Every year, the first week of October marks National Mental Health Awareness Week in the U.S. This is an important reminder of the struggles facing those who deal with mental illness, and a chance for everyone to evaluate their impact on the mental health of those around them.  

 

Anyone who works in the trucking industry can understand the sacrifices truck drivers make when they hit the road, away from their families, loved ones, and a normal routine for long periods of time. A 2018 study appearing in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that the prevalence of depression in truck drivers is 13.6%, nearly double the rate found in the American public. In fact, according to the Transport Workers’ Union, one in five truck drivers has experienced mental health issues.  

 

Increased understanding of mental health issues and accessible resources and support can ensure that no truck driver feels that they are alone. Keep reading to find out 3 key tips to prioritize and protect your drivers’ mental health.  

 

Tip 1: Utilize Online Resources 

In a career like trucking, it can be difficult to establish a routine schedule of check-ins and support.  

This is why advancements in telehealth and other online resources have made prioritizing the mental health of your employees much easier.  

 

Online platforms like BetterHelp provide access to licensed, trained, experienced, and accredited psychologists, entirely online. As the world’s largest e-counseling platform, BetterHelp is a great resource to share with all your drivers to show that you care about finding the right solution for them.  

 

Another online resource to consider is Espyr, a national behavioral health company that aims to increase physical well-being and productivity in organizations. Espyr does this by providing behavioral health care specialists who assist employees in a range of areas, from acute and chronic health conditions to leadership development. The platform even includes Fit To Pass, a training program that coaches professional drivers in maintaining healthy habits and offers advice to pass their DOT recertification physical exams.  

 

Tip 2: Promote Team Driving or a Pet Rider Program  

One of the most challenging aspects of being a commercial driver is the feeling of isolation that can come with being apart from your family and loved ones. For many drivers, having someone else in the cab can alleviate loneliness and boost spirits while on the road, and this doesn’t always have to be another person! 

 

Team driving is an easy solution to allow drivers the chance to have someone to talk to and share their experiences with. However, team driving isn’t the solution for everyone. Pet rider programs have been proven to benefit drivers’ mental health and increase employee retention, while also encouraging drivers to be more active and social while on the road.  

 

Mentor programs are another great way to increase socialization among drivers while giving them a chance to ask questions and advice from more experienced drivers. Mentor programs are proven to increase retention and happiness rates among drivers, especially those who are still in the minority in this field, such as women and people of color.  

 

Tip 3: Encourage Healthy Habits  

Physical well-being is integral to a healthy mind, and unfortunately, the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety found that over 80 percent of surveyed truck drivers reported they had at least one risk factor for chronic disease.  

 

This isn’t surprising in a career where it can be difficult to remain active or access healthy, sustaining food. Employers can play an important role in reminding drivers to eat healthy, rest often, and stay hydrated. Provide your drivers with quick workouts they can do anywhere, and recommend healthy snacks they can bring on the road. It’s also important to remind drivers of the importance of taking breaks and getting enough sleep.  

 

 

Truck drivers are the backbone of our economy and way of life, and they often don’t receive the recognition they deserve. An important way to change this reality is through better understanding and supporting their mental health.  

 

Employers have a unique position that can enable them to help drivers prevent or fight mental health issues, even if the drivers aren’t initially aware of what they’re struggling with. If you believe one of your drivers requires immediate assistance, recommend them to visit their doctor or call the The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This number is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 1-800-273-8255.

It’s no secret that trucking is a tough career. With long hours spent on the road, many truckers deal with ongoing issues concerning fatigue, mental health problems, loneliness, and physical ailments. This level of exhaustion and stress can often lead to truck driver errors, as can inexperience, and driving under new conditions. Truck drivers are human beings, so some number of mistakes is to be expected, but often, poor driving habits and unsafe behaviors can land not only your drivers, but your company, in seriously hot water.  

Whether you have just onboarded new drivers to the team, or you are performing a yearly safety review with your seasoned drivers, it is important to go over the most common complaints made about drivers. This is an opportunity to discuss concerns raised by other drivers on the road, as well as some general reminders about safety.  

