Proactive Safety Management

Many of today's most exceptional motor carriers are cutting-edge, understand their costs, and effectively work to address them. However, some others— such as smaller firms—struggle to navigate the integration of safety into their operations, reduce claims, fines, maintenance costs, and driver turnover.

Truckers have to contend with unsafe behavior from other drivers, especially with all the new technologies available in vehicles today. It's not uncommon to see drivers of passenger vehicles doing things like texting, putting on makeup, or completing phone calls while traveling. Trucking has additional challenges of traveling to unfamiliar areas, understanding road restrictions, navigating low bridges, along with tracking miles, hours-of-service (HOS), and other paperwork. 

Unfortunately, truckers are also targets for lawyers when accidents happen. Truckers tend to suffer significant judgments when it comes to crashes. For instance, a truck driver near Savannah, Georgia, drove into a line of cars that had stopped due to a previous accident, killing several people. The truck driver, who denied falling asleep and driving distracted, was hit with an $80 million verdict. 

In another accident in New Mexico, a jury awarded the family of a person killed in a truck-involved accident $58.5 million in damages. The case alleged that the motor carrier allowed trucks to run with numerous safety and traffic violations, as well as improper repair and maintenance issues. After the crash, the carrier also altered their HOS records. 

In trucking, there is a lot of conversation about the importance of tort reform and other legislation to reduce claims. Though that is certainly a valid discussion, it's also important to talk about motor carriers returning to the “basics” themselves. Improving your BASICs scores starts with ensuring that your operation has:

• Written policies and procedures that:

  • Ensure you are hiring safe drivers.

  • Are providing the necessary training to new drivers for their success.

  • Provide and enforce disciplinary policies around failure to follow rules regarding driver vehicle inspection reports (DVIRs), HOS, and so on. 

• Business operations that focus on safety, including:

  • Defining who is responsible for safety in your operation. (The answer is “everyone.”)

  • Training dispatchers to effectively address vehicle maintenance issues, weather, and available driver hours.

  • Ensuring the maintenance department understands violations a vehicle has last received, what enforcement officers are looking for during roadside inspections, and how the DVIR process works to keep the equipment and driver at peak uptime. 

• Audit and review of policies and procedures to address whether:

  • Current policies and procedures are affecting operations in the manner intended.

  • Preventable crashes have been reduced.

  • Vehicle citations have been reduced.

  • Driver turnover has decreased.

  • Tools are available to drivers for tasks such as cargo securement.

  • Employees are actively participating in your safety efforts and culture.

These basic guidelines will help truckers enhance their ROI, understand their FMCSA Safety Measurement Systems 7 BASIC scores, and develop methods to enhance the safety of their operation. At Acuity, insureds also have access to our Motor Carrier Tool Box filled with required forms and guidance, FMCSA’s Safety Management Cycle, as well as Loss Control services and our JJ Keller Safety Training videos.

Sources:

https://www.frg-law.com/blog/biggest-truck-crash-settlements-united-states/