Houff.com :: Safe On the Road

General Office: 46 Houff Road P.O. Box 220, Weyers Cave, VA 24486 540-234-9233 or 800-476-4683 Fax: 540-234-9011

Barry Ebling has been in trucking almost 30 years. Now the director of safety and personnel at Houff Transfer Inc., he spends a lot of time talking about safety — to the more than 130 drivers at Houff's and to high school students taking driver's education.

With the drivers, there are one-on-one talks "regarding all aspects of safe driving," says Ebling. He stresses rest, speed, braking distance, lane changes, exit and entrance ramps, and overall driving techniques. And it pays off: Last year Houff's experienced just .625 preventable accidents per million miles.

With the high school students, Ebling makes presentations about the U.S. Department of Transportation's No-Zone program. Knowing No-Zones can save your life. No-Zones are the huge blind spots each driver has while in his cab. Ebling reminds drivers of these tips:

If you cant see a truck driver's face, he or she can't see you.

Always pass on the left, never pass on the right.

When you pass trucks, go ahead and do it. Don't stay in the blind spot.

Remember that truck drivers have no rear-view mirror.

Never cross behind a truck that is backing up.

Trucks need nearly twice the time and room as cars to stop, so never cut in front of a truck and then slow down. Look for the whole front of the truck in your rear-view mirror before pulling in front of it.

Trucks sometimes need to swing wide to the left to safely turn right. When they do, the drivers can't see directly behind or beside them, so never squeeze between a truck and a curb.

From an Advertisement in March 2000 Edition of "eightyone".