Course Teaches Rollover Prevention
An Edmonton, Alberta-based driver instructor is spearheading a course that teaches truckers how to avoid rolling their rigs
An Edmonton, Alberta-based driver instructor is spearheading a course that teaches truckers how to avoid rolling their rigs.
Mike Morigeau, owner of Mike's Driver Education, told the Edmonton Sun "rollovers have become so common we don't even print them any more."
He believes the best way to keep rigs from rolling over is to show drivers how easy it is to get into a rollover situation.
Morigeau, an accident reconstructionalist who has worked for the provincial government, insurance companies and law firms, says reducing the number of rollovers could save the Canadian trucking industry as much as $150,000 a day in insurance costs.
"All insurance companies cover big trucks. When (drivers) flop one over, you're very fortunate if the claim is less than $50,000," he told the paper. "I'm just sick and tired of looking at crashes that could have been avoided."
Morigeau says the best way to teach drivers to avoid rollovers is to put them in the cab of a relatively slow-moving truck as it begins to tip. Working on the theory people retain 20% of what they hear, 40% of what they're shown, and 90% of what they experience first-hand, he has developed a system allowing drivers to experience rollover conditions in safety.
"We want to put something in their minds that they're never going to forget," he told the Sun. "What we're trying to do is show drivers how to slow down and do the speed limit and, in some cases, slower."
Morigeau has created a trailer that uses an outrigger he has on loan from the National Research Council, which is designed to help research conditions leading to crashes. The set-up allows students to experience the initial stages of a rollover while preventing the tractor and trailer from ending up on their sides.
"These are like large training wheels on a bicycle," he says. "They put the trailer right on its side" without letting it go all the way over.
The article said Morigeau charges $150 per student for a special one-day course. So far, the Canadian military has shown interest in the demonstration, and one or two training schools have recommended their students take the rollover course as well.
More Safety & Compliance

The Hidden Problem Behind FMCSA's ELD Revocations
NMFTA researchers say dozens of registered ELDs may be built on the same software platforms, allowing compliance and security concerns to persist even after individual devices are removed from the market.
Read More →
ATRI Wants Motor Carriers for Driver-Facing Camera Study
In this new study, the American Transportation Research Institute will explore how driver-facing cameras can impact safety and operational metrics in trucking fleets.
Read More →
Netradyne Intelligence Uses New AI Agents to Automate Response to In-Cab Camera Data
The company called the next-generation in-cab camera safety platform "a fundamental shift from systems that report on what happened to systems that actively drive what should happen next."
Read More →
Mack, Volvo Issue ‘Do Not Drive’ Recall on Possible Wheel-Offs
Owners will be sent advance notice not to operate their affected vehicles until the remedy is performed.
Read More →
Fleetworthy Integrates Lytx Video Snapshots into Safety+ Platform
A new Fleetworthy-Lytx integration gives fleet managers access to video context alongside safety event data, streamlining driver coaching and incident review.
Read More →How Waste Connections is Using Data, Telematics, and AI
How do you manage and maintain more than 18,000 connected trucks? Data. Lots of it.
Read More →
Fleet Advantage: Top Logistics Fleets Outperform National Safety Benchmarks
Fleet Advantage's latest TRUST Safety Index found leading logistics fleets maintained significantly lower out-of-service rates and stronger safety scores than national averages, while highlighting persistent challenges related to tires, brakes, and unsafe driving behaviors.
Read More →
Why Fleet Data Matters More Than Ever at Waste Connections [Watch]
Waste Connections' Chuck Palmer explains how telematics, predictive maintenance, safety analytics, and AI help keep vehicles on the road and drivers safe in this episode of HDT Talks Trucking.
Read More →
Short Takes: How K&B is Using AI
Fleets need to "get on board the train" with AI, says Lance Evans of K&B Transportation in this HDT Talks Trucking Short Takes episode.
Read More →Short Takes: Inside K&B’s Truck Safety Tech
Listen to learn how K&B Transportation uses cellphone-blocking technology, speed management systems, weather geofencing, bridge avoidance tools, and more to improve driver safety.
Read More →
