Some workers engage in more high-risk tasks than others in the professional world. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), most occupational deaths occur within the construction sector. However, transportation and warehousing are where employees frequently get injured or ill, leading to an increased risk of absenteeism from work.
Workers do not wish to feel unsafe every day that they step out of their homes. A good workplace culture in trucking would ensure that safety becomes second nature for every driver. A robust safety culture provides all levels of the organization with a solid direction to follow.
Vital as it is, it is not merely about implementing certain policies. In fact, your company’s safety culture should develop everyone’s mindsets to drive the business forward. This means a strong trucking safety culture would involve routine inspections as well as careful purchase decisions.
In this article, we will delve a bit deeper into this topic. Let’s understand the importance of a robust trucking safety culture and ways to make it happen.
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Benefits of a Safe Work Environment in Trucking
There are several advantages to a strong safety culture within your trucking company. Here, we will discuss the three most compelling ones in detail.
Protection Against Litigation
The number one benefit of having a safe trucking work culture is the protection against lawsuits. Let’s use an example to understand this. Suppose a trucking company operates through Edwardsville, Illinois.
Being only 30 minutes from St. Louis, Missouri and at the intersection of I-270 and I-55, this city is a logistics hub. This means companies here have easy access to a wide consumer base and labor force.
Suppose a trucking company employs new drivers for its newest fleet. Operations begin without any prior training sessions. Drivers unfamiliar with the latest technologies struggle to meet their work demands and end up in an accident.
The victims can sue the company as well with the help of an Edwardsville personal injury attorney. This may even add up to a nuclear verdict since it’s due to negligence on the company’s part.
However, a verdict will be given only after a thorough inspection and investigation. According to TorHoerman Law, attorneys will review various types of evidence, including accident reports, witness statements, medical records, and photographs or videos.
Once a compelling case is demonstrated in court, and the company is found liable, compensation costs can be high. They would include economic damages, non-economic damages, and future damages.
If a trucking company focuses on safety from the get-go, it can reduce such instances. Even if litigation happens, records will prove the company’s exemplary commitment to safety. In any case, legal danger is reduced.
Lower Costs
Maintaining a safe work environment can seem like a massive investment at times. The good news is that it always comes with exceptional returns. On the whole, you will cut down costs in the long run.
Let’s look at some ways a safe work culture will translate into lower costs.
- If you maintain vehicles through regular checks, they will require fewer repairs or replacements. Naturally, the lifespan of the components increases, thereby lowering costs.
- If an injured worker sues your company, the litigation will come with additional penalties and legal fees. Even if this happens, your safety practices will highlight your commitment to safety. This may fast-track the process, requiring low legal fees.
- A robust safety culture is designed to reduce the instances of accidents and injuries. This will also lower the incidents of workers’ compensation claims and costly payouts.
- Injured workers will remain absent due to hospitalization and recovery. This adds up to the cost of absenteeism. A strong safety culture will reduce such instances.
- Worker injuries and the repercussions that follow also interrupt the typical workflow. As you avoid them, you also minimize downtime.
Employee Satisfaction and Retention
Commercial truck drivers are aware that their jobs come with certain inherent risks. However, they should not exceed any of those that any other driver on the road is exposed to.
Nobody wishes to work in an environment that is unpredictable and perpetually unsafe. Employees often leave such workplaces and join those with a robust safety culture. This also instills the fear that the employer does not care about their employees’ well-being.
We’re sure that no trucking company wants such a reputation. Though employee satisfaction and retention are multifaceted aspects of business, safety is a major factor. This includes proper communication of safety policies and relevant training.
Simply conducting safety training sessions or inspections is not enough. Employees must be aware of how such practices help keep themselves and others safe. This will motivate them to do their part better.
3 Ways Trucking Companies Can Keep Their Drivers Safe
As per the latest data, over 577,000 active motor carriers operate across the US. Excluding the self-employed, nearly 8.5 million people started working in the trucking industry in 2023 alone. Out of these, 3.55 million were truck drivers.
As e-commerce becomes increasingly popular and evolved, more employees will be required. Only those companies will bag the best talent who keep safety as their priority. About that, here are three ways in which trucking companies can ensure driver safety.
Conduct Regular Maintenance Checks
Keep in mind that regular inspection and maintenance of your fleet can prevent serious accidents. This means every maintenance check should include an inspection of the truck’s tires, brakes, engine, and steering systems. Ideally, basic servicing would be required every 10,000 to 20,000 miles.
If the vehicle has gathered around 30,000 miles, it is time to conduct more thorough checks, including fluid levels and suspensions. Moreover, a complete annual inspection is a must as well as pre-trip checks daily. Remember that certain factors will affect the maintenance frequency.
- Driving conditions – If a fleet is to run under harsh environmental conditions, it may require more frequent maintenance checks.
- Manufacturer recommendations – Different truck models come with different maintenance needs.
- Load type – Commercial trucks carrying heavy loads may require more frequent checks due to extra stress on their components.
Adhere to the Regulations
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has established certain regulations that every trucking company must comply with. For instance, the regulatory body has stipulated a specific number of hours for truckers to be behind the wheel.
Moreover, guidelines have been laid down on the time required for rest before a driver can resume work. Your company must abide by the FMCSA regulations to prevent driver fatigue, excessive cargo weights, and ultimately, gruesome accidents.
Keep in mind that one of the major causes of accidents within the trucking industry is driver exhaustion or overexertion. This significantly impacts the driver’s reaction time, situational awareness, and ability to control the vehicle. An accident becomes almost inevitable under the influence of impaired cognition and depleted strength.
Use Advanced Tech and Train Drivers Accordingly
The good news is that advanced technologies have emerged to make the trucking industry safer for drivers. If drivers are about to travel long distances, trucking companies should offer tech support in the form of real-time weather updates and map overlays. Moreover, they should have live information regarding a driver’s location.
This can be easily done with the help of fleet management platforms. Research has found that the current market for this software has reached $23.57 billion. With a growth rate of 11.3%, this market will become a massive $95.86 billion by the end of 2037. By knowing where drivers are, your company can help them in case of an emergency.
This practice should be closely followed by thorough driver training. Also, organize frequent sessions for defensive driving which will help drivers to identify potential dangers and different road conditions.
You can educate or train drivers on making well-informed decisions regarding blind spots, lane merging, dangerous maneuvers, etc. They can likewise be informed about the three-second rule that may prevent rear-end collisions. This means maintaining at least a space of three seconds from the vehicle in front.
Studies reveal that commercial trucks across the US moved 11.18 billion tons of freight in 2023. The industry is seeing exponential growth due to the rise in e-commerce. As your company employs new drivers, it’s important to update safety procedures.
Safety translates into profitability. In other words, the more your employees feel safe, the better they will perform, and the more progress your company will make.