How Camelot Brings Safety to the Roads, Streets, and Highways

Our title this month highlights what makes our drivers different. Unlike the typical long-haul freight driver, our drivers have to navigate all types of motorways, from the wide-open highways in Utah with 80-mph speed limits to a narrow dirt road deep in the Oregon forest … and everything in between.

I recall once turning a corner in a small neighborhood in my big rig to find a toddler meandering across the road by herself. I stopped the truck, blocked the road, and located the open front door from which she no doubt escaped. Thankfully she was returned home safely.

While I do not wish for our drivers to come across a similar situation, the reality is, they might. Truck-driving schools do not teach the skills one needs to navigate the twists and turns a moving-van driver will face. That's why all of Camelot's drivers undergo in-house, one-on-one training behind the wheel, no matter their previous experience or training.

Conveniently, we have one of the steepest grades a driver might encounter in our backyard: the Interstate 5's Grapevine, which also provides an opportunity to see how our drivers handle inclement weather. So our training includes a trip or two over the Grapevine to ensure our drivers can demonstrate careful braking and downshifting.

It might seem simplistic, but our trucks are wide. Can our driver keep the rig in his lane whether on a road, a street, or a highway?

How are they going to avoid the low-hanging branch, the mailbox, and the neighbor's driveway as they park the truck at the customer's house? Answer: a spotter! A spotter assists the driver from outside the vehicle, helping him to avoid hazards he may not be able to see from the driver's seat by means of directions and hand signals. The few extra minutes it takes to stop and let the spotter out are always worth it … and required.

Do our long-distance drivers get one-on-one training as well? Absolutely. Remember those high-speed freeways I mentioned? Our drivers know they have no business driving one of our rigs at 80 mph. Keep your speed down and let the passenger vehicles pass. Weather, hazards, and road quality vary greatly across the country, and before we let one of our drivers head out on his own, we make sure he knows how to handle the wide variety of conditions he'll encounter.

We asked one of our now-experienced drivers what he took away from his one-on-one training at Camelot. He didn't hesitate to give his top lessons: use the spotters, watch your speed, and drive defensively. That last one seemed to make the biggest impression on him. He described how he looks two or three steps ahead on the road now. For instance, if the lane next to yours is slowing, look out for drivers suddenly jumping their lane for yours. Did this training make him a better driver off the clock? Again, without hesitation, he gave a resounding yes!

And while I'm proud that our Camelot crews can carefully deliver your one-of-a-kind heirloom in one piece, that's the sort of safety that Camelot delivers which I find the most gratifying. It protects our customers, their belongings, our drivers, and crew members. But most importantly, it protects our community.