Keeping Canada’s truckers rail-safe this National Trucking Week

Truck drivers travel hundreds of kilometres every day to keep Canada’s supply chains flowing—delivering the goods that Canadians rely on. National Trucking Week, held this year from September 4 to 10, is a way to recognize the contributions made by the 400,000 men and women who drive trucks in this country. To mark the week, provincial trucking associations, carriers, industry suppliers, and other stakeholders are holding events across the country.
 
At Operation Lifesaver (OL) Canada, we recognize just how essential truckers are, as well as the hazards inherent to their line of work. Whether they’re behind the wheel of a transport truck or a cement truck, ensuring that they get to their destination safely is all about following certain safety rules—especially when their route takes them beside or across railway tracks.
 
Providing rail safety resources for professional drivers
 
To help keep Canada’s truck drivers safe, we’ve developed several helpful resources. Our Train to Drive videos for professional drivers immerse users in a 3-D virtual-reality driving environment to test whether they know how to safely approach railway crossings.
 
OL’s tip sheet for professional drivers also provides important rail safety tips for truck drivers, such as:
 

• When approaching a railway crossing, slow down by shifting into a low gear
• Don’t continue across the tracks unless you have a clear view
• If a train is coming, stop at the stop line or no closer than 5 metres from the nearest rail
• Before proceeding through a crossing, be sure your entire vehicle can clear the tracks

 
If you’re a professional truck driver, knowing, and following, simple rail safety tips like these can help to ensure you get safely from point A to B. And if you know a truck driver, why not share these resources with them this National Trucking Week—because we all have a role to play when it comes to rail safety.