Great West Casualty Company Blog

Mirrors are an essential piece of safety equipment. A skilled driver should know how to use mirrors to help manage the space around the truck and avoid crashes while changing lanes, backing, turning, and during startups. Read the information below and ask yourself if there are actions you can take to improve your driving skills, by using your truck’s mirrors more effectively, to help reduce the risk of a crash.

There is an increased risk of jackknifes in winter due to icy roadways, but this type of loss-of-control crash can occur any time of the year. To help avoid a jackknife, or recover from one, drivers must be able to recognize the hazards that can lead to a jackknife and react properly. Read the information below and ask yourself if there are actions you can take to improve your driving skills and reduce the risk of a jackknife.

Winter can bring frigid temperatures and slippery conditions around the truck. The key to protecting yourself is to recognize the hazards that can lead to winter-related injuries and illnesses and take proper precautions. Read the information below and determine what you can do to better protect yourself in winter.

Working on and around a truck can expose a driver to potential injuries, which could be costly to one’s livelihood and lifestyle. Read the information below about preventing injuries around the truck, and then ask yourself how you can better protect yourself from harm.

Great West recently had the privilege of hosting two drivers from the American Trucking Associations' America's Road Team. The drivers got a chance to show off their custom tractor-trailer and talk about the importance of professional truck drivers. 

Wearing protective footwear while working around the truck can help prevent injuries. From avoiding slips, trips, and falls to protecting against objects rolling onto or penetrating your feet, proper footwear is an essential piece of personal protective equipment. Improper footwear can also be uncomfortable and lead to calluses, ingrown toenails, etc. Read the information below and ask yourself how you can better protect yourself and your feet from injury.

Equipment and cargo thefts are constant risks for motor carriers. Thieves are always on the prowl, looking for easy targets. Read the information below and ask yourself if there are actions you can take to protect yourself from being a victim of theft.

Air disc brakes (ADB) are now standard for many new trucks built after 2018 and can be ordered on either the steer or drive axles, or both. ADB can also be ordered for most trailer types. From a safety standpoint, ADB can help reduce the risk of rear-end crashes. According to Fleet Equipment Magazine, “The main strong point for disc brakes (over drum brakes) is reduced stopping distance. With disc brakes, that distance can be anywhere from 17% to 33% shorter than drum brakes, depending on speed.” Other advantages of using ADB include: No brake fade caused by heating up the brakes due to excessive usage. Generally less maintenance, although not maintenance-free. No slack-adjuster-related “out of adjustment” violations from roadside inspections. Longer life before replacement. Use of a caliper/pad mechanism, compared to the lining/drum/S-cam mechanism found on drum brakes. Consider the type of operation you run before choosing the equipment to best fit your needs.

Every truck driver has a pattern to the way he or she drives. These patterns, or habits, can be good or bad, or more precisely, safe or unsafe. A driver who integrates safety into all of his or her driving decisions, regardless of the environment, has established a pattern of behavior that reduces the risk of a crash. On the flipside, pattern driving refers to practicing unsafe behaviors, such as speeding and tailgating. Pattern driving also can occur when a driver gets too comfortable with his or her route or routines and lets his or her guard down. This type of pattern driving is common when drivers run dedicated routes to the same customers day after day and become complacent. In this case, complacency becomes a distraction, and the driver loses focus of his or her surroundings and the potential hazards that could lead to a crash. Read the list of driving patterns below and ask yourself if there are actions you can take to improve your driving skills.

Truck stops, rest areas, and parking lots are used by criminals to prey upon unsuspecting drivers. Protecting yourself from physical harm is your primary concern, of higher priority than the security of your vehicle and cargo. The key to your safety is to be able to recognize the hazards that can put you in harm’s way and know how to defend against these dangers.