When you’re making your hauls, especially longer ones, you might find yourself visiting some truck stops. However, not all truckers feel comfortable at these rest spots. As a result, it’s important to know what you can do to keep yourself and your cargo safe…
Truck Stops: Keeping Safe
Plan ahead
Many truck stops tend to be located right off of major highways. However, not all of these rest areas will be the same. Some of them might be in better, safer areas than others. Others might be well off of your original route. Due to this, you don’t want to leave finding a place to rest up to chance.
Try to account for rest stops ahead of time during your route planning. Many times, things like GPS apps will highlight any potential rest stops automatically. Still, make sure to check out any reviews these stops might have. It might be worth it to drive a little longer to a safer one, rather than stop at a more-shadier spot.
Park strategically
Another important thing to consider about truck stops is parking. It might be tempting to just pull into the first space you see. However, you should take a moment to consider some key questions first. Try to think about how close to traffic the space is, if it’ll be easy to get out from it, and if it’s in a well-lit spot.
The closer to traffic you are, the more at-risk you are for being hit. The same goes for crowded spaces. Try to avoid parking behind someone who’ll have to back out of their space to leave. Also, parking in well-lit spots is helpful for deterring would-be thieves.
Get secure
Once you find yourself a good spot at truck stops, all that’s left is making sure you and your haul are safe. While this is especially important for if you’re spending the night, you’ll also want to do it even if you’re just taking a quick break. After all, you don’t want to put your safety, or your ability to finish your trip, at risk.
Be sure to keep your truck’s doors locked and windows rolled up. You’ll also want to double-check that your cargo is secure, and make sure to properly lock up your trailer. Also, keep any sort of valuables out of sight as well.