Bumper to Bumper
Trucking safety is an often forgotten
part of precast safety programs.
Most precast concrete companies
have gone to great lengths to create and implement
comprehensive safety programs initiatives - at least
inside the company's gates. But what may be missing
from these safety programs are initiatives addressing
safety outside the gates - specifically trucking safety,
or a "bumper-to-bumper safety program,"
so to speak. And even though some companies outsource
their driving duties, it is still important to select
these contractors carefully.
Over the years, the safety performance
of the nation's long- and short-haul truckers has
improved for at least two reasons. First, the Department
of Transportation's substance abuse testing has virtually
eliminated substance abuse as a cause of accidents.
Second, employers are devoting more resources to careful
hiring and comprehensive training of drivers. However,
problems still exist, and companies that don't devote
resources to trucking safety will continue to see
losses pile up.
According to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, truck drivers continue to hold the record
for the highest total number of lost workday injuries/illnesses
(141,100), with non-construction laborers coming in
a distant second (89,100).
A study of trucking accident claims
in excess of $25,000 each conducted over the last
three years by Northland Insurance, St. Paul, Minn.
(now part of Travelers Insurance), uncovered almost
3,500 claims with a total cost of more than $280 million.
Of the 37 types of accidents identified, two accounted
for half of the claims: 33 percent caused by "loss
of control" (driving too fast into curves or
for weather or traffic conditions, etc.) and 17 percent
involving rear-ending another vehicle.
Very few accidents were caused by
factors outside of the driver's control. For example,
darkness, fog, glare and precipitation were involved
in less than 20 percent of the accidents, and in most
of these cases they were only secondary factors. In
addition, equipment and mechanical factors were implicated
in only 7 percent of accidents.
So what are the causes of the accidents?
The most common were driver fatigue, inattentive driving
and distractions (reaching for something in cab).
"In sum, the majority of accidents were the result
of driver actions under normal driving conditions,"
observes Gregory Byrne, transportation engineering
manager for Travelers Insurance.
Specific Concerns
For short-haul trucking injuries,
concerns tend to fall into three general categories:
substance abuse, driver recklessness, and ergonomics
and slips/trips/falls. (Long-haul trucking has the
added concern of driver fatigue.)
Substance Abuse. The
news is very good here. While once a rampant problem,
substance abuse among truck drivers while driving
has virtually been eliminated. "We are not seeing
a high number of claims related to substance abuse,
primarily because of the DOT's drug/alcohol testing
requirements," says Byrne. In fact, according
to Northland's survey, substance abuse was a factor
in only 0.3 percent of accidents.
Recklessness.
Just because a trucker is not
under the influence of drugs or alcohol doesn't necessarily
mean he or she is a safe driver. Many drivers routinely
engage in aggressive or even reckless driving behaviors
that lead to accidents. "The two most common
complaints we receive, which are virtually tied for
first place, are tailgating and speeding," says
Hadley Benton, chief operating officer for SafetyNet
in Atlanta, Ga. "In third place is weaving in
and out of traffic without using turn signals."
The FleetSafe program offered by SafetyNet is a driver
monitoring service that provides clients with a decal
advertising a toll-free number to place on the back
of their trucks. "We then take calls from motorists
who want to report either positive or negative driver
behaviors."
While personality can be a factor
in aggressive and reckless driving, age seems to play
an important role, according to Byrne. "We have
found that, in general, drivers under 25 have a higher
accident frequency."
Ergonomics and Slips/Trips/Falls.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics
reports that, while nursing aides and orderlies experience
the most work-related MSDs (musculoskeletal disorders)
involving time away from work (49,100 lost workday
injuries) and truck drivers come in a close second
(43,000), driver injuries require twice as long for
recovery (an average of 10 days away from work for
drivers, compared with five days for aides and orderlies).
The American Trucking Associations
reports that, while 6 percent of injuries to truck
drivers are the result of vehicular accidents, 22
percent are the result of slips/trips/falls and 21
percent are the result of lifting.
Strategies
What can employers do to reduce
truck driver-related accidents and injuries?
First, screen and hire carefully,
paying close attention to previous experience both
as a professional driver and as a commuter (checking
for traffic violations, etc.). Byrne adds: "In
terms of experience, a driver who has been employed
under a year has a greater chance of having an accident
than one who has been employed over a year."
This is regardless of overall truck driving experience,
because the driver may be driving new equipment, a
new route or hauling different types of commodities.
"We also have some research to show that, after
five to seven years of experience, some drivers become
complacent and forget about good defensive driving
skills," he continues. This dictates the need
for continual training.
Second, follow at least the minimum
requirements for substance abuse testing. "Obviously,
there is an absolute prohibition on the use of illegal
drugs before, during and after driving," says
Stephen Campbell, executive director of the Commercial
Vehicle Safety Alliance in Bethesda, Md. "Companies
must have drug and alcohol testing programs, and we
believe that all companies know their responsibilities
in these areas."
