Being on the road can be draining and stressful for us all, especially for truck drivers who spend nearly 11 hours on the road daily. It’s important in today’s age to utilize technology in as many ways as possible to make life easier where you can.

ATBS recently published an article highlights 12 of the most helpful apps for truckers and they shared some useful insights on apps that truckers should use. Here are some apps worth noting that are useful for drivers, truck drivers, and anyone else who spends time on the road– all are available on the App Store or Google Play store.

McIntosh Energy owns and operates five fueling stations and provides on-site bulk fuel delivery services throughout Fort Wayne, IN. 

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McIntosh Energy owns and operates five fueling stations throughout Fort Wayne, IN. Click here to see our locations.

1. Turn Off Your Vehicle

Whether you are just “topping off” your tank or maybe it’s 15º outside, leaving your car running when pumping gas can be very dangerous. If any static electricity combines with the heat and vapors being put off from your engine, and with the gasoline in close proximity, fires can start. Take a moment and turn the ignition off with your keys-in-hand. The risk is not worth the warm(er) car.

2. Leave Your Phone in the Car

Have you ever seen a sign that says ‘No Cell Phone Use While Fueling’ at the pump? There is the potential for a mix of electricity and gasoline that could cause trouble. It is also possible for cell phone batteries to explode, which would be a huge problem. While both are still somewhat of a possibility, cell phone dangers at the pump originate more from the art of distraction. Driving while operating your phone is a big no-no, but it is even a bad idea when you’re fueling up. You may forget to pull the fuel pump out of the car fuel tank, you could overfill your tank, or even just miss what is going on in your surroundings. All in all, put the phone down for a couple of minutes to focus on the task at hand. The only appropriate time to use your phone is when you are using your phone to pay through the Sunoco App. After payment, place your phone back in your car.

3. Lock the Car Doors

Many people already have the habit of locking the doors as soon as they get in or out of the car, which is a great practice to keep you and your car safe. At the gas station is no different. Taking a quick second to lock your doors can prevent thieves or other criminals from entering your vehicle from the passenger side when you’re not paying attention. Combine this with looking at your phone and you may have no idea anything is happening! Stay safe by taking this quick easy measure to protect yourself and your belongings.

4. Touch Something Metal

When you get out of your car, you may notice that you get shocked by sliding out of your seat, especially during the winter season. We all know the dangers of electricity combined with gasoline, so it is a great idea on your way out of your car, to touch the side of your car before getting near the gas pump, or touch anything metal at the station. This will “discharge” you and allow for a more safe, and shock-free pumping experience.

5. Put Out the Cigarette

This one explains itself. Fire + gasoline = BAD!

6. Inspect the Card Reader

Gas stations have been notorious for being an easy place for card skimmers to steal your card information. It’s always wise to take a moment to inspect the card reader for anything that looks off. Giving the card reader a little tug or jiggle may help distinguish a card skimmer on a card reader. All of our MacFood Mart-Sunoco stations are equipped with top-of-the-line EMV Chip Readers which is proven to help reduce the likelihood of card skimming. Learn more about the advantages of EMV-chip-readers here.

7. Stay With Your Car

Leaving your car unattended while allowing the pump to auto-fill your tank could result in a catastrophe. Even if the pump has always clicked off for you in the past when you lock the gas pump trigger, all it takes is one pump or fuel tank error to cause an overfill. Oil spills are a serious environmental and health and safety risk and should be prevented at all costs. Monitoring the pump and car’s behavior while fueling up is a simple way to prevent a serious mess.

8. Don’t Sit in Your Car

It is so tempting to go back inside of the comfort of your vehicle while pumping gas, especially during cold weather. Getting into your car can cause static electricity, which as previously said, does not mix well with gasoline, and it can cause a lapse of attention for the gas pump. As said in the “Stay With Your Car” tip, it’s important to be alert and conscious of what the pump is doing and to not overfill your tank.

9. Wash Your Hands After

Gas pumps are something that everyone touches but are more difficult to sanitize. It is helpful to keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in your car to disinfect your hands after touching the pump to help prevent the spread of germs. Even better, if time allows, run inside the station and thoroughly wash your hands in the restroom. Don’t forget to sing the ABCs–twice! Each of our MacFood Mart-Sunoco stations is equipped with a clean public restroom for your convenience.

9. Tap the Fuel Pump Nozzle

After your tank has been filled to your liking, it is a great idea to slowly remove the nozzle from the gas tank while tapping it inside the tank to help any gas drip off into the tank and not outside of it. This is a great way to prevent gas spills on your skin, which can cause rashes or burns, or on the ground, which can be toxic to our environment. Doing this process slowly and meticulously can help you also get every last drop of gas into your tank!

11. Use Your MacFood Mart Rewards Card

It pays to use your Rewards Card at our stations. You earn 2 points per gallon purchased which you can, in turn, spend like cash in-store or on future fuel purchases. It’s like free money! Sign up now and save 30¢ off every gallon for the first 30 days or 100 gallons when you register your Rewards Card to be used for ACH Payment. Simply link it to your checking account and verify the account, and you’re set. Free, safe, and secure – always. Learn more about our rewards program here.

Don’t want to have to worry about traveling to a gas station for fuel? Get it delivered to your site for your fleet! Learn about our fuel delivery services here. McIntosh Energy is a fuel company located in Fort Wayne, IN. We own and operate 4 convenience stores and 5 gas stations throughout the Fort Wayne area.

