Remember These Rules of the Road
It’s critical to be aware of rules and regulatory nuances between states you may be traveling in or through. Since NTB Trucking serves the Mid West region and primarily the Great Lakes area, here are some laws you should know about.
Move Over Law Every State that NTB drivers travel in has a Move Over Law. This law means that if you see an emergency vehicle that is pulled over and has its lights on, you need to move over into an open adjacent lane. If changing lanes isn’t possible, slow down and pass with caution, allowing the emergency vehicle as much space as possible.
Headlight Law Several States require drivers to have their headlights on at any time when the windshield wipers are in use, from sunset to sunrise and/or at any time when there is insufficient natural light, as well as in unfavorable atmospheric conditions which causes visibility to be less than 1,000 feet. Even if the State you're driving in doesn't have a Headlight Law, this is a good practice to follow.
Texting While Driving Law It is alright to have handheld devices like phones and MP3 players in your vehicle, and hands-free interaction with phones is also allowed. But texting while driving is completely banned for trucks in every State by Federal regulation and is considered a primary offense, meaning you can be pulled over with texting as the only offense.
Max Speed Limit Law Speed limits are not uniform across all states, and in several of the States NTB travels, the max speed limit for both cars and trucks is 70mph. That said, max truck speed for Michigan is 65mph while max car speed is 75mph the north part of the lower pennsula. Be aware that max speeds may be lower in certain areas any State, so always observe posted speeds and drive safely for weather and road conditions.
Distracted Driving Law for CDL Holders Distracted driving is a violation in any state but Wisconsin’s distracted driving laws state that anyone with a commercial driver’s license (CDL) is forbidden from using a phone while driving, and this provision includes handheld and hands-free devices. The only exception to this rule is if a driver needs to use their phone to report an emergency.
No matter where you’re driving, always make sure to know and abide by the rules of the road. And if you want to enjoy a career on the road, then check out the employment opportunities currently being offered by NTB Trucking.