Great West Casualty Company Blog

      Cargo theft continues to plague the transportation industry. It may seem like cargo theft is a victimless crime, but it affects all of us because manufacturers price their goods to include a theft component.   While it is difficult to tally the amount of loss attributed to cargo thefts annually, the National Insurance Crime Bureau estimates cargo theft costs up to $35 billion dollars per year. Thefts typically increase around the holidays. 

  ‘Knights of the Road’ refers to a period when truck drivers had a knightly reputation for always being helpful and courteous professionals to fellow motorists. While the term may be lost on this generation, the expectation has not changed. A knightly image is a personal choice requiring a daily commitment to safety and professionalism. A collection of unwritten rules of the road that exemplify this code is below. Read the information below and ask yourself if there are ways you can improve your knightly image.

  A fire can be a devastating financial event for a trucking company or a driver. Modern trucks and trailers are manufactured to be as light as possible, which means they are constructed using a variety of potentially dangerous materials; that construction can become extremely hazardous should a fire occur. The dangers of today’s truck fires include extreme heat, rapidly spreading flames, and potentially toxic fumes.

Are your safety meetings effective? The traditional instructor-led approach involves one person standing in front of a group of drivers, telling them what they think the drivers need to know. This delivery method may work in some cases, like explaining a new regulation, but it is less effective when trying to change behavior (ex. prevent a rear-end crash). In reality, each worker has a learning preference. Some learn best by doing, while others may prefer online, self-paced learning. Attempting a one-size-fits-all approach to safety training could be the reason your training efforts are unsuccessful and not achieving your desired results. To improve your results, consider using a blended-learning approach to reach a broader range of learning styles.

Being safety minded has its benefits for any employer. For motor carriers, however, it is crucial to keeping your drivers on the road and your operation running smoothly. Putting a focus on driver and operational safety has many upsides. It can reduce expenses due to accidents or employee carelessness, it can help attract new business, and it can increase revenue for the company.

Fuel is a major expense. Because it is a variable cost, meaning it can fluctuate and be challenging to predict, trucking companies are always looking for ways to improve fuel economy to help keep costs down. Read the information below and ask yourself if there are actions you can take to improve your driving skills and save fuel.

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.