Great West Casualty Company Blog

At the time of this writing, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is still with us. Stay-at-home orders are in place or are gradually being lifted, and the world is trying to figure out the safest way to return to whatever our new normal will be. COVID-19 caught everyone by surprise and forced us to respond in a trial-by-fire fashion. Many employers already had contingency plans in place that were adaptable to the pandemic, while others struggled to respond. Now, with some hindsight, it is increasingly evident why risk management is so important for motor carriers. The world may never see another crisis like this pandemic, but other events can certainly take its place. Here are some basic contingency planning ideas to consider.

  Contributed by Dave Osiecki, Scopelitis Transportation Consulting LLC   Since the inception of the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the trucking industry has been rightly concerned that its business partners would improperly use CSA scores to make business decisions. The scores, the trucking industry argued, were not an accurate depiction of a company’s safety posture.   

  Interpersonal skills (aka soft skills) are character traits and behaviors we exhibit when interacting with other people. From your attitude and body language to the words you say, everyone must effectively deal with others to do their jobs successfully. Below is a list of common interpersonal skills. Read this information and determine how you can improve your soft skills.

Technology is quickly catching up to the trucking industry, and the FMCSA’s new Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is a game changer. On January 6, 2020, drug and alcohol violations for all CDL and CLP drivers began populating the Clearinghouse database, meaning motor carriers are now able to access these records in real-time by querying the Clearinghouse database. This capability is huge for employers, state licensing agencies, and law enforcement personnel because this real-time data makes it more difficult for drivers to conceal their drug and alcohol program violations.

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 between 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. Having one insurer handling all aspects of the claim is ideal. Avoiding split coverages for your operations can reduce the risk of unnecessary delays and inflated claim costs, and better protect the motor carrier from future litigation.

A load can be rightfully rejected for several reasons, such as the goods were not delivered at the agreed-upon time or shifted in transit and were damaged. When a load is wrongfully rejected by the consignee, such as rejecting the load due to alleged temperature abuse, missing seals, etc., this can create an uncomfortable and stressful situation for your driver as he/she is left to deal with an unsatisfied customer. In many cases, drivers are not allowed on the dock, so they may not even get the chance to contest the allegation. In other cases, your driver may be gone before word arrives that the load was rejected.

In today’s trucking environment, where high-dollar litigation has become the norm, driver managers are tasked with an ever-increasing burden to ensure drivers conduct themselves in a safe manner. This is quite challenging since drivers are out of sight most of the time, but technology is catching up to the trucking industry, and motor carriers should be happy about that. Sitting drivers down in front of safety videos is one of the least effective ways to change their behavior. For adults, it is best to show them their performance gaps (i.e., bad fuel economy, moving violations, etc.) and help them find solutions on their own. A proven way to do this is to combine technology and coaching.