Driving Under the Influence of Drugs and/or Alcohol: While it should be common sense for drivers to avoid this type of behavior, it is incredibly common. This is especially true for drivers going across state lines, as every state has different drinking limits, and may have different limits specifically for those drivers operating under a CDL. Several states have also legalized marijuana making it readily available to drivers who are passing through on their trip. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Some of the effects of being impaired by marijuana that can affect driving include slowed reaction time and decision making, impaired coordination, and distorted perception.” Driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol is incredibly dangerous and puts everyone’s life at risk. Reminding your team about your company’s policy on this type of behavior is important to ensure that your team is making good choices while on the road.  

Speeding: Speeding is one of the number one causes of accidents across all types of motor vehicles, but is especially serious for truck drivers. Speeding in a large truck is dangerous for all people on the road, especially if there are adverse driving or weather conditions. In addition, excessive speeding violations can result in a revoked CDL.  

Driving While Drowsy: Long hours on the road can make even the best truck drivers unable to perform their jobs properly. Exhaustion can lead to impaired judgment, reduce reaction times, cause forgetfulness, cause drivers to lose track of blind spots, and even lead to falling asleep behind the wheel. To ensure your drivers do not drive while they are drowsy, it is vital to make sure their schedule leaves plenty of room for rest and regular breaks.  

Failing to Secure a Load Properly: Whether it is the driver’s job, or someone at the dock, drivers are ultimately responsible for making sure their load is secured, whether it is inside a trailer or cargo on a flatbed. A loose load inside a trailer can result in sudden shifts in weight and can cause a driver to lose control of the truck, potentially resulting in a jackknife. Loose cargo on a flatbed can fly off into traffic and cause serious problems for other drivers including serious injuries and accidents. To avoid issues with unsecure loads, remind drivers to check their loads as part of their pre-trip inspection.  

Driving Aggressively: Incidents of road rage are common amongst all drivers, especially ones who are driving tired. The last thing you want is for your team of drivers to feel so stressed out or under pressure that their driving behavior turns aggressive. It is important to discuss this with your team and provide them with resources to handle any issues they may be having on the road.  

While there are other common truck driver errors, these ones come up regularly, so it is important to review them with your team and ensure everyone has the tools and resources necessary to be successful at their job and avoid any issues.  

Follow Drive My Way’s blog for more tips and resources to help your team of drivers see the most success possible out on the road.

If you were to ask trucking company executives what keeps them up at night, many would say the safety of their fleet. Safety has always been a top concern for employers across the board, but has become increasingly prevalent with the amount of traffic on the roads and number of incidents involving passenger vehicles and trucks. In an effort to increase trucking safety for their drivers, many employers have implemented fleet safety programs to ensure that their teams have the tools and resources to complete their jobs as successfully and safely as possible. 

One component of these fleet safety programs is the use of technology to help reduce liability in the event of an accident and provide ongoing education for drivers. 

In terms of technology, one of the most widely debated issues are the pros and cons of installing driver-facing cameras. While these cameras provide security in the event of an accident, many drivers argue they take things a bit too far and infringe upon their right to privacy. Many states even have privacy laws in place which prevent the use of driver-facing cameras. With such opposing stances, it can be hard for employers to make a decision about dashboard cameras and whether they are right for their fleet or not.  

What are the Pros of Installing Driver-Facing Cameras? 

Motor vehicle accidents are always devastating, but those involving trucks are especially costly; emotionally, physically, and legally. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the average cost for an accident involving a large truck is $91,000, and as much as $3.6 million, if it involves a fatality.  

Proving liability in circumstances such as these is imperative to avoid costly settlements and discontent amongst drivers. This is where driver-facing cameras and dashboard cameras in general come into play. These cameras record drivers at all time, as well as the road ahead of them, which can provide much needed evidence when an accident occurs. This is essential to proving liability during a case involving an accident involving the truck. According to a study completed by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI), 70 percent of all crashes involving trucks are the fault of the passenger car, whereas 16 percent of the accidents are caused by the truck. Without video evidence, however, it is harder to prove the liability.  

This is the foundation for the argument of people who are pro driver-facing camera. With increased trucking safety, and reduced liability, driver-facing cameras are an asset to any fleet.  

“I don’t think there’s really any question anymore that the benefits of forward-facing cameras far outweigh any perceived downsides. Best case scenario, they exonerate the fleet and its driver in highway-accident litigation. Worst case scenario, they tip the fleet and its insurer off to the need to settle a case early on. That said, I think the jury’s still out on inward facing cameras. Some solutions seem to do a great job of detecting risky driver behavior so that fleets can get ahead of it before it causes bigger problems. But some states’ privacy laws are a roadblock, and getting driver buy-in can be difficult.”   

