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Entries related to: operations

The Risks of Split Coverage and Towing After an Accident

WHAT TOWING RISKS EXIST IF MY TRUCK IS IN AN ACCIDENT AND I HAVE SPLIT COVERAGES? Having a driver involved in a crash is stressful in itself, but motor carriers may compound a bad situation if their liability, physical damage, and cargo coverages are split among multiple insurers. Splitting coverages invites confusion and communication breakdowns between parties involved. As a motor carrier anxiously awaits resolution of the claim, the disjointed parties involved must determine who has coverage for each claim and what the policy limits are, and then coordinate clean up, towing, salvage, and storage of cargo, to name a few tasks.
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Control Risks with New Business Evaluations

Before pursuing new business opportunities, it is important for a motor carrier to evaluate the risk and determine how it will impact the entire company. Calculating the financial risk is one key factor in the decision-making process, but also consider how the new business might affect more than just the drivers and dispatchers. Every department will be impacted to some degree, and on closer review, additional risks may come to light that may make an opportunity unappealing in the long run. Listed below are sample questions to consider that may help in your process of evaluating the risk of new business opportunities. 
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Try a holistic approach to managing risk at a motor carrier

Taking a holistic approach to safety focuses on three key elements of a motor carrier’s operations: technology, people, and organization. When each of these elements is addressed in a company’s risk management strategy, the result can be the creation of a strong culture. This culture can design safety into its processes and procedures, identify and correct unsafe conditions before an incident occurs, and in the event an incident does occur, respond and investigate to prevent reoccurrences.
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The Best Approach When Giving and Receiving Feedback

  HOW CAN I GET BETTER AT RECEIVING FEEDBACK FROM OTHERS?   Recognizing the need to gather feedback from employees, peers, and customers is your first step to improving communications. The most important thing you can do is be approachable. If someone offers feedback, he or she is doing so for a reason.   Do not assume what the person will say. Listen carefully and focus on what is being said. Do not get defensive or interrupt. Be mindful of your responses and watch your body language; both will tell the other person if you are genuinely interested or tuning out.
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3 Ways to Make Safety Meetings More Effective

HOW CAN I MAKE MY SAFETY MEETINGS MORE EFFECTIVE? Gathering drivers, dispatchers, and other members of the operations team together for a safety meeting is an opportunity that cannot be squandered. The cost and logistics of getting everyone together is formidable, so using this time wisely is essential. Three keys to make your safety meetings more effective are preparation, engagement, and enthusiasm.
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Strategic Leadership in a Complex World

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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Leadership Has a Role in Helping Prevent Railroad and Automobile Incidents

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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10 Ways Motor Carriers can Increase Fuel Efficiency

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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3 Ways Dash Cams Can Improve Your Operations

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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Why Training Fails... and How You Can Fix It

Training is essential to helping any organization meet its business objectives. In fact, the number one requirement of any training effort is that it must hold value for the company. Otherwise, training is a waste of time and resources. From onboarding new employees to conducting road tests with drivers, employee training serves an invaluable purpose and demands proper planning, execution, and follow-up. Unfortunately, this is where training usually fails, especially on the follow-up. Below is a brief list of reasons why training often fails in each of these areas and how you can have better chances of success.
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