Keeping Your Company Drivers Safe Is Essential

When your business is developed enough to begin fortifying its own logistical network, hiring drivers can be the next logical step. This serves as a real milestone for your company, and should be lauded. However, it’s also true that this process will no doubt greatly escalate the number of interactions you might have with the public, especially if you’re a totally B2B firm up until now.

For this reason, it’s important to make sure that your drivers are safe on the roads. Sometimes, that means implementing rules that ensure they remain safe on the roads no matter what. That might entail learning what disciplinary measures to apply, or figuring out ways to ensure they’re conforming to best practice, too.

However, more than anything, it means making sure that no accidents take place. Having a group of experienced car accident lawyers on file is essential, but hopefully, they should be used as a last resort when a scenario is truly out of control. For everything else, consider these precautionary measures:

Regular Training

It’s important to have your staff attend regular safety training sessions, especially if having to upkeep any complex operations around the vehicle, such as refueling a truck or using a proprietary refueling station. Simple hazard awareness courses can be helpful from time to time as a refresher, as can helping your current drivers qualify for larger vehicles if you believe they have what it takes and as your logistical network expands. All staff require diligent training to be their most effective, drivers are no different.

Ask For Feedback

It’s good to ask for feedback from road users. You may have seen ‘how’s my driving?’ signs plastered on the back of large vehicles or corporate cars, and that’s for good reason. Not only can this help you gain insight from members of the public if necessary, but you may provide them a resource to immediately contact if they notice a road challenge that your driver wasn’t at fault for. Asking for feedback incentives your company drivers to stay responsible on the road, to remember who may be around them, and of course, to reward great driving when necessary.

Reviews & Accountability

It’s important to seek accountability where you can get it. This might mean ensuring that your GPS data is showing your drivers using the correct pre-assigned routes, that tracking information helps you assess when drivers are driving more hours than they should legally do so, and then becoming accountable for those actions (this is for their own good). Accountability and regular reviews into your process can help you see what issues need changing and where the buck stops (often with you), such as the necessity of upgrading your old trucks or replacing wheels when necessary, despite being expensive. This helps you hold yourself and your firm to task, which ultimately leads to a safer driver.

With this advice, we hope you can keep your company drivers safe as appropriate going forward.