Christina Scheib, known from TV shows such as Asphalt Cowboys and Trucker Babes, is not only a household name to industry insiders: The 37-year-old self-employed trucker also gathers well over 100,000 followers and fans in social media, for example on Facebook and Instagram. We at EUROPART were allowed to send the entrepreneur on a driver safety training course - and are happy to show you how it went.
Cars and trucks are tending to become safer thanks to advanced assistance and warning systems - but still: According to the German Federal Statistical Office, 2,569 people died in road accidents in Germany in 2021 alone. Driver safety training can help drivers familiarize themselves with potentially dangerous situations, practice how to react to them, and thus avoid accidents and minimize damage. Unexpected emergency situations, such as a wild animal suddenly appearing, a child running onto the road or a vehicle swerving, are just not everyday situations for most drivers. If such a situation does arise, drivers often lack the knowledge and experience of how to react accordingly.
Targeted driver training courses help you to get to know your own vehicle and its behavior in dangerous situations better. In addition, such training courses give you the opportunity to check and improve your driving behavior. The correct reactions are transferred to the subconscious, so that in an emergency you can fall back on the experience you have already gained. Anyone who has completed a driving safety training course is better prepared for real dangerous situations and gains more confidence in everyday driving. You can find a selection of standard car training courses and commercial vehicle training courses on the ADAC website.
Prerequisite for safe journeys: Correct load securing in the truck.
Not only the correct driving style of the driver, but also the correct load securing is a prerequisite for efficient and safe transport of goods. A violation can not only have serious consequences for health, but also under criminal law, for example if an accident with serious consequences is caused by incorrect load securing. Load securing is one of the most frequent causes of serious accidents on Europe's roads, also reports F&T LaSiSe, the first outdoor research laboratory for load securing.
The most common type of load securing is probably tie-down lashing. Various lashing straps and edge protectors are used here, especially for securing sensitive goods. Short lever ratchets (pressure ratchets), long lever ratchets (tension ratchets) or even two-piece lashing straps - whatever aids are used to secure goods - it is always important to "know how".
The most important aids for load securing:
- Lashing straps (also in pink)
- Tension belts
- Locking bars
- Edge protectors
- Stowage padding
- Clamping bars
- Lashing straps
- Container and barrel locks
- Wheel chocks
Even for Christina Scheib, probably Germany's best-known trucker, lashing cargo is part of her daily work routine. Nevertheless, there are always challenging situations that have to be mastered: either because the goods are difficult to secure due to their nature, or because new conditions have to be taken into account on the loading area after an unloading operation. The fact is, however, that once a load starts to slide, it becomes a hazard - even for uninvolved road users.
So much for the theory, now for the practice: We at EUROPART chased Christina through a driving safety training course and put the behavior of goods to the test. It was not only an educational day for us and Christina, but also an action-packed adventure with squealing tires, flying IBCs and lots of "oops" and "oh my".
Driving safety training at the LaSiSe with Christina Scheib.
The driving safety training took place on the premises of the Forschungs- und Technologiezentrum Ladungssicherung Selm GmbH, which covers a total area of 123,500 square meters. The test track consists of three modules, here different driving maneuvers can be shown, such as circular tracks, skid plate, heavy load track, but also uphill and downhill driving. The three modules and run-out zones of the F&T LaSiSe have been specially designed for large and heavy vehicles. Read more here.
After the extensive basics in the theory module, Christina was able to try out quite a few things on the test track with her Bella, as she has christened her truck, and thus achieve the optimum learning effect. Christina tested her experience and Bella's limits in the following exercises:
- Evasive and braking maneuvers on different road surfaces.
- Reversing and skillful driving
- Maneuvering
- Driving behavior on uphill and downhill gradients
- Checking the load securing
If you are now curious and would like to test your limits, we recommend a visit to LaSiSe - you can also find out more about load securing in our online magazine: