Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1173600
W EEKLY EDITION OCTOBER 2, 2019 Tip s on Dri ver Saf et y By Karleen Kos, PSAI Executive Directo r Selection and onboarding are key. Mitchell Weiner, Russell Reid/Mr. John of Keasby, New Jersey (now a United Site Services company), uses video telematics similar to those described by Schmidt. But he says these tools are not going to do you much good if you don't have a culture of safety . His company has been working on this safety culture for years, and they have implemented an ongoing driver recruitment program to ensure the company always has enough competent, motivated drivers for their routes. Mitchell also points out that it is help ful to pay competitively or perhaps a bit more than other driving positions out there. He asserts you cannot get the best people if you are not offering the best opportunities for them. Safe drivers, safe trucks, and good processes for both are necessary. Karen Holm, On Site Companies in St Paul, Minnesota, echoed some of Mitchell's sentiments. Her company conducts internal road tests to see how each driver performs and recognizes driver excellence through a variety of methods. On Site also uses a specific set of processes and checklists for maintaining the truck fleet and ensuring its safety. Sammy Guillen, Andy Gump Companies in Santa Clarita, California, is a fleet manager. He described his fleet management procedures, including some highly automated ac tivities that make it easier to keep dozens of trucks and drivers safe on the road. Even if you are a small firm, though, he pointed out that something as simple as adding wheel checks on the lug nuts can help you avoid disaster. These relatively affordabl e items provide highly visible cues to a lug nut being loose – allowing you to notice the problem and fix it before a wheel comes off as you are driving down the road at top speed with a full load. Put a program in place to ensure seasonal help understand s your safety culture. James Baxter, Baird's Septic in Upper Onslow, Nova Scotia, helps run a somewhat smaller company – and a good part of their work is seasonal. This means he is looking for help annually and having to train a lot of new people. To do th is, James makes use of retired company drivers that can help assess the new hires, ride with them and teach them "the tricks of the trade" in an efficient manner. In addition, James' company uses its periodic staff meetings to go over safety - related polici es and procedures at a very granular level, ensuring that everyone understands what is expected and how to be successful. P AGE 16 CONTINUED ON PAGE 17