-Brandon Wiseman, President, Trucksafe Consulting, LLC 

What are the Cons of Installing Driver-Facing Cameras? 

Even though the argument for enhanced safety and liability protection would sway many on the use of driver-facing cameras, many would still argue that the cons of using them still far outweigh the pros.  

Most commonly the arguments against installing driver-facing cameras include: 

Driver Satisfaction/Retention: Truck drivers work hard and most of their life is spent on the road. With that said, many drivers regard their truck as home and live in it while making hauls. The idea of being on a video constantly, deters many drivers from being open to having driver-facing cameras installed in their trucks. This can create retention issues for employers in a market already heavily burdened by driver shortages and high turnover rates.  

Privacy: While many drivers would personally feel that their privacy is being violated using driver-facing cameras, there are also many states and territories which prohibit the use of this type of camera over privacy concerns. For fleets that traverse the country, it could be problematic having these types of cameras installed in their fleet.  

Administrative Overload: Not all arguments against driver-facing cameras come from the state or drivers, however. Many companies already feel stretched thin by labor shortages and the amount of work needed to review dashboard camera footage would only increase that burden on administrative staff members.  

The debate over driver-facing cameras will always be present. Ultimately, companies will need to decide what is best for trucking safety throughout their team before making the choice to install these cameras in their fleet.  

Truck driving is one of the most dangerous jobs in America. In 2017, workers in the trucking industry experienced more fatalities than any other occupation. A successful fleet safety program minimizes the risk of crashes due to unsafe driving practices and can safeguard employers against costly legal liabilities.  

Building a culture of workplace safety starts at the top, but commitment and goal setting should be seen on all levels of an organization. Many accidents are preventable, but only if drivers and management receive the correct training, resources, and encouragement.  

Every carrier is different, so it’s best to create a fleet safety program unique to your company. Make sure to keep your program up-to-date, and maintain consistent messaging across digital and in-person channels.  

Keeping your drivers safe, healthy, and happy is key to improving driver retention and boosting efficiency across the board. Although there’s no way to guarantee an accident won’t happen, a fleet safety program is the best strategy to protect your drivers and avoid false claims and damaging lawsuits. These 5 tips can help you establish a successful fleet safety program that keeps your company ahead of the curve.  

 

  1. Carefully Screen and Select Team  

Set yourself up for success by establishing clear hiring standards and a consistent screening process. With the ongoing driver shortage, you might be tempted to reach out to drivers you might otherwise deem “risky” or inexperienced for the job. Although this might seem like a short term solution, consider the FMCSA’s estimate that the average cost of a commercial truck accident with just one injury is nearly $150,000.  

Make sure to identify every driver in the fleet. Even drivers who own or rent their personal truck can be a liability and should be included in company assessments. It’s also important to recognize each driver’s ability and level of exposure. This way, you can ensure that every driver receives the training and resources that will make them a strong asset to the team.  

 

  1. Identify Existing Problem Areas 

It’s important to manage accidents as they occur to mitigate legal fees, but it’s even smarter to get ahead of the problem. Review your most recent safety related incidents, such as citations, claim payouts, or accidents. This step is helpful for setting goals and understanding what aspects of your fleet safety program might require the most planning.  

Some carriers find it helpful to establish an accident review group. Discussing what occurred and where responsibility lies can be beneficial when determining if your company is going to be liable for penalties or fines. This is also a great time to provide feedback and training to prevent similar accidents in the future!  

 

  1. Establish Written Policies and Procedures  

Create accessible and comprehensive policies and procedures to set clear expectations. Every policy should emphasize driver safety over everything else, whether regarding driving time restrictions, drug and alcohol testing, or safety training.   

Policies on incident reporting, license checks, and scheduled vehicle maintenance are preventative measures that will keep your team on the same page. One-on-one or team meetings can also help to hold drivers accountable and aware of company policies.  

Establishing plans with a specific timeline is a great strategy to track employee achievements and maintain success in a long term program. Key milestones create attainable goals that keep a team cohesive, informed, and engaged.  

 

  1. Consider the Newest Technology  

Investing in management technology, such as GPS-enabled or video monitoring software, might be one of the most important steps in enhancing fleet safety. Although the merits of certain technology, like dash cams, is still debated, software has proved effective in protecting the safety of drivers and carriers.  

