Category Archives: Logistics

Christmas is one of the most common times of the year for accidents to occur. With more people than ever not taking care during the most wonderful time of the year. In this article, we are going to share with you some ways to stay safe whilst driving this Christmas.

During this festive period, we all like to have a little drink. However, it is against the law to drive whilst under the influence of alcohol. To keep yourself and others safe we would recommend that you do not drink if you are planning on driving anywhere. Wait until you are home for the day then knock yourself out.

Speeding becomes a massive problem at Christmas too, with people rushing around to get to their families for Christmas dinner. But, it is important to note that speed limits do not change for Christmas. They stay the same and are in place to keep us all safe. So stick to them to stay safer this year.

A lot of driving jobs include driving abroad. This can be a very daunting time for any new driver whether it be with logistics or just for a family holiday. Today, we are going to share with you some things you need to know when driving abroad.

One of the main aspects you must know is that most countries drive on the right-hand side of the road. Unlike here in the UK where we drive on the left-hand side of the road. Ensure you know which side of the road you need to be on so you do not cause any collisions.

Another aspect you will need to consider is their road signs may differ to ours. It is important that you conduct research into what their most common road signs mean. For example, their speed limit signs may be in kmp rather than mph. Ensuring you know these signs will help you to drive correctly in the new country.

We all know that driving when tired is dangerous and that we should take breaks at least every two hours. But what are some of the dangers?

Reaction Time
When your tired your reaction time is reduced. However, you do not always realise this. Meaning the time it takes you to react to what is happening around you is much longer. Making you much more of a hazard on the road.

Concentration
It is known that is is much harder to concentrate when you are tired. This means you may be easily distracted. For example, a song on the radio may gain your attention. And whilst you may be looking at the road ahead you are not taking notice of what is happening.

Micro-Sleep
When you are tired you can go through a phase of micro-sleep. Most of the time you will not even notice that this has happened. This can last for a fraction of a second to 10 seconds. Making you more vulnerable to crashes.

As we all know it is extremely important to take breaks whilst driving, especially if we are driving for long periods of time. The main reason why it is important is because it will help to prevent crashes. When we begin to feel tired our concentration and focus starts to decrease. Meaning we are not as focused on the road. This is a high cause for crashes. Taking regular breaks really helps to prevent this. We should all take a break of 15 minutes every 2 hours whilst driving to help keep us in our best condition to drive. It is also a good idea to take breaks whilst driving to eat food. This is again because hunger can cause a distraction from the road making you more likely to crash. Whether you are driving for logistics or for a road trip, always remember to take breaks to keep yourself and other road users safe.

By Law all heavy goods vehicles are required to be fitted with a tachograph.  From 2006 all lorries are fitted with digital tachographs. The older analogue tachographs can still be used on older lorries. Tachographs work by recording the speed, distance and time a driver has been working as well as rest days. This to to help prevent lorry drivers working for too many hours or at dangerous speeds. It is important that the details on the Tachograph are kept unto date. If you need to change your address or other details you will need in inform your local council, who can update these. If you are new driver your company can apply for a tachograph on your behalf, or they may ask you to sign up and it is your responsibility to ensure your tachograph is entered before you drive any HGV. If you forget to use yours you may be fined ad will almost certainly face disciplinary action.