Holiday traffic and sudden weather shifts demand sharper planning and calmer decision-making. If you’re new to heavy vehicles in NSW, prioritise space, vision, and fatigue control to keep yourself and others safe.
Increase following distances to allow for longer stopping in wet or congested conditions. Read traffic well ahead, scanning for merging vehicles, brake lights, and changing speed limits. Maintain smooth throttle and progressive braking to keep your load stable, and confirm load restraint before every departure. Adjust speed before descents and curves, select the correct gear early, and avoid riding the brakes to prevent fade. Build a rest plan using regulated work and rest hours, and break up night driving with short stops to reset alertness. In storms, reduce speed, extend gaps, use headlights, and be prepared to pull over safely if visibility drops. Keep your pre-trip routine tight: tyres, lights, brakes, couplings, fluid levels, straps, curtains and emergency equipment.
At Highway Truck Driving School, we teach defensive driving, pre-trip inspections, fatigue management and hazard perception tailored to LR, MR, HR, HC and MC pathways. Ready to build safe, confident habits before your next festive season run? Book your training or assessment with us today.