Telematics are increasingly being used by fleets to monitor and provide insights into driver and vehicle operation. Telematics utilize internal computer systems to gather and report data on speeding, harsh braking, distracted driving, and more.  

 

  1. Reward Drivers with Incentive Programs 

Positive reinforcement is one of the best ways to retain drivers and effectively accomplish safety goals. Employees that feel encouraged and recognized will work harder and be more receptive to program changes. Incentive programs are one of the best ways to support drivers and create a fun and engaging workplace.  

To reward increased fleet safety, incentives like bonuses, company recognition, more vacation days, or merchandise can go a long way. Providing incentives upon the completion of specific goals encourages more participation, and friendly competition is a great way to get the whole team involved.  

 

Creating a fleet safety program is an important step in mitigating the effects of safety-related incidents on the road. However, no program is one size fits all. It’s important to consider your company’s history, who your drivers are, and what strategies would be most beneficial.  

Is there a safety tip you’ve noticed has had a great impact on your fleet? What about something you’ve learned to avoid? Connect with us on social media to let us know your best safety tips and advice!  

truck platooning

By now, most people in the trucking industry have heard of self-driving trucks and the impact they’ll soon have on the industry. What people may not be aware of is probably the biggest application of self-driving trucks; truck platooning. Many experts view it as a huge step forward for fleets, both in terms of increased fuel efficiency and environmental sustainability. Here’s what to know about truck platooning.  

What is truck platooning?

Truck platooning is when one to two semi-trucks autonomously follow a leader truck at a distance of 50-65 feet while on the highway in order to reduce drag and increase fuel efficiency.  

Truck Platooning relies on a process known as “electronic coupling” where the leader truck communicates electronically to the trucks behind it; telling them to slow down, accelerate, or change lanes as needed. While it’s technically possible for trucks to platoon without technology, it’s highly dangerous (and illegal) for drivers to manually attempt this since the distances between trucks are so small. This is why the process is only able to be done autonomously. 

As of right now, there are two types of platooning; level one and level two. In level one, the trucks have minimal autonomy, with the lead driver driving normally and the follower trucks only braking and accelerating, while the driver keeps an eye on traffic like normal. 

Level two gives more control to the follower trucks, with SAE level 4 being implemented in them. This means that the driver is no longer “driving” at all as long as there’s no inclement weather. The lead truck will still be driven normally though.  

Is Truck Platooning happening now?

Yes, but only for research and testing purposes. For over five years, truck manufacturers and carriers have been investing money and testing the technology on closed highways. 

As of right now, truck platooning is fully legal in only a few states, and legal on a test basis in a few others. It’ll take more time, probably a few years at the least, before we see truck platooning fully legalized in all 50 states.  

What are the benefits of truck platooning?

According to the Federal Highway Administration, 

Truck platooning allows trucks to follow each other closely, thereby reducing air drag and improving fuel economy. Platooning also has the potential to increase vehicle capacity on our highways, particularly along freight corridors. 

Truck platooning can save both the leader and follower trucks huge amounts on fuel each year, which is why the technology is getting so much attention. It’s been shown that platooning can save the leader truck 4.5% in fuel costs and a whopping 10% for the follower trucks.  

This increased fuel efficiency is also more sustainable and therefore better for our environment. These benefits can also carry over to electric trucks as well, with the reduced air drag leading to an increased battery life. 

Are there any downsides to truck platooning?

Long platoon lines could possibly frustrate drivers trying to merge or exit the highway, leading them to perform unsafe maneuvers like weaving in and out of the platoon to get to where they’re going.  

Another issue that could see fleets steering away from truck platooning for a while is liability. Since the technology is so new, it’s still a legal gray area who’s at fault if an accident were to occur between two platooned trucks. This could lead to insurance companies denying liability in the case of an accident.  

Like with all new vehicle-related technologies, there’s an inherent level of danger in the early stages. Research and testing will get rid of 99.9% of problems, but there’s always a chance that something could go wrong while on the road. One semi-truck involved in an accident is bad, but when you’re talking about two or three trucks following that closely behind one another, things can get much worse.  

That’s not to say that truck platooning is dangerous. On the contrary, truck platooning and other related technologies are actually estimated to make highways much safer than they are right now.  

