Great West Casualty Company

May 5, 2022 11:30:00 AM

Strategic Leadership in a Complex World

By Great West

Pandemic or not, we live in a VUCA world. VUCA is an acronym that stands for volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. This term is used to describe a situation or condition of constant, unpredictable change, and certainly those working in the transportation industry can relate. Adapting to change is a daily occurrence, so here are some strategic leadership tips to help you lead your company in today’s VUCA world.

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May 3, 2022 4:30:00 PM

Leadership Has a Role in Helping Prevent Railroad and Automobile Incidents

By Great West

Railroad crossing incidents have steadily declined in the United States since the early 1980’s, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. This is great news. Efforts to decrease the number of incidents, fatalities, and injuries involving trains and vehicles or trains and pedestrians have had a positive impact, but unfortunately, preventable incidents continue to occur.

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Apr 22, 2022 9:00:00 AM

10 Ways Motor Carriers can Increase Fuel Efficiency

By Great West

As diesel prices continue to rise, motor carriers are seeking ways to reduce their fuel expenses. In a 2021 survey by American Transportation Research Institute, truck drivers ranked fuel prices 3rd in their annual ranking of major concerns. Since the survey, fuel prices have continued to climb to around $5 per gallon, a price not seen since 2014.

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Apr 12, 2022 12:30:00 PM

Do You Repair Trucks? You May Need Garagekeepers Coverage

By Great West

Many trucking companies have a shop on the premises, where they repair trucks they own and provide repair services for others. When equipment that is not owned by the trucking company is damaged on the premises, who is responsible?

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Mar 29, 2022 8:30:00 AM

How To Use Your Influence to Meet Safety Goals

By Great West

Every motor carrier’s management team understands the challenge of steering the organization in the right direction and getting employees to buy into a shared vision. One area motor carriers find most challenging is loss prevention. Due to the risky nature of the trucking industry, the entire organization has a role to play in preventing losses. From avoiding regulatory violations and fines to preventing vehicle accidents and employee injuries, it takes a unified effort to achieve safety performance goals. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done.

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Mar 24, 2022 2:42:00 PM

5 Easy Stress Management Techniques

By Great West

Stress can manifest itself in many ways and negatively affect your mood, body, and behavior. Read the information below about the symptoms of stress, and see if any apply to you. Even if you are not feeling stress now, try applying one or more of the stress management techniques to your daily routine as a preventive measure.

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Mar 17, 2022 8:00:00 AM

7 Tips to Lead by Active Listening

By Great West

One of the most frustrating situations in life is not being heard by others. Conversely, when others feel they are not being heard by you, it can be equally frustrating for them. Poor listening skills affect communication, and this may lead to costly mistakes, including workplace injuries. One way to improve communication is to practice active listening, defined as the act of deliberately hearing and comprehending the meaning of words spoken by another person in a conversation or speech. It usually involves indications of attentiveness, such as giving feedback in the form of paraphrasing what has been said by the other party to confirm understanding. Read the information below and ask yourself how you can improve your active-listening skills.

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Mar 11, 2022 1:00:00 PM

How to Reduce Driver Turnover and Increase Driver Retention

By Great West

Every company faces the challenge of employee turnover. In the transportation industry, driver retention is one of the top challenges motor carriers face due in large part to an aging workforce and fewer new drivers entering the profession. But do not lose sight of the fact that you cannot afford to lose other workers as well. The COVID-19 pandemic has employers struggling to adjust to an ever-changing job market. It is a job-seekers’ market, but motor carriers have been dealing with this reality since the driver shortage began. Still, no one wants to lose good people, especially a quality driver. One way to avoid this and improve employee retention is by building relationships through coaching.

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Feb 25, 2022 7:30:00 AM

3 Ways Dash Cams Can Improve Your Operations

By Great West

The transportation industry has seen a significant increase in technological advances over the past decade. From electronic logging devices and collision mitigation systems to trailer tracking and driver scorecards, technology now plays a key role in a motor carrier’s risk management strategies. One device becoming more prevalent in the trucking industry is the video event recorder.

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Feb 18, 2022 1:29:32 PM

How to Create an Emergency Preparedness Plan For Your Trucking Company

By Great West

No motor carrier ever wants to be involved in a vehicle-related incident or be pulled into a fraudulent claim. However, due to the high-risk nature of the transportation industry and our current litigious environment, both can happen. If you disagree, consider a recent study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In 2020, vehicle miles traveled decreased about 13.2 percent, but the fatality rate per million miles increased 23 percent compared to 2019. The NHTSA study also found the following: Occupant ejections were up 20 percent; Crashes on urban interstates were up 15 percent; Speeding-related crashes were up 11 percent; Rollover crashes were up 9 percent; and Police-reported alcohol involvement crashes were up 9 percent.

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