Commercial trucking accidents are some of the worst tragedies.
Not only are they more devastating than your typical fender-bender or rear-ending, but they’re also accidents that involve professional drivers.
If there’s anything that professional drivers should be good at, it’s not getting into accidents.
But though safe driving is a nationwide problem, trucking companies are putting in the effort to make the roads a safer place.
At Legacy Express Trucking, safety is the first and most important pillar that our business is based on, and these are a few of the ways that we believe that all trucking companies can help make the roads a safer place to drive.
1. Incentivize safe driving
Oftentimes in trucking today, speed is incentivized above safety. Drivers are encouraged to get shipments done quickly, and if they do get them done quickly, they’re paid more.
This pay structure is simultaneously encouraging dangerous driving because drivers are willing to sacrifice their safety for the possibility of being paid more.
One way that this could be shifted is by paying drivers based on hours spent on the road as opposed to miles driven. If you can’t be paid for driving more miles (driving faster), then you won’t want to push yourself to your mental limitations behind the wheel.
Remember, sleep-deprived driving is actually worse than drunk driving.
2. Make safe driving part of the company culture.
When truckers are reviewed or take a performance assessment, safe driving must be one of the most important things on the mind of employers.
If safety is not a priority for a company, this will show in its worker’s performance.
At Legacy, safety is our top priority.
Our company is built on safety, service, and communication – in that order. By having safety as our top priority, we’ve been able to deliver award-winning services for nearly a decade now.
The safety-first approach works. We’re living proof.
3. Technology is a tool – use it.
Tools like speed limiters, GPS, and other tools designed to help drivers do their job better are some of the keys to making drivers able to do their jobs better, safer, and more efficiently.
Some areas do require drivers to have speed limiters, but this isn’t a nationwide requirement. If companies can make the investment in safety-focused technology themselves, their drivers will reap the benefits.
In the future, there might be self-driving trucks. The best drivers should be able to drive just as safely as a self-driving truck. The future can be now, and it can be human-powered.
4. Support drivers on and off the job.
Research has suggested that drivers who struggle with anxiety and depression are at an increased risk for car accidents.
That’s why it’s so important for trucking companies to offer support for their drivers regardless of experience level. All drivers are working hard, and all drivers experience periods where this job starts to get to them.
If companies can help their drivers, this will come back to benefit both them and the drivers in the long run, not to mention the fact that the roads will be a safer place to be.
5. Inspect the heck out of your company vehicles.
Sometimes in a CDL accident, the driver is at fault. Sometimes, the driver isn’t at fault. Sometimes, no one is at fault.
Sometimes, the vehicle’s malfunction is at fault.
When a vehicle malfunction is to blame for a trucking accident, this doesn’t mean that no one is at fault. This means that the company is at fault. Companies have a responsibility to their drivers to help them have safe and effective equipment.
If it seems like no one is at fault, everyone is at fault.
Closing thoughts
Truckers are important people and truckers work incredibly hard to keep the national shipping chain functioning smoothly.
This is why it’s so heartbreaking to see trucking accidents and drivers put into unsafe conditions. There’s no situation where a trucker’s safety and health are more important than their shipment. Our drivers are people first, employees second.
If you want to join our award-winning team that focuses on safety above all, click here to send in an application.