While these issues are important and should be considered, they’re not out of the ordinary for any new technology. With more time, research, and testing, these issues will start to become less and less relevant.  

While giving any level of control to a machine is understandably an unnerving concept for drivers and fleet managers, truck platooning, like autonomous trucking is showing itself to be the future of the industry.

While we won’t see the technology become an industry standard for many years, it’s important for fleets to familiarize themselves with the concept for when the time does come.  

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safety audit

Audits aren’t fun in any industry, but this is especially true for trucking. The DOT levies hefty fines on carriers who are caught out of compliance with federal regulations. Worse than that, some violations could be big enough for your carrier to fail the DOT Safety Audit immediately. These audits usually happen with very little warning as well.

The good news is that if your carrier makes an active effort to be prepared for such an audit, you have nothing to worry about. The best way to be prepared is to audit yourself before the DOT does. 

William Dorfner, CDS

We spoke with William Dorfner, Certified Director of Safety and Owner of Coastal Reconstruction and Safety. He shared what carriers should look for in a Safety Audit, how often to perform them, and what are some common things carriers miss when conducting them.  

What is a Safety Audit?

A Safety Audit is an internal examination of your carrier’s fleet of trucks. This can sometimes be part of a larger fleet audit that tackles the financial side of your fleet’s performance as well.

What’s the Purpose of a Safety Audit?

A safety audit is meant to catch any possible problems before the DOT does. Aside from that, safety audits help you spot maintenance problems that could be a pattern in your fleet or day-to-day safety issues that could be ignored.  

“It ensures your company is compliant in all areas, should a DOT audit happen. It also lets you discover any deficiencies in your safety and compliance department and gives you an opportunity to put policies and procedures in place to fix any deficiencies before they become a major issue,” shared William.    

What are the Different Things You Look for in a Safety Audit?

The FMCSA requires that all carriers have a qualification file for each driver they employ. These qualification files need to contain a number of documents. The FMCSA has a list of everything that needs to be in these files for your reference.

On a routine basis, go through some of these files with extreme detail. Make sure everything is present and in order. If it’s not, then correct it immediately and talk to the team handling DFQ files, so it doesn’t happen again. 

“In a Self-Safety Audit, you want to be looking at your DQFs, (Driver qualification files) logs and HOS violations, ELD reports, (disconnects, unassigned driving, personal conveyance) and roadside inspections, (Corrective actions, proof of repairs, DVIRs),” shared William.

Another thing the DOT looks at when auditing is the state of the trucks in your fleet. This includes operating a vehicle that is declared OOS and not repairing things that are reported in DVIRs. To avoid fines and OOS declarations, detailed inspections should be done on all trucks on a regular basis. Special attention should be paid to trucks that have had major repairs recently as well.  

How Can a Safety Audit Positively Impact Your Carrier?

Doing continuous safety auditing won’t directly lead to money for your carrier. But when you take a look at the hefty fines the DOT puts on non-compliant carriers, it’s easy to see how a commitment to staying in compliance helps your carrier’s bottom line. 

“When it comes to safety, sometimes you need to look a little harder to find the financial impact of doing things right. Let’s face it, the DOT is never going to come in and audit you and then hand you a check for doing a great job. It’s much easier to see the financial cost of claims and fines for not doing the right thing. That said, by continually looking at your own processes, policies, and procedures, a company can find ways to work more efficiently and place much needed resources into other areas. By ensuring compliance in all areas, a company will keep their scores low, their claims down, and be a top choice for drivers and customers to work with,” shared William.  

How Often Should Safety Audits be Done?

Safety Auditing is something that should be done on a very regular basis. Many carriers may only do it once or twice a year. While this is better than doing no safety auditing at all, it can still open the door for compliance problems.  

“It should be a continual process. Waiting a certain period of time between internal audits opens up the possibility for problems to go undetected. Every company is different than the next, so an exact timeline is hard to give. By making your internal auditing process continual, errors and omissions don’t exist for long before they are found,” shared William.   

What is the Top Issue Found in Safety Audits that Carriers Often Miss?

“If you have not been involved in an audit since the ELD mandate, things have changed. You will be asked for reports from your system such as vehicle disconnects, unassigned driving activity, personal conveyance, and more. If you are not already looking at these reports on a regular basis, you could be in for a big surprise in the event of an audit,” shared William. 

