Ensuring the safety of your truckers is essential to protect them, keep other motorists safe and save your company money. Trucking is a hazardous occupation and there are numerous fatalities and injuries every year.
Training and rewarding truck drivers for safe driving can help to establish a work culture where safety is a top priority. Here are some tips to ensure the optimum safety of your truckers.
Train your drivers well
Train your truck drivers to anticipate potential dangers and make informed decisions when they are driving. With the use of dashcams, you can make use of real footage to coach them to improve their safety on the road. If they can avoid accidents, you don’t have to worry so much about repairs, increases in insurance premiums and payouts. Phoenix truck accident attorneys from USAttorneys.com are available to help you if a truck driver has an accident.
Distracted driving is one of the main causes of truck accidents. This includes texting, eating and any other actions that take eyes off the road or hands off the wheel. You need to train drivers to avoid distracted driving and you may have to introduce steps to limit cell phone use.
Encourage proper rests, breaks and sleep
Hours of Service (HOS) regulations give the maximum time drivers can be on duty. It also specifies the number and length of rest periods to ensure drivers stay awake and alert. Drowsy driving is a major threat to safety on the roads. Risk factors for falling asleep at the wheel include doing irregular shift work, not getting enough sleep at night, taking medications, and having an undiagnosed sleep disorder.
As an employer, you need to build flexibility into drivers’ schedules so they can take a break when they are tired. If you are focused on meeting tight deadlines and don’t encourage drivers to pull over when they feel tired, it can push drivers beyond their limits and cause accidents.
Do preventative maintenance on trucks
Trucks that aren’t regularly maintained can be a danger on the road. They need regular oil and brake pad changes, or they are more likely to break down and cause accidents.
Trucks should be thoroughly inspected before trips to make sure they are safe to drive. These inspections are required by the DOT, but it is important to use tools to make sure inspections are comprehensive and well documented.
Be vigilant about driver health
Drivers must have medical clearance a minimum of every two years to drive commercial vehicles. However, you still need to stay vigilant in monitoring their health. Being on the road for long periods of time can be challenging when it comes to eating a healthy diet or getting enough exercise.
If a driver has been unexpectedly out of work for some time, it could be a sign of an underlying medical condition that could affect their driving ability. Ensuring that a driver undergoes a return-to-work medical evaluation will establish they are safe to drive and can prevent accidents from happening. In the event of an accident, truck accident attorneys from USAttorneys.com can offer valuable advice.
Offer incentives and rewards
Rewards and incentives can encourage drivers to follow good driving practices and develop good habits. Instituting a program in which they monitor their steps every day using electronic devices and rewarding them for getting exercise could improve their health.
Show your drivers how important safety is to your company by rewarding them with bonuses for great safety performance. After a year of clean driving, you could allow drivers to choose their own rewards from a small catalog.