Great West Casualty Company Blog

Due to winter roadways, there is an increased risk of jackknifes, but this type of loss of control crash can occur any time of the year. To avoid a jackknife - or to recover from one, drivers must be able to recognize the hazards that contribute to a jackknife. They must also know how to defend against it. 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 crash.

This article has been updated with new information. It was originally posted on October 25th, 2016. The final rule for the Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food (STHAF or Sanitary Transportation Rule) was published in the Federal Register on April 6, 2016.  On June 6, 2016, the STHAF rule became effective and part of the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 C.F.R. Sections 1.900-1.934. Motor carriers and brokers engaged in the transportation of food should read the STHAF regulations and carefully review their shipping contracts with respect to provisions addressing food shipments and the STHAF.  

The mirrors on a commercial motor vehicle are an essential piece of safety equipment. Mirrors can help skilled drivers manage the space around the truck and avoid crashes while changing lanes, backing, and turning. Mirrors require proper care and maintenance, however, and truck drivers must be able to recognize the hazards that can potentially render a mirror useless. 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 crash with better use of your truck’s mirrors.

KNOW THE DEFENSE At 65 mph, a fully-loaded tractor-trailer requires a minimum of 665 feet of stopping distance. The most reliable method drivers use to gauge this distance is by counting seconds. To do this, pick a stationary object on the side of the road, like a road sign or overpass, and, as soon as the vehicle in front passes your chosen object, begin counting: “one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand…”. Continue counting until your vehicle reaches that stationary object.

Recognize the Hazards A key factor in rear-end crashes is improper following distance. In order to determine how much following distance is required to bring a tractor-trailer to a complete stop, drivers first need to know how much stopping distance their vehicle requires.

Are you ready to avoid fatigue-related crashes? Fatigue behind the wheel is a real danger. It can be a killer and happen any time, any where. But, guess what? You can control it. You are the key factor in determining whether or not a fatigue-related crash will happen to you. At Great West Casualty Company, we say to look for warning signs including inattentiveness, erratic driving, tailgating, drifting, or failure to obey traffic signals. Most modern tractors have comfortable seats, relatively quiet cabs, and are temperature controlled. But, while these designs are convenient and comfortable, they can contribute to falling asleep at the wheel. We're all for driving in a fine ride, but we don't want these things to get the best of you when it comes to fatigue while driving.

One of the most neglected aspects of a pre-trip inspection is the air pressure in the tires of commercial vehicles. It is not enough to scan tires for noticeably-low pressures or “thumping” the tires to gauge its pressure. Cutting corners in this area of the pre-trip inspection can be costly regarding dollars, times, and possibly lives.

Mechanics can put themselves in serious peril if they enter an empty cargo tank trailer without following OSHA’s confined space entry procedures. One cause of injury, and possibly death, is the assumption that it is safe to enter the trailer because it has never previously contained a hazardous material or substance. According to 29 CFR 1910.146, a confined space must meet ALL THREE of the following conditions:

Every year, maintenance employees are seriously injured or killed when wheel components fail, causing a sudden release of air pressure or “blow-out.” Most of these incidents occur due to over-inflating the tire or improperly seated tire/rim components. Anyone standing within the blast zone could be seriously injured by debris.  

Run-under crashes are one of the most devastating losses a trucking company can experience. A run-under crash can cost thousands of dollars in physical damage and personal injury. However, these crashes are frequently among the easiest to prevent. Many run-under crashes involve U-turns. A run-under crash caused by a U-turn is possibly the easiest to prevent…never make a U-turn.