Safety Auditing is a big task, but that doesn’t mean it’s an impossible one. The two keys to being successful are knowing exactly what you’ll need to be compliant, and making auditing a continuous process. 

ultimate guide to retaining truck drivers

Ultimate Guide to Retaining Truck Drivers

You work so hard to recruit the best truck drivers for your fleet. The trick is retaining them. This guide is packed with tips for retaining your fleet.

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distracted driving awareness month

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month! It’s part of an annual safety campaign sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The campaign brings awareness for safe driving among all drivers including semi-truck drivers. NHTSA is educating drivers on how distractions big and small can be a problem on the road and offering guidance on how to encourage safe driving in your fleet for the safety of everyone on the road.

1. Types of Distracted Driving

Visual

When you hear the phrase “distracted driving,” this is what a lot of people picture in their minds. Visual distractions can include things both inside and outside of the car. External visual distractions include things like rubbernecking at an accident and looking at things on the roadside outside of the car. It can also include internal visual distractions from the interior of the car. Turning to talk with passengers, taking care of kids, or soothing pets in the backseat are all examples of visual distractions as well. 

Physical

Most drivers have likely taken part in some sort of physical distraction while driving. That doesn’t make it any less dangerous. Physical distractions can include eating, fiddling with the car radio or dials, and texting or using a cell phone. 

Don’t text and drive! We’ve all heard that message, and for professional drivers, this should be obvious. However, even smaller actions that take the driver’s attention away from the road are considered physical distractions. If drivers need to communicate while on the road, remind drivers to use a hands-free device. Similarly, encourage drivers to eat on a break or to make adjustments to the cab environment before they pull out of the parking lot. To further promote fleet safety, implement driver-facing cameras to enforce and verify that drivers are following safety protocols. 

Cognitive

Cognitive distractions are arguably the hardest to catch. Essentially, this includes any time a driver is daydreaming or lost in thought. Obviously, it’s nearly impossible to monitor when a driver is cognitively distracted, but it can still be very dangerous. When the mind is wandering, drivers are much less likely to notice obstacles or problems on the road and may be less able to respond quickly when situations arise. Even though cognitive distractions are far less obvious to most drivers, it’s important to educate your fleet on the dangers of this type of distraction.

2. Consequences for Truck Drivers & Your Company

If a driver in your fleet is pulled over or ticketed for distracted driving, the consequences can vary greatly. It all depends on the violation. In some cases, there may be a fine of up to $2,750 that the driver is required to pay, and a repeat offense may lead to license suspension. There can also be consequences that tie directly to your company. In some situations, employer fines of up to $11,000 may also be issued. There may also be a drop in your company’s Safety Measurement System ratings, which can leave a more lasting impact.

3. How to Foster Safety In Your Fleet

Driver safety is undeniably one area where an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. One of the best ways to foster safety in your fleet is to offer regular trainings and communicate clear expectations. All drivers should be current in their knowledge of tractor trailer safety protocols, and they should know exactly what the consequences are if they jeopardize fleet safety with their actions. To document training sessions and fleet compliance, ensure that meticulous records are kept as part of your truck accident procedure. Documentation should include details of safety trainings and driver incidents that occur.

Create a company culture that incentivizes safe driver behavior. If drivers are constantly working against a clock or feel they are unable to successfully complete their routes if they take time for breaks, that is incentivizing unsafe driver behavior.

In addition to regular driver safety instruction and clear safety expectations, it’s essential that drivers are ABLE to complete their job safely. If drivers are constantly working against a clock or feel they are unable to successfully complete their routes if they take time for breaks, that is incentivizing unsafe driver behavior. Instead, offer a safety incentive program. It is the responsibility of the employer to create a work environment that encourages and enforces safe driving practices. Remind drivers to take their scheduled breaks to help increase mental alertness. Breaks are also the best time to eat, check phones, and take care of other personal needs. It is then the responsibility of each driver to monitor their behavior on the road and meet those expectations.

4. Safe Driving Tips for Professional Drivers

Some of the most important ways to comply with National Distracted Driving Awareness Month are also the most basic. Attentive driving means consistently keeping your eyes on the road with regular scanning. Encourage drivers to use hands-free devices while on the road and prohibit the use of handheld devices. Generally, using defensive driving practices also limits or eliminates distracted driving. All drivers learn safe driving practices before getting their CDL. However, integrating safety reminders into daily life as part of distracted driving awareness month and beyond helps keep drivers accountable and at the top of their game. 

