Great West Casualty Company Blog

  Change is inevitable. Sometimes it is for the better and other times it may not be. However, how you respond to change can have a big impact on your personal happiness and the happiness of those around you, including your family, friends, coworkers, and customers. Read the information below to learn about how to adapt to change. Afterwards, try putting some of these suggestions into practice. 

Coaching and mentoring are two different approaches to improving human performance. A mentor is someone who shares their experiences and skills to help another person grow, such as mentoring a new driver as they acclimate to the company culture and operations.

How to make sure your drivers and staff are ready From July 10-16, 2022, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) will conduct its Operation Safe Driver campaign throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Motor carriers of all sizes must prepare for this event by educating themselves about what Operation Safe Driver Week means for their trucking operations.

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.

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.

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.

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.

One mistake any person in a leadership role can make is to ignore or fail to realize the value each department brings to the organization. This can be especially true in siloed organizations where barriers exist that limit the effectiveness of communication between co-workers and departments. Barriers can be physical, cultural, or personal in nature. A physical barrier refers to being geographically separated, either across the country or even in the same building. Cultural barriers can include misunderstandings due to language or customs that may create communication breakdowns. However, this article speaks to company cultures that create barriers. As mentioned earlier, siloed organizations impede interdepartmental communication, whether intentionally or not. Finally, personal barriers involve individual attitudes and biases. A person may be reluctant to receive feedback or input from others for personal reasons. Whatever the case may be, a motor carrier’s leadership team cannot afford to make mission-critical decisions without input from every affected department. Whoever manages your safety and regulatory compliance efforts should have a seat at the table in every operational meeting involving department heads. Because transportation is a highly regulated, high-risk industry, who better to help department heads achieve their organizational objectives than safety? Preventing losses and managing risks should be top of mind in every business decision. If a motor carrier cannot operate safely, it is losing money. If it is losing money, the company cannot compete; and if the company cannot compete, it cannot survive. So, regardless of fleet size and organizational structure, senior management should view safety as one of the most important keys to the company’s long-term success. Here are two examples that show how safety can contribute to the discussion of trucking-related issues that motor carriers face on a daily basis.

WHAT CAN I DO TO PROTECT MY COMPANY FROM CYBERATTACKS?

Trusting an expensive piece of company equipment and the valuable cargo inside is an act that should not be taken lightly. Motor carriers that do not give driver screening and selection due diligence are at an increased risk of having a newly hired driver abandon the truck and cargo or aid in their theft. For this reason, motor carriers should consider conducting background checks to verify an applicant’s history and identify red flags. Below is a list of background checks that give employers much-needed information to make an informed hiring decision. Read each description and consider how it can aid your loss prevention efforts. You should also consult with your attorney prior to conducting any of the following checks. State law may require you to obtain express permission from the prospective employee in addition to meeting other requirements.