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Be aware

The first step of driving safely around motorcyclists is to be aware that they’re out there! Since they’re so much smaller than cars, they can be hard to spot, especially if you’re not looking for them. Remember the “look twice, save a life” campaign? Looking out for motorcycles, not just passenger vehicles, when you’re driving will keep you aware and prevent accidents.

Watch your blind spots

Blind spots are dangerous already, but add motorcycles to the mix and they can get deadly. Motorcycles fit perfectly into cars’ blind spots. If you’re not actively looking for them, you might not know they’re there until you hit them. Check your blind spots – not just your mirrors – every time you want to change lanes or make a turn.

Let them pass

Since motorcycles are so much smaller than other vehicles, it can be difficult to judge how close they are. If a motorcycle is trying to pass you, let them. And if a motorcycle is oncoming while you’re trying to make a turn, let them pass before you proceed.

Use caution when stopping

Since motorcycles are so small, they stop a lot faster than a passenger vehicle. They also sometimes don’t use brakes to slow down, so you might not see brake lights. Driving safely around motorcycles means watching ahead for potential stops and giving yourself lots of stopping distance in case the motorcycle in front of you has to stop suddenly.

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There’s so many advertising campaigns against texting and driving that that’s frequently the first thing to come to mind. But that’s not the only type of distracted driving there is. So let’s talk about the different types and how you can take action to prevent it.

Types of distracted driving

There are three different categories of distractions that can happen while you are driving:

Visual: Takes your eyes away from the road. If you take your eyes off the road for just 5 seconds, you’ve driven the length of a football field without looking at the road.

Manual: Takes your hand(s) off the steering wheel. It limits your control of your vehicle and restricts your ability to react if something suddenly changes.

Cognitive: Takes your mind off the act of driving. It slows your reaction time and increases the likelihood of you not noticing something (such as a small child darting in front of your car).

Using phones while driving

Texting while driving

Texting while driving hits all three categories of distraction: visual (you take your eyes off the road to look at your phone), manual (you take at least one hand off the wheel to navigate your phone and type), and cognitive (you take your mind off driving to navigate your phone and formulate your text). Anti-distracted driving campaigns often focus on texting and driving because it’s so dangerous.

Talking on phone while driving

Yes, talking on the phone is a distraction. It’s a cognitive distraction, and also a manual distraction unless you have a hands-free headset. A lot of people think driving is a great time to make phone calls, but it’s safer to wait until you’re out of the car.

Using navigational systems while driving

Navigational systems (whether on your phone or on a separate GPS device) can cause visual and manual distraction. Make sure you set up your navigational system before you leave to avoid trying to program it while driving. If possible, bring a co-pilot who can watch the screen for you and help eliminate the visual distraction, too.

Eating while driving

Eating while driving is a manual distraction – you have to take your hands off the wheel to hold your food – and often a visual one when you take your eyes off the road to look at your food. The messier the food, the more of a distraction it is. It’s much safer to pull off the road while you eat.

Listening to loud music while driving

Yes, loud music counts as a distraction, too. It can take your mind off driving (cognitive distraction), plus it limits your ability to hear sounds your car might make, other cars’ horns, and emergency sirens that could alert you to dangerous situations.

Preventing distracted driving

Phones are the most common distraction. If you can’t stay off your phone while you’re driving, put it in the backseat where you can’t reach it until you get where you’re going. And any time you need to use your hands or eyes for something – like eating, dealing with a navigation system, or looking for something in your glove box – pull off the road to do it.

Drivers under age 20 are most at risk for distracted driving. If you’re a parent or someone with influence over teenagers, you can do a lot to prevent distracted driving. Lead by example – don’t drive distracted yourself. Talk with your teens about the responsibilities of driving and the dangers of driving distracted. Consider putting together a distraction-free driving pledge and encouraging them to sign it (and sign it yourself). Parents can encourage teens to speak up if they see their friends driving distracted, and employers can create a company policy against distracted driving.

Distracted driving is a big issue with dangerous, often deadly consequences. But we can work to prevent it and reduce the number of deaths and injuries that come from distracted driving.

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Don’t brake check or cut off

Semis can’t react as fast as cars and you’re likely to get rear-ended if you brake check. Cutting them off can have the same effect if you have to stop – big vehicles take 40% longer to stop, so you’re putting yourself at risk of being rear-ended.

Don’t drive in blind spots

Semis have big blind spots for 30 feet behind them, 20 feet in front of them, and to their sides. You have to drive into a blind spot to pass, but stay there as little as possible. The general rule is that if you can’t see the driver (including the reflection in their side mirrors), they can’t see you – and that puts you at risk.

Pass on the left

The blind spot on a semi’s right is much larger than the one on their left. To drive safely around semi trucks, pass on their left, where the blind spot is smaller and you will be out of it quicker.

Beware of wide turns

Semi trucks pull 53-foot trailers that don’t bend at all – they’re going to make wide turns. If a semi has their turn signal on, never try to squeeze between it and the curb. Also be aware if you’re at an intersection and there’s a semi trying to make a turn towards you – especially if they’re trying to make a right turn, you may need to stay back from the intersection to give them room.

Be patient

Semi trucks are under a lot of regulations to keep themselves and the cars they share the road with safe. If they’re going 62mph in a 70mph zone, slowing down really early for a stop, or any number of other things, they’re not trying to ruin your day – they’re just trying to obey the laws and keep you safe. Be patient with them.

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