Driving is more complex than we think. There are several pros and cons a driver needs to consider especially in this fast-paced era where injuries and fatalities become common due to road accidents. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are almost 1.19 million fatalities happen each year and vulnerable road users account for more than half of all traffic fatalities, which is why it is necessary to have basic knowledge about commercial driving.
If you are wondering what commercial driving is why do I need to enroll in this online course? Then here you go!
What Is Commercial Driving?
Many people have a misconception about commercial driving. They usually think driving a personal vehicle or getting its license is similar to driving a commercial driving license (CDL). In contrast, commercial driving refers to operating a vehicle for business purposes. This type of driving typically involves using large and heavy vehicles such as buses, trucks, or delivery vehicles to transport goods or carry passengers. That is why commercial driving needs specific sets of skills and professional knowledge to overcome its complexity and align with driving regulations.
However, if you are interested in starting your career as a commercial driver, then you are accountable for carrying a large group of people or cargo between two different locations. This is your job’s main responsibility to safely transfer each passenger to their desired location without any difficulty.
For that reason, a commercial driver requires particular skills to ensure each material is properly loaded or unloaded in your vehicle, deliver personal property and people safely to their right destination, and ensure that each vehicle is in good condition and working properly. In order to perform this job adequately and maintain high standards of safety and efficiency, getting safety driving courses is crucial.
4 Must-Take Online Courses for Commercial Drivers
Being a commercial driver, you have to face lots of challenges on an everyday basis. You have to cover a long distance and go through various road conditions, such as repairs, missing signage, road drainage issues, potholes, and extreme weather conditions, such as rain, snowfall, fog, smoke, etc. That is why you need to enroll in the best commercial driving online courses to improve your driving skills and get sufficient knowledge about how to drive safely.
Here are the 4 essential online commercial driving courses that every driver should consider. Let’s delve now!
Load Securement and Distribution
One of the most critical aspects of driving is to make sure that your cargo is properly loaded or that each material is securely distributed; however, it ensures stability, efficiency, and safety as well. If the materials are not loaded and distributed properly, then there is a risk of accidents, and sometimes it even asks for criminal proceedings in the event of any damage to goods.
So, in this course, participants will learn about the rules and regulations to ensure that cargo stays in a safe place, help drivers understand road conditions, and recognize different forces that act on cargo. This training also helps drivers keep up with cargo safety regulations and learn best practices for loading procedures, securing, and offloading heavy equipment.
Topics cover in load securement and distribution training:
- An overview of proper load securement.
- Stay compliant with regulatory requirements
- Learn about various securement elements
- Get sufficient knowledge of tie-downs and load limits
- Learn easy ways to choose secure and legal methods for distribution
- How to inspect your vehicle to ensure safety.
Accident and Breakdown Procedures
Accidents and breakdowns are unplanned events. Despite of best driving efforts, these incidents still happen. But, having sufficient knowledge about how to handle these situations will help to overcome the risk of accidents and injuries. You don’t know how, when, or where these accidents may happen, so it is crucial to be prepared before you get behind the wheel. However, the main objective behind this “Accident and Breakdown Procedures online course is to keep drivers updated and prepared in the situation of a breakdown or an accident.
What you will learn in Accident and Breakdown online driving course:
- Easily distinguish between incidents and accidents
- Learn the importance of complying with legal regulations
- Tips to protect from accidents or breakdowns to avoid more incidents
- Have basic knowledge to act in an emergency when following an accident
- Grasp the best techniques to communicate during
- How to use an incident response kit
Distracted Driving
As per the NSC injury facts, distracted driving, alcohol, and speeding are the major causes of road fatalities. Due to distracted driving or collisions, employers bear a heavy cost. It is not only about loss of lives, medical expenses, or vehicle repair costs, but they need to pay millions of dollars for liability settlement. So, enrolling in distracted driving certification is highly important to prevent crashes that may lead to unintentional injury or a fatality. The foremost reason for this course is to equip commercial drivers with the essential knowledge to understand the hazardous impact of distracted driving and what control measures they should take to manage things that may cause distraction.
Topics that you will learn in the distracted driving course:
- Learn different types of distraction, such as eating, smoking, or using mobile phones
- Best techniques to reduce distraction
- How to avoid cognitive distraction
- Get a full grasp on laws and regulations regarding distracted driving
Extreme Driving Conditions (US)
Last but not least, extreme weather conditions are another common reason for roadway incidents and accidents in the US. These adverse weather conditions include heavy rainfall, ice, snow, fog, or extremely cold or hot weather that may cause a risky situation for driving. In particular, commercial drivers face high risks when their trucks are heavy and potentially dangerous for the traffic on the road. So, the Extreme Driving Conditions (US) course is designed to raise awareness about different weather conditions and how to handle the most challenging environments.
Important topics you will learn in the Extreme Driving Conditions (US) course:
- List of factors to drive safety in adverse weather
- Best techniques to drive on different road surfaces
- What action should drivers take to drive in the winter?
- How to drive safely during hot weather?
- Tips to manage speed while driving
To Wrap up the Things
Once you understand what commercial driving is, you do not neglect the importance of enrolling in commercial driving online courses. However, these online courses help to upgrade your driving skills and ability to prepare you for these wider professional issues. Eventually, enrolling in online commercial driving courses means you have the flexibility for self-paced learning and access to the course materials anytime, anywhere. This comprehensive coverage of topics helps drivers stay up to date and drive with confidence after knowing the best ways to handle any hazardous situation during commercial driving.