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4 Ways to Easily Ensure FMCSA Compliance

The word “audit” usually brings up feelings of panic when you hear it. The thought of a governing board or body coming to grade your business on how well it follows rules and guidelines can make anyone a little anxious. You know the rules and you seek to follow them every day. But there’s always some details that can potentially be missed, or some paperwork that’s inevitably been misplaced. With a few minor changes to your strategy, you can be ready for any audit. Here is how to ensure FMCSA compliance.

What is an FMCSA Audit?

To get ready to pass an audit, you need to know what one is. The Department of Transportation (DOT) governs the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The mission of the FMCSA is to provide regulations to increase safety and decrease accidents and fatalities involving commercial motor vehicles.

These audits cover everything from the basics of DOT licensing, all the way to tracking each of your drivers’ drug and alcohol testing records to ensure FMCSA compliance.

In order to work to make the roads safer for everyone, those who work in the trucking industry are subject to the rules and regulations that the FMCSA provides. From time to time, they require an audit of your carrier for compliance with these rules and regulations.

Plan for a Remote Audit

The Quick Guide to Remote Onboarding

This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has cancelled countless in-person events, not limited to family parties and business meetings. In May 2020, the FMCSA issued guidance that they would conduct reviews “by leveraging all available technology to access information” and “limit exposure risk for the regulated community and safety investigators”. All the rules to follow were still in place, but the on-site review was no longer a requirement.

Planning for a remote audit is still important, and carriers need to use the prescribed ways of supplying information securely and on-time.

Using email and telephone and video calls instead of in-person interaction might seem unusual for a safety audit. However, these methods are good alternatives to keep everyone safely distanced during these unusual times.

Though remote audits were not new to 2020, they were more important that ever this year.

Use Technology to Stay Organized

Forget about keeping track of everything manually because something will always get lost in the shuffle. Move to a system of electronically tracking your documents, or better yet, use software specifically designed to help teams like yours monitor, track, and prepare for audits. These programs can be setup to give you warnings when you’re coming up against an expiration or getting close to a due date.

Take the time now to move to new automated systems to help ensure FMCSA compliance or at least start planning to phase out paper ledgers and countless pages of checklists.

Once documents have been scanned and electronically filed one time, they are stored in one place forever. No more searching high and low in a storage room full of papers for that one lost document you need for an upcoming audit.

Just like moving to an online applicant tracking system to save time, use online tools to help ensure safety and compliance. You can free-up time and space by using technology to alleviate all that paperwork.

Know the Rules

For FMCSA compliance, there are several categories where non-compliance is an automatic fail on your safety audit. Knowing the rules and having a great safety plan in place are a great place to start to ensure you’re set for FMCSA compliance. Creating a culture of safety is important. You can rally your drivers and the entire organization around it, and celebrate safety throughout the year. Having a great plan for safety and compliance can be something attractive to your future drivers and can help retain drivers at your carrier for a long career.

ultimate guide to retaining truck drivers

Ultimate Guide to Retaining Truck Drivers

You work so hard to recruit the best truck drivers for your fleet. The trick is retaining them. This guide is packed with tips for retaining your fleet.

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4 Reasons Verifiable Fleet Safety Needs to be a Top Priority

Fleet safety is one of the most important things for a trucking company to prioritize. One bad safety incident can cost thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. It can cause a ripple of damaging effects for years: in bad publicity, drivers turning down jobs, and overall a long recovery from the incident. Though not every accident is avoidable, most have causes that prove to be preventable. So here are 4 reasons verifiable fleet safety needs to be a top priority.

1. Mitigate Your Risk: Drivers

Your drivers are your most valuable assets. You put a lot of time and effort into hiring them, so be sure to put that same effort and time into keeping them. Driver health is one of the best ways to mitigate risk over the road. Healthy minds and bodies make for safer drivers. If you have drivers that are overly tired or stressed, they’re more likely to make mental errors that can cause safety issues. And drivers who are not trained well certainly won’t be set up to be safe and successful drivers. Think about what you can do to help support your drivers’ health and well-being. Put plans in place to start making driver health a priority. And share those plans to everyone in the company.

2. Mitigate Your Risk: Equipment

Put risk mitigation steps in place with your equipment as well to help with your overall fleet safety. Staying current with all the required service and safety checks required for your company’s equipment is especially important.

