Health & Wellness · Driver Training VideoThree Points of Contact — Falls Prevention

Think about it

You don't need speed, weather, or another vehicle involved. All it takes is one bad step getting in or out of the cab, off the back of a trailer, or down from a catwalk on a tanker or flatbed. Falls like that put drivers on the shelf for weeks, and some end careers.

The rule is simple: three points of contact, every time. That means two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand, touching the truck at all times while you're climbing up or down. Never jump. Never skip a step. Never come down with your hands full.

Face the vehicle when you climb, the same way you'd climb a ladder. Facing outward, you can't see your footing, and you can't catch yourself if a step is wet or icy. Keep your body square to the grab handles and steps, not twisted toward the door or the ground.

Before you put weight on a step or a grab handle, look at it first. Ice, mud, diesel, snow — any of that turns a solid step into a slide. Clear it off or find another way down. The same goes for catwalks and the area around the fifth wheel.

Your company standard: don't carry anything in your hands while you're climbing. Not a clipboard, not a coffee, not your phone. If you need something on the ground, set it down first and climb down empty-handed, or lower it separately.

The same rule applies getting into the cab. Use the grab handles, not the steering wheel or the door frame, to pull yourself up. The wheel turns, the door swings — neither one is built to hold your weight, and drivers get hurt every year trusting them to.

If you're tarping a load, working a catwalk, or moving around on top of a trailer, that's not a place to rush. Slow down, keep contact, and take the extra ten seconds. Ten seconds beats ten weeks of recovery, every time.

Falls off equipment are almost entirely preventable. They don't come from bad luck — they come from skipping the basics because you've done the climb a thousand times and gotten comfortable. Stay deliberate. Three points of contact, every entry, every exit, every time.