30 safety messages for truck drivers, ready to send

Copy them as written or adapt the wording to your fleet. Each ends with its source, so a driver who asks “says who?” gets an answer.

Before the wheels turn

• “Walk around before you roll. Brakes, steering, lights, tires, mirrors, coupling devices, wheels, and emergency equipment all need to work before the truck moves.” 49 CFR 392.7
• “Read the last inspection report before you drive. If it lists defects, your signature confirms the repairs were certified.” 49 CFR 396.13
• “Set your GPS and route before you start driving, never while moving. A car navigation app may not warn you about height and weight limits.” FMCSA
• “Sick, worn out, or on a medicine that makes you drowsy? Call us before you drive. The rules say you can't drive that way, and that we can't ask you to.” 49 CFR 392.3

Space and speed

• “Keep at least one second of following distance for every 10 feet of vehicle below 40 mph, and add one second above 40. A 60-foot rig at highway speed needs 7 seconds.” CDL manual
• “Check your mirrors every 8 to 10 seconds, and look about 15 seconds down the road.” FMCSA
• “A large truck can need up to two football fields to stop. Leave the room before you need it.” FMCSA
• “Rain, fog, snow, dust, or smoke? Slow down. If it gets too dangerous, park until it is safe. We will back that call.” 49 CFR 392.14
• “Work zone ahead: move into the open lane early, slow down, and keep extra space. Rear-end crashes are extremely common there.” FMCSA

Phones and seat belts

• “Phone away before the wheels move. Texting and hand-held calls are banned while driving, and that includes sitting at a red light.” 49 CFR 392.80 and 392.82
• “Hands-free only, dialed with no more than one button. Anything more waits until you are parked off the road.” FMCSA
• “We never expect a reply while you are driving. Answer us when you are parked.” 49 CFR 392.80
• “Buckle up on every trip. In 2024, nearly 35% of CMV drivers not wearing a seat belt died when they were in a fatal crash.” FMCSA
• “Riding with someone? Every occupant buckles up where a seat belt is installed.” 49 CFR 392.16

Hours and fatigue

• “The limits: 11 hours of driving within 14 hours of coming on duty, after 10 hours off in a row.” 49 CFR 395.3
• “After 8 hours of driving, take at least 30 minutes away from the wheel before you drive again.” 49 CFR 395.3
• “Your body is drowsiest between midnight and 6 a.m. and between 2 and 4 p.m. Plan your rest around those hours when you can.” FMCSA
• “Feeling drowsy? A nap of 10 to 45 minutes restores you better than coffee. Give yourself 15 minutes after waking before you drive.” FMCSA
• “Eighteen hours awake is comparable to a 0.08 blood alcohol level, according to research FMCSA cites.” FMCSA

For the hours rules and fatigue warning signs in full, see our guide to fatigue management for truck drivers.

Alcohol and medicine

• “No alcohol within 4 hours before duty, and none at all while on duty.” 49 CFR 392.5
• “At 0.04 alcohol concentration or higher, you can't do safety-sensitive work. A test result from 0.02 to 0.039 still takes you off for at least 24 hours.” 49 CFR 382.201 and 382.505
• “Read the label. Cold pills, allergy medicines, sleeping pills, and tranquilizers can make you drowsy.” FMCSA

Cargo and the roadside

• “Check your load and tiedowns within the first 50 miles.” 49 CFR 392.9
• “Then re-check at every duty-status change, every 3 hours, or every 150 miles, whichever comes first.” 49 CFR 392.9
• “Before you leave, make sure nothing blocks your view, your arms and legs, your emergency gear, or your way out of the cab.” 49 CFR 392.9
• “Stopped on the shoulder? Flashers on immediately, warning devices out within 10 minutes.” 49 CFR 392.22
• “On a divided highway, put one triangle within 10 feet of the rear on the traffic side, then one at 100 feet and one at 200 feet back toward oncoming traffic.” 49 CFR 392.22
• “Never start across railroad tracks unless you can clear them. A typical tractor-trailer needs at least 14 seconds to clear a single track.” CDL manual

Winter roads

• “Bridges freeze before the road does. Take extra care when it is close to 32 degrees.” CDL manual
• “Below freezing and the road looks wet? Think black ice. Quick check: feel the front of your mirror or its support. Ice there means the road is probably icing too.” CDL manual

A safety letter is the owner's message to every driver, signed and kept on file. It names the few rules the company will not bend and promises that no driver will be pushed to break them.

Here is a template. Replace the bracketed parts and keep it to one page.

To every driver at [Company name]: Your safety comes before any load, any customer, and any schedule. These are the rules we will not bend:

• You wear your seat belt on every trip.
• Your phone stays down while the truck is moving. We will not expect a reply until you are parked.
• You do not drive within 4 hours of drinking alcohol, or while fatigued, ill, or on a medicine that makes you drowsy.
• You drive within your hours of service, and we plan loads that fit them.
• You report every defect, and we repair safety defects before the truck runs again.

We build schedules that can be met at the speed limit. If weather or road conditions make driving unsafe, stop where it is safe and call us. We will back that decision.

No one at [Company name] may pressure you to break a safety rule. If anyone does, tell [name and contact]. Federal law also lets you file a complaint with FMCSA. [Owner's name], [Title], [Date]

Have each driver sign a copy at hire and again whenever the letter changes. The schedule promise reflects 49 CFR 392.6, which bars runs that can only be made by speeding. The pressure promise reflects 49 CFR 390.6, which prohibits coercing a driver to break the safety rules and lets the driver file a written complaint.