Great West Casualty Company Blog

Aug 1, 2021 11:00:00 AM

4 Ways Technology Can Boost Recruiting

By Great West Casualty Company

Finding the right talent, especially drivers, is a challenge for all motor carriers. Competition is fierce, and with a driver shortage making finding good drivers even more difficult, motor carriers need to find creative ways to attract and retain drivers. One important aspect of the recruiting process is the image your company presents to prospective candidates. A motor carrier’s brand can differentiate itself from the competition and help itself land top talent. To do so, motor carriers should embrace technology. Drivers are using the internet, social media, and other means to do their homework on employers the same way motor carriers screen drivers. Below are four ways motor carriers can leverage technology to boost its recruiting efforts.

Jun 30, 2021 10:24:00 AM

Self-Motivation

By Great West Casualty Company

Self-motivation is that force within yourself that pushes you to keep moving forward towards achieving your goals. For some people, self-motivation comes easily. For others, it is more of a challenge. This is partially due to two internal traits: self-assurance and self-efficacy. Self-assured people are not afraid to set challenging goals for themselves and do not become easily deterred when they face setbacks. People with high self-efficacy believe in their own ability to succeed. This can impact the types of goals (if any) they set for themselves. Read the self-motivation tips below and ask yourself how these might be able to help you achieve personal and professional goals.

Apr 5, 2021 10:16:00 AM

Preventing Distracted Walking

By Great West Casualty Company

Each year, pedestrians are struck and killed by motor vehicles due to distracted walking. Additionally, work-related injuries and fatalities caused by employees not paying attention to where they are walking have caused workers compensation costs and out-of-pocket expenses for employees to skyrocket. Incidents involving distracted walking are 100 percent preventable. Read the information below about the three types of distractions and what you can do to protect yourself.

Mar 10, 2021 10:30:00 AM

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

By Great West Casualty Company

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.

Jan 7, 2021 2:00:00 PM

Aging and the Dangers of Winter Driving

By Great West Casualty Company

The winter months bring shorter days and increased driving hazards due to adverse weather. The change in season can be difficult to adjust to, especially for older truck drivers. One way normal aging affects older adults is fading night vision. The eye’s retinas function like photo film, reacting to light and images and then transmitting those signals to the brain for interpretation.

Dec 22, 2020 3:05:00 PM

Ask the Safety Rep: How Does CBD Affect Motor Carriers?

By Great West Casualty Company

HOW DOES CANNABIDIOL (CBD) AFFECT MOTOR CARRIERS? CBD products, which are extracted from hemp or marijuana plants, have grown in popularity in recent years. Currently, each state treats CBD usage differently. This poses a significant risk to motor carriers and truck drivers who are subject to federal drug testing requirements.

Dec 21, 2020 11:30:00 AM

Annual Clearinghouse Queries due Jan. 5, 2021

By Great West Casualty Company

A reminder that motor carriers' annual Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse queries are due Jan. 5, 2021. Per §382.701, employers of CDL drivers must conduct a query of the FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse at least once per year for each CDL driver they employ. If an employer has already conducted a query on all currently employed CDL drivers, that employer has met the annual query requirement for 2020 and is not required to conduct a query for one year from the initial query date. This includes any limited queries, full queries, and pre-employment queries of the Clearinghouse conducted in 2020.

Dec 1, 2020 1:45:00 PM

Ask the Safety Rep: Starting an Incentive Program

By Great West Casualty Company

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:

Nov 5, 2020 3:00:00 PM

Protecting Parked Equipment from Fires

By Great West Casualty Company

A fire can be a devastating financial event for a trucking company or a driver. Modern trucks and trailers are manufactured to be as light as possible, which means they are constructed using a variety of potentially dangerous materials; that construction can become extremely hazardous should a fire occur. The dangers of today’s truck fires include extreme heat, rapidly spreading flames, and potentially toxic fumes.

Oct 22, 2020 10:00:00 AM

Try blended learning to improve safety training

By Great West Casualty Company

Are your safety meetings effective? The traditional instructor-led approach involves one person standing in front of a group of drivers, telling them what they think the drivers need to know. This delivery method may work in some cases, like explaining a new regulation, but it is less effective when trying to change behavior (ex. prevent a rear-end crash). In reality, each worker has a learning preference. Some learn best by doing, while others may prefer online, self-paced learning. Attempting a one-size-fits-all approach to safety training could be the reason your training efforts are unsuccessful and not achieving your desired results. To improve your results, consider using a blended-learning approach to reach a broader range of learning styles.

Subscribe to Email Updates