The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has scheduled its 2022 International Roadcheck for May 17-19. During this 72-hour blitz of commercial vehicle inspections, law enforcement officials in the U.S., Canada and Mexico will be crawling around and underneath your truck in search of violations that could result in out-of-service orders.
Most drivers prepare for this annual blitz by going back to the basics — pre- and post-trip inspections. That’s right: Do your regular walkarounds, looking for the “low-hanging” fruit that inspectors can easily spot, such as lights, tires, turn signals, fire extinguishers and so forth.
Whatever you do, don’t forget that these officials will also be checking to make sure your medical card is up to date.
That brings us around to the focus of this column: In addition to performing preventive maintenance (PM) on your vehicle, it’s important to do PPM (personal preventative maintenance) on yourself. Make sure your personal equipment is “fit to pass.”
Take steps now to get your blood pressure, weight, body-mass index (BMI) and other factors under control.
Don’t neglect your stress levels! These vehicle inspections can be very lengthy and stressful, especially when you’re working against the clock on hours and delivery times.
The better shape you are in personally, the more easily you can handle the stress of these inspections. Don’t make the mistake of becoming complacent and forgetting to take care of the fundamentals in personal health and trucking safety. In addition to paying serious attention your pre-trip vehicle walkarounds, be sure to include a pre-trip fridge check: Make sure you have healthy snacks and beverages in case you’re stuck in traffic due to bad conditions.
Likewise, when you check under your truck’s hood, peek under your personal “hood” and make sure your body’s engine is running efficiently.
You can’t be safe if you’re not well. It’s all about your personal health and well-being, and having better quality time at home with your family and friends. My personal goal has always been to help drivers make better health choices so they can get home safely to their families.
Known as The Trucker Trainer, Bob Perry has played a critical role in the paradigm shift of regulatory agencies, private and public sector entities, and consumers to understand the driver health challenge. Perry can be reached at [email protected].
Bob Perry is a regular contributor to The Trucker. He has spent nearly the past four decades on a mission to educate professional drivers and share life-changing products and services to help them live healthier lives while on the road. Recognized throughout the transportation industry, from bus drivers to over-the-road professional drivers, Perry has played an important role in creating a paradigm shift helping regulatory agencies, private and public sector entities, and consumers understand the current health challenges of the professional driver. He has participated as a wellness advocate in several roundtable discussions, large audience groups and small forums as well as going “curbside” through a national truck stop tour.
Bob’s articles have been featured in The Trucker and a number of other national transportation industry publications and is the host of a weekly wellness call produced by Rolling Strong. Bob has been a regular guest on RedEye Radio and Land-Line Radio, and is often an invited guest on Sirius radio shows. He has been featured in the New York Times, Men’s Health Magazine, Drug Store News, American Road Magazine, WSJ, NPR, ABC National Radio, as well as hundreds of daily newspapers. He has appeared on television news shows across the nation, including a featured TV segment on ABC NightLine News.
