Great West Casualty Company Blog

Nov 13, 2018 3:00:00 PM

Ask the Safety Rep: What Are the Requirements for Accident Recordkeeping?

By Great West Casualty Company

Great question! According to Part 390.15(b)(1) of CFR Title 49 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) “For accidents that occur after April 29, 2003, motor carriers must maintain an accident register for three years after the date of each accident. For accidents that occurred on or prior to April 29, 2003, motor carriers must maintain an accident register for a period of one year after the date of each accident.”

Oct 30, 2018 3:00:00 PM

Crash Prevention: Are You Proactive or Reactive?

By Great West Casualty Company

When a vehicle crash occurs, the first questions a trucking company will likely ask are: What happened? Is everyone okay? Which party was at fault? Unfortunately, at this point, the motor carrier is already in a reactive state, trying to gather details and determine how severe the loss will be. It is an unenviable position to be in, and, as the facts emerge, the motor carrier will turn its attention to determining if the crash was preventable and what, if anything, can be done to prevent it from happening again.

Oct 23, 2018 3:01:00 PM

Fall Driving Hazards

By Great West Casualty Company

The fall season presents many unique hazards that truck drivers should be on the lookout for. Avoiding potential losses requires drivers to recognize the hazards that can lead to a vehicle crash, know the defense, and react properly. Read the information below, and ask yourself how you can improve your driving style in any of the hazard categories.

Oct 16, 2018 3:00:00 PM

Opening/Closing Trailer Doors

By Great West Casualty Company

Opening and closing trailer doors are two of the leading causes of work-related injuries for truck drivers. Read the information below, and ask yourself if there are actions you can take to protect yourself from harm.

Oct 9, 2018 3:02:00 PM

Backing

By Great West Casualty Company

Backing up a truck and hitting a stationary object is one of the most frequent causes of a loss for a trucking company. Read the information below on how to properly back into a straight parking spot, and ask yourself how you can improve your driving style to avoid a backing crash.

Oct 2, 2018 3:01:00 PM

Time to Discuss Fall Driving Hazards

By Great West Casualty Company

Fall is quickly approaching, and with it comes seasonal hazards that can lead to animal strikes, loss of control crashes, and other losses. Dispatchers, driver managers, and safety personnel should be communicating these hazards to drivers on a regular basis during the fall months. Please take time to review the list of driving hazards below, and make it a point to discuss these seasonal risks with drivers. Also, complete the “Call to Action” items to help prevent potential vehicle crashes.

Sep 25, 2018 3:00:00 PM

Tractor–Trailer Fires: What Do You Do?

By Great West Casualty Company

Tractor-trailer fires can result in devastating losses destroying trucks, trailers, and cargo. Fires can be the result of tires/brakes heating up, loss of axle lubricant, electrical problems, cigarette smoking, and other causes. Whatever the cause, fast action is required should a fire ever occur.

Sep 18, 2018 3:00:00 PM

Providing a Workplace Free of Known Hazards

By Great West Casualty Company

Motor carriers are in a hazardous industry and face four types of loss exposures: financial, property, liability, and personnel. Financial exposures include decreases in revenue resulting from a loss, such as a vehicle crash, as well as increases in expenses. Damage to equipment or your facility are examples of property exposures, while liability exposures involve third-party claims. The final loss exposure category is the most important: personnel. The loss of any worker, especially key personnel, can cause significant business interruption. That is why a motor carrier should be mindful of its responsibility to provide a workplace that is free of known hazards.

Sep 11, 2018 3:00:00 PM

Speed Management

By Great West Casualty Company

Properly managing the truck’s speed requires skill and good judgment. Failure to do so could have tragic consequences. To avoid this, drivers must recognize the hazards that can lead to a crash, know the defense, and react properly. Read the information below and ask yourself how you can improve your driving style in any of the hazard categories.

Sep 4, 2018 4:00:00 PM

Use Road Tests to Measure Driver Quality

By Great West Casualty Company

Motor carriers put a lot of faith in drivers. They are entrusted with very expensive equipment, valuable cargo, and customer trust. With all of this at stake, motor carriers cannot take driver hiring decisions lightly. Trusting word-of-mouth referrals or the accuracy of an applicant’s resume is not enough to gauge a driver’s qualifications. The best way to accurately determine an applicant’s abilities is to physically observe him or her in and around the truck with a road test. Road test observations, combined with the results of pre-employment investigations, better position motor carriers to make a well-informed hiring/leasing decision.

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