Commercial truck drivers are working longer hours due to staffing shortages and supply chain disruptions. As a result, fleet managers and business owners must take a closer look at their current safety operations and find ways to protect their drivers both on and off the road. These safety features can help safeguard your fleet by incorporating new equipment, revisiting your expectations and looking more closely at challenges truck drivers face in their daily lives.
Install Safety Features in Your Trucks
Safety equipment can lower accident risks and give drivers a greater sense of security when they’re on a delivery. The DOT sets a standard for the minimum safety equipment every driver must have on the road, but there is a lot more you can do on your own. This guide can help you learn about the different types of dash cams for trucks. Dash cams help lower the risk of road accidents and help capture incidents of theft and vandalism. You can also qualify for added insurance discounts by having this type of equipment installed in your fleet.
Regulate Maintenance Protocol
Your trucks should be routinely checked by a professional to ensure they’re safe to operate. In addition to annual maintenance, a truck should be checked before and after it completes a delivery job. All of your drivers should also be given truck repair kits with the tools they need to make quick fixes and emergency repairs. Additional resources like electrical gloves and a reflective safety vest should be added to vehicles for increased safety.
Improve Cargo Packing
Overloading trucks with cargo can cause them to use more fuel and break down more easily. Overloading can also result in cargo damage, which negatively affects your company’s reputation. Clients depend on you to deliver supplies in perfect condition, so make sure your cargo beds are all structurally sound and only stocked to their capacity. Avoid making loads too top-heavy and uneven distribution of goods. Tipping is more likely to occur on the road when a semi bears too much weight on either side.
Install Seat Belt Alerts
Commercial truck drivers can reduce injury and the risk of death simply by wearing their seat belts properly. Not only is wearing a belt required by the FMCSA, but it also gives your driver greater safety when operating. An alert system will require drivers to buckle up before they drive, and it won’t turn off until their belt is secure. This also ensures that drivers will not only buckle up to turn on the vehicle. You will be sent an alert whenever their belts are detached while driving.
Use GPS Tracking
GPS tracking systems have become a common option to help fleet managers gain better insight into how their drivers are performing behind the wheel. You get real-time, 24-hour coverage of truck locations, mileage, stall times and more. Because GPS tracking is data-driven, you can provide more factual, concrete feedback to drivers that helps them improve their performance behind the wheel. Being able to review this data regularly also helps you provide better advice to drivers, improve delivery routes and improve productivity.
