Great West Casualty Company Blog

Company culture plays a pivotal role in a motor carrier’s success. Culture impacts every facet of operations, from safety and compliance to hiring and retention. The term “culture” is sometimes described simply as “The way we do what we do,” and might be viewed as an undefined vibe permeating the walls of a company.   In reality, culture can be measured, and just like any safety initiative, if it can be measured, it can be improved. Below are several culture measurement techniques and action items. Consider using one or more of these to establish a baseline for your company's culture and track your transformation.  

Safety Management: Motor Carriers Should Aim For Zero Preventable Incidents

Mistakes happen. As frustrating as that may sound, mistakes are inevitable because humans are imperfect beings. In fact, most crashes and injuries are the result of human error rather than factors outside of a worker’s control. Depending on the severity of the error, an employee making a mistake can be understandable. It is important for managers and supervisors to separate acceptable mistakes from unacceptable mistakes and to be mindful of how they respond to each.

When a motor carrier starts seeing a trend in vehicle crashes, employee injuries, or even turnover, it is easy to look at the company’s culture as the cause and the cure. All too often, senior leaders look to create the right environment in the hope that it will bring the results they seek. In truth, one cannot directly fix a culture. Culture change comes as the result of making operational changes, sometimes involving painful decisions that affect processes, procedures, personnel, and even the company’s leadership team.

HOW CAN I CREATE AN EMPLOYEE SAFETY INCENTIVE PROGRAM? An employee safety incentive program, if part of a larger risk management strategy, can enhance your safety culture. On the other hand, if not designed, implemented, and managed properly, incentive programs can be a source of contention or irritation, and can lapse into oblivion very quickly. If your organization is considering implementing a safety incentive program, here are some points of discussion that you should consider:

Fuel costs have traditionally been the largest line-item expense for motor carriers. According to the American Transportation Research Institute (2017), “[Fuel costs] generally account for approximately 30 to 40 percent of a motor carrier’s cost per mile.”1 If fleet managers want to optimize their operations and reduce costs, they should focus on instilling a culture that embraces fuel economy.

Professionalism in the workplace benefits you, your peers, and your employer. Exhibiting professionalism can bring you an inward sense of pride, self-respect, competence, and job satisfaction. Your peers will mirror your behavior in the way you treat others and approach your job, while your employer will view you as a reliable team player. Read the information below, and ask yourself if there are actions you can take to present yourself in a more professional manner.

Remember in Oliver Twist when the hungry boy quietly approached his unforgiving master and asked him to fill the boy’s bowl with more gruel? Safety directors might relate to this feeling when requesting funds for new safety initiatives. Regardless of the company’s culture, selling safety to the keepers of the company coffers can be met with frustration and resistance, especially if the financial return on investment (ROI) has not been calculated beforehand to justify the expenditure.

Every motor carrier has a company culture that reflects the organization’s values. This culture can be positive and beneficial to the organization’s success or negative and cause it to stagnate or even fail. In either case, positive or negative, a company’s culture is contagious. People tend to adopt the values of those around them, especially at work, and infect others with the good or bad. That is why positive values are so important to motor carriers.

Why is on-time reporting of liability claims important?