Great West Casualty Company Blog

Driving in the fall creates a new set of seasonal risks for drivers. From shorter days to increased road obstacles, drivers need to be on guard for fall-related hazards and know how to prevent a crash. Read the information below about various fall driving hazards and decide how you can improve your driving techniques.

Contributed by John Graci, Graci Leadership Solutions, LLC Being a leader means many things, but it does not mean that you must always be the smartest person in every room.

Motor carriers are not strangers to the challenges of leading a multi-generational workforce. Each group of workers have its own unique set of characteristics and values, which are reflected in the group’s likes, dislikes, and attitude towards work. Because of each group’s uniqueness, a one-size-fits-all leadership style may not produce the best results. Leaders must be dynamic in their approaches and apply the appropriate leadership style to the person in front of them. A key to success is engaging all employees and building individual relationships to better understand what motivates each employee to perform at his or her best. This approach will not only help improve communication and operational effectiveness but also help you grow as a leader. Below is some brief insight into each generation and some leadership tips to consider.

At the time of this writing, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is still with us. Stay-at-home orders are in place or are gradually being lifted, and the world is trying to figure out the safest way to return to whatever our new normal will be. COVID-19 caught everyone by surprise and forced us to respond in a trial-by-fire fashion. Many employers already had contingency plans in place that were adaptable to the pandemic, while others struggled to respond. Now, with some hindsight, it is increasingly evident why risk management is so important for motor carriers. The world may never see another crisis like this pandemic, but other events can certainly take its place. Here are some basic contingency planning ideas to consider.

  Contributed by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance   The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Brake Safety Week is scheduled for August 23-29, 2020. Enforcement officials will inspect commercial motor vehicles throughout the week. Vehicles found to have critical out-of-service brake violations, or other critical vehicle out-of-service inspection item violations, will be restricted from traveling until those violations are corrected. Vehicles that pass eligible inspections may receive a password-inspection CVSA decal.

Time management is an essential skill for any professional driver. Managing your available driving and work hours can be challenging, especially when dealing with forces outside of your control, like the weather or delays at a shipper or receiver. Skillful time management can save you precious time and reduce stress. Read the information below and ask yourself if there are actions you can take to improve your time management skills.

It is no secret that the trucking industry as a whole struggles with driver turnover. On average, drivers stay with their employers for only one year, and that turnover can cost a motor carrier approximately $8,200 each time a driver leaves, according to a recent study by McQuaig. Obviously, making a fair wage is important to drivers, but it may come as a surprise that not all drivers hop jobs for financial reasons. Even if the grass looks greener working for a competitor, company culture could be the root cause of driver dissatisfaction and turnover.

Preventing large truck crashes has been and always will be a topic of discussion motor carriers have with their drivers. Large truck crashes cost the transportation industry approximately $135 billion annually, according to a study conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Rear-end crashes, in particular, have a high risk of causing catastrophic losses. The FMCSA’s study identified four driver-related factors associated with large truck crashes; these can also be factors in rear-end crashes. Read about each factor below and discuss them with your drivers to help re-emphasize your commitment to preventing rear-end crashes.

  Contributed by Dave Osiecki, Scopelitis Transportation Consulting LLC   Since the inception of the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the trucking industry has been rightly concerned that its business partners would improperly use CSA scores to make business decisions. The scores, the trucking industry argued, were not an accurate depiction of a company’s safety posture.   

  Interpersonal skills (aka soft skills) are character traits and behaviors we exhibit when interacting with other people. From your attitude and body language to the words you say, everyone must effectively deal with others to do their jobs successfully. Below is a list of common interpersonal skills. Read this information and determine how you can improve your soft skills.