Health, Road and Environmental Safety, Service, Logistics
Health and fitness to drive
Professional drivers face long sedentary periods, irregular meals, vibration and fatigue. You should know the effects of fatigue on reaction time and vigilance, the value of breaks and good sleep hygiene, the risks of alcohol, drugs and some medicines, and basic ergonomics - seat adjustment, lumbar support, correct mirror setting. Smoking, dehydration and untreated sleep apnoea are recognised risk factors.
Environmental and economic driving
Eco-driving reduces fuel use and emissions through smooth acceleration, early upshifting, anticipatory braking, correct tyre pressure, avoiding unnecessary idling and planning routes. Questions often connect eco-driving to safety, because both depend on anticipation.
Service and logistics
Understand the customer relationship: punctuality, care of the load, correct documentation, safe loading and securing, temperature control for perishables, and communication when a delay occurs. Logistics planning covers route selection, delivery windows, load optimisation and avoiding empty running.
Traps in questions
- Options suggesting a driver should "push on" to meet a delivery window - the safe and legally correct answer is to stop, rest, and inform the operator.
- Treating eco-driving as slower driving; it is anticipatory driving, not necessarily slower.
- Assuming a customer's urgency overrides driving time limits.
- Forgetting that load securing is part of service quality, not only a legal duty.
Rule of thumb
If you feel sleepy, the only reliable remedy is to stop and rest; fresh air, coffee and the radio are temporary at best. Plan the day so that the delivery window is achievable within legal driving time before you set off.