

• Track your trailer in turns. Make wide turns to ensure your trailer stays out of the ditch and clears any obstacles like road signs, trees or lights. Use your turn signal and your mirrors.

• Keep mud off the road. Mud on roads is hazardous to the traveling public. Clean off excessive mud or contact the road authority for help. Your county may have a policy spelling out responsibilities and penalties for dealing with mud on roads.

At the same time, motorists in rural areas need to be cautious at this time of year as well.

• Share the road. Large trucks need room to operate, avoid crowding them. On narrow or gravel roads, slow down and pull over as far as you safely can. Watch for wide turns.

• Pass with care. Trucks may be moving slowly for a reason. Make absolutely sure it is safe to pass.

• Be aware of your surroundings. Trucks may enter traffic from unexpected areas.

• Wear your seatbelt. In the event of a crash, a seatbelt is your best protection.

• Avoid no zones. Semi-trucks have large blind spots referred to as "no zones" where other vehicles are invisible to the driver. If you cannot see the driver in the truck's side mirror, it is likely the driver cannot see you. When passing or being passed, do not linger in those blind spots. Cutting in front of a semi-truck or following too closely can also put you in a blind spot and dramatically increase your chances of being involved in a crash.

"The bottom line is that all drivers in farm country need to be extra cautious during harvest," Johnson says. "A few minutes dedicated to safety can prevent a crash that at best results in damage to vehicles and that at worst could result in a serious injury or loss of life."