Driving through a pandemic is stressful enough for America’s truck drivers. There are regulatory changes, shippers changing policies, reduced access to driver lounges and even vending machines. It’s a lot to deal with while also trying to avoid contracting the coronavirus.
In my former life with the State of New Mexico’s Motor Transportation Police, I was always shocked by the number of commercial drivers who didn’t make time to do proper pre-trip inspections before getting on the road. Part of this oversight is an inherent trust drivers seem to have in their truck operating well on their last run or with the driver that drove the truck last. The other part was simple math – the less time spent outside of the truck, the more time on the road. Unfortunately, these pre- and post-trip inspections, also known as “kicking the tires,” is the easiest action operators and drivers can take to protect themselves and others.
Continue reading “Safety first! Always kick the tires (and check brakes, lights, etc.)”
With over 70% of the nation’s roadways located in snowy regions, staying safe on the road during the cold, wet and harsh winter months means much more than keeping hands at 10 and 2 and checking mirrors periodically. As driving conditions deteriorate to anything but ideal this time of year, fleets and drivers rely on safety technology paired with a comprehensive safety program as defining factors to navigate the winter months unscathed. Many fleets turn to a video-safety program as an essential tool that allows managers to proactively address risky driving behavior early and intervene with targeted driver coaching to ensure roadway safety.
Continue reading “Don’t freeze your safety standards in the cold, icy weather”
Trucker deaths continue to rise and are at their highest level in more than 30 years, according to data released Tuesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The federal agency said 885 large truck occupants died in 2018. That’s an increase of almost 1 percent compared to the prior year. It is the highest since 1988 when 911 occupants of large trucks died.
American Trucking Associations is looking to take the lead in how U.S. businesses adapt to legal weed, noting that there is more to learn about its effects. The ATA Board of Directors created new policies this week that calls for a common-sense approach to liberalizing marijuana laws — in the name of safety. And since every state has different cannabis laws, ATA wants the federal government to change its approach.
Many commercial fleets are seeing premium increases for the second or third year in a row, and some have even seen rates double – the direct result of increasingly high legal settlements and skyrocketing auto repairs.1 Fearing loss of profits (or no profit at all), insurance companies are being very selective when it comes to renewals and new quotes. It’s important to work with an insurance broker who understands the market and can advocate on your behalf.
Today’s long-haul trucks are integrated with more sophisticated safety features than ever.
But there is a downside. As drivers adapt to this technology in their day-to-day driving, they may get too used to it.
Continue reading “Driver Training Needs To Pair Safety Technology and Human Instinct”
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