Third, to help prevent reckless
driving: "Get as much information as possible
on new drivers," suggests Campbell. "Take
advantage of every source that is available on their
prior driving records. Then observe all new drivers
for a specified period of time before you turn them
loose to operate on their own."
Finally, consider programs such
as SafetyNet's FleetSafe program. "When we receive
a call from a motorist, a trained service rep walks
the caller through an interview," explains Benton.
"We want to be able to provide accurate and complete
details to our clients. Each interview is based on
the nature of the complaint. For example, if the caller
says a trucker was exceeding the speed limit, we ask
specific questions related to this, such as: 'What
was the posted speed limit? How fast were you going?
How did you determine how fast the truck was going?'"
Once it completes a report, it either
faxes or e-mails it to the client. The client then
sits down with the driver to get his or her side of
the story and then determines the appropriate course
of action. "Part of what we recommend is additional
training in the areas of most concern," adds
Benton.
The cost of the program ranges from
$12 to $20 per vehicle per year, and SafetyNet guarantees
a reduction in accidents of at least 10 percent, although
the average is 20 percent to 25 percent, which more
than pays for the cost of the program. "The reason
for the success of the program is that, when drivers
know someone may call in to report their behavior,
they become better drivers," explains Benton.
For more information on the program, call 800-800-8096.
Precast driver safety programs
The safety goal for Sherman-Dixie
Concrete Industries, Nashville, Tenn., in 2002 is
zero lost-time accidents, and the goal for 2003 is
zero accidents period. Management knows that achieving
these goals means paying attention to all aspects
of safety, including trucking safety. "Our drivers
operate under Department of Transportation requirements,"
reports John Higgins, director of Precast Operations.
"In addition, they are required to keep their
records, including DOT licenses and medical certificates,
on file with our insurance carriers and the leasing
company through which we lease our trucks."
Since Sherman-Dixie operates a drug-free
workplace in general, everyone is screened before
employment - drivers and non-drivers. "We also
do random testing and reasonable suspicion testing,"
he adds. "This ensures that we get the highest-caliber
employees."
For drivers, the company conducts
thorough reference checks and reviews their past driving
safety records, both professional and personal driving
history.
In addition, all employees are required
to attend monthly safety training. The program consists
of a computer-based training system, where employees
log on and participate in an audio and visual presentation.
"At the end of each program, they have to take
a test, and we monitor the results and compliance,"
says Higgins. Drivers go through additional training.
To further ensure driving safety,
Sherman-Dixie drivers have meetings every morning
to address any issues or concerns. They also go through
equipment checks before the trucks leave the yards.
"We have never had many vehicular
accidents," points out Higgins. "Most of
the accidents and injuries we have had occurred when
drivers were jumping off trailers or getting fingers
caught in chains." Now, though, with the monthly
training and constant reminders every morning, the
drivers are much more aware of the importance of safety
and more aware of their surroundings and what they
are dealing with.
"As such, we have almost no
accidents of any kind," he adds. "Overall,
our safety program has been working very well. Our
insurance carriers are in love with us."
Carolina Precast in Dunn, N.C.,
subcontracts all of its commodity hauling, so the
drivers who haul its products work for different companies.
"We have been using the same two carriers for
about eight years," says John Wade, dispatch
manager and former safety manager. "We haven't
had any accidents involving their trucks coming into
contact with other vehicles. The only accidents we've
had involved product coming loose and falling onto
the road." Fortunately, though, no one was injured.
Wade sees two possible causes for these types of accidents.
First, the product may not have been secured properly
in the first place. "Second, the driver may not
have observed the proper speed at an Interstate entrance
or exit ramp," he adds. "The posted speed
limits are for automobiles, not tractor-trailers.
If you try to take one of those ramps at 25 miles
an hour, that's OK for an automobile, but a tractor-trailer
should be doing about 10 miles per hour."
The message: Even if you don't have
your own trucks and drivers, it is important to make
sure your contract carriers understand the unique
transportation needs of your products so they can
deliver them safely and incident-free.
"We have four drivers, three
of whom have been with us a long time," states
Tom Engelman, president of Bethlehem Precast, Bethlehem,
Pa. "In fact, two of them have been with us over
20 years." Bethlehem arranges for the mandatory
DOT drug screening every other year. However, the
results have never been a problem because of the maturity
and tenure of the company's drivers.
Engelman has also found that conscientious
employees tend to be conscientious drivers. He frequently
receives compliments from owners or other customers
at jobsites on how good a job his drivers do in terms
of pulling in, getting the job done professionally
and getting out without any problems. "Anytime
I hear these compliments, I always convey these to
the drivers," he notes.
What about inclement weather driving
problems? These are rarely a problem for precast concrete
companies, according to Engelman. "We don't have
to deal with really bad weather driving, because if
there is a lot of snow, sleet or ice, we can't install
our products anyway, so there is no need for us to
be driving under these conditions." If there
are situations when drivers may need to be driving
in somewhat adverse weather conditions, though, Engelman
always tells them, "I pay you by the hour, not
the mile, so take your time and drive safely."
In fact, this may be the very best bit of advice for
any employer to share with his drivers under any circumstances.
