This isn't quite true. Although your DAW tolerates much higher volumes without distorting, especially plugins, which emulate analogue models, are typically optimized for - 18dBFS.
I put always a VU meter in my master channel, and check the db level before adding e.g. an analogue effect to the channel, behind the recorded track or an instrument. And remember, don't use channel faders to reduce the channel volume at this stage, save the faders for the mixing stage. There are other ways to do the volume adjustment at this stage, I prefer the sample playback slider (as its called in Live) or the Utility.