Keeping your fleet in good repair can keep your employees more engaged. The state of your equipment can have a big impact on your drivers and how attractive your company might be to new employees. Have a clear fleet maintenance policy in place.

3. Create a Culture of Fleet Safety

Who is responsible for fleet safety? Is it left up to the drivers behind the wheel? Does concern for safety come from the top of the organization down? Is everyone aware of your safety policies? If you’re not sure of these answers, one of the best things you can do at this time is get your safety policies written down. And then share them with everyone. This is the best way to get a culture of safety started. Bake safety into the foundation of the company and communicate it both internally and externally. If not, it will always fall to someone else to be responsible for fleet safety.

4. Document Emergency Procedures

As mentioned, not every incident is 100% avoidable, and it’s true that accidents will happen. Even when you take precautions, you and your drivers need to be ready to react in case of an emergency. Having solid, documented processes in place is very important when talking about overall fleet safety. Ensuring your drivers know what do to and who to contact when a problem arises can help lessen the impact of the damage and the time getting the situation resolved.

Document your processes and procedures for any type of emergency that might arise. Ensure that your drivers have quick access to clear emergency contact information and steps to take in case of an emergency.

Taking these steps to ensure you’ve got a good start to verifiable fleet safety is an important way to create a culture of safety in your company. Working to always communicate and share updates to any of these policies is something that should be built-in to decision making and change management throughout the organization. Making that everyone in the organization is responsible for safety can make your company an attractive option when hiring new drivers.

ultimate guide to truck driver recruiting

Ultimate Guide to Truck Driver Recruiting

Current ways of recruiting truck drivers just don’t work anymore. That’s because recruiting isn’t a transaction. This ultimate guide helps carriers recruit for retention.

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4 Tips for a Successful Driver Safety Program

Truck driver safety is of the utmost importance in the trucking industry. Keeping your drivers safe, and your fleets moving are the keys to any successful trucking company. Every trucking company should have a documented driver safety program as a best practice. So whether you’re a company with a great safety history, or a newer carrier just getting things started, here are 4 tips for putting together a successful driver safety program.

1. Make Safety Everyone’s Responsibility

The best way for any carrier to operate is with a comprehensive approach to safety. It’s not the job of the owner or the individual drivers to make sure that safety is a priority. It’s everyone’s responsibility. Safety should be baked into the foundation of the company, and communicated both internally and externally. If not, it’s always going to fall to someone else to take care of it.

Having safety as part of your carrier’s culture is a terrific way to show drivers that you care about them. It can help you attract good drivers, and keep your drivers with you for the long haul.

2. Seat Belt Programs

Wearing seat belts is important. Some might say that seat belt wearing is the most important thing all drivers should do to be safe over the road. So making sure that every driver, and passenger in the cab, wears their seat belt is a good idea.

There are seat belt detection options that can pay dividends when utilized. Adding these options to your overall driver safety program can reap great benefits over time.

3. Offer Rewards for Safety

Make sure your drivers have some skin in the game, as the saying goes. If drivers have good safety protocols to follow, give them a reward for doing their part. There are a number of ways for carriers to implement rewards that can help your drivers feel recognized for doing a great job. And these rewards can be as simple or grand as your imagination and budget allow.

Simple things like recognition boards for doing things right daily are a great idea. Or for those drivers that achieve big safety milestones, celebrate those more visibly.

4. Document Your Driver Safety Program

If the driver safety program at your company is not formally compiled and readily available for everyone, it’s not worth very much. Like most HR policies, this one should be written out and distributed to everyone, so that there’s no confusion as to what’s in it, or where employees can find it. Add this program to your formal employee review process. Be clear when communicating changes to the program. This way it’s clear for everyone to know they’ve got the most current version.

Writing your program down avoids confusion. And it ensures that everyone who needs to see it, is able to see it.

Your truck driver safety program can be a foundational part of your culture and the way the you run your company. It can help with both your truck driver recruitment and retention over time. Showing drivers that you care about their safety can make drivers feel like a more valued part of the company. To learn more about retaining your good truck drivers, get the guide below.

ultimate guide to retaining truck drivers

Ultimate Guide to Retaining Truck Drivers

You work so hard to recruit the best truck drivers for your fleet. The trick is retaining them. This guide is packed with tips for retaining your fleet.

Get the Ebook