When turning quickly to avoid colliding with a hazard in the roadway, you should always keep both hands on the steering wheel. You must have a firm grip on the wheel to be able to turn quickly.

Reduce your speed as you approach a railroad crossing. Remember that you will not necessarily be able to hear a train, and don't assume that signals will warn you of its approach. Never try to outdrive an approaching train at a railroad crossing.

To avoid engaging in dangerous and aggressive driving behavior, you should relax and accept any delays that arise throughout a trip. To help avoid the stress of arriving late to a destination, plan for likely delays when planning your drive.

When backing up to couple a trailer, you should position the tractor directly in front of the trailer. Trying to couple while backing at an angle could cause the trailer to move and the landing gear to break.

Before adding coolant to a system without a recovery or overflow tank, you must turn the engine off and wait until it cools. Use gloves or a thick cloth to protect your hands. To release the pressure seal, turn the radiator cap slowly to the first stop.

If you must make a quick stop to avoid an accident while transporting liquid cargo, it may be a good idea to use the stab braking method. Remember that attempting to steer quickly while braking may cause your vehicle to tip over, especially if it has a high center of gravity.

Failure of hydraulic brakes is often caused by a loss of hydraulic pressure. Hydraulic brakes may also fade because of overuse on a long downgrade.

Keep in mind how long it will take for your vehicle to come to a complete stop. Empty tank vehicles may take longer to stop than those which are fully loaded.

If confronted by an aggressive driver, the most important thing to do is try to get out of their way. Avoid making eye contact with the driver and do not let yourself be provoked by gestures. Do not try to challenge aggressive drivers by speeding up.

Bobtail tractors are tractors that are not attached to any semitrailers. When operating a bobtail, you should be aware that stopping can be difficult and that it will take a longer distance to bring the bobtail to a complete stop than it would a tractor attached to a loaded semitrailer.

Unless your engine runs a pump for product transfer, turn it off when loading or unloading a compressed gas tank. If you do use your engine to run a pump, you should turn the engine off after the product transfer but before unhooking the hoses.

Correctly following the steps to couple and uncouple trailers is vital to safely operating a combination vehicle. After connecting the air lines to the trailer while coupling, you should supply air to the trailer.

If a shipping paper includes information about both hazardous and non-hazardous materials, the hazardous materials must be differentiated in one of three ways. They must be listed first, highlighted in a contrasting color, or identified with an "X" placed before the shipping description in a column labeled "HM."

Defects in an exhaust system are very dangerous because they can cause poisonous fumes to enter the cab or sleeper berth.

The tractor protection valve keeps air in the trailer's braking system should the trailer break away or develop a leak. A loss of air pressure in the emergency line will cause the tractor protection valve to open and the emergency trailer brakes to activate.

Possible warning signs of fatigue include trouble focusing, frequent blinking, or eyelids that feel heavy; repeated yawning; rubbing your eyes; daydreaming, or having wandering or disconnected thoughts; trouble remembering the last few miles; missing exits or traffic signs; trouble keeping your head up; drifting from your lane, following too closely, or hitting a rumble strip; and feeling restless or irritable.

A person should not smoke within 25 feet of a placarded tank that is used to transport Class 3 (flammable liquids) or Division 2.1 (gases) materials. Additionally, no person should smoke or carry a lit cigar, cigarette, or pipe within 25 feet of any vehicle containing Class 1 (explosives), Class 4 (flammable solids), or Class 4.2 (spontaneously combustible).

Always change lanes slowly and smoothly. If there is a vehicle in the other lane that you did not see before beginning to move, they will have more time to react to your vehicle.

When hazardous materials placards are required, they must be placed on all four sides of the transporting vehicle.

If you begin to feel drowsy while driving, the only safe response is to safely leave the road and get some sleep. Using artificial stimulants can be dangerous because they may cause extreme fatigue when they begin to wear off.