If you’re looking for some magic trick that can help you to completely avoid trucking accidents, I’m afraid there’s no such enchantment available, at least not through methods that aren’t hazardous to the immortal soul.
But every trucking fleet operator knows they sometimes are unable to sleep at night thinking of ways to avoid trucking fleet accidents, so there must be some measures that can be taken.
The good news is, there are, and they don’t involve midnight meetings at the crossroads or bubbling cauldrons full of toad and bat parts. They may not be full proof, but there are steps trucking companies can take to try and reduce accidents, or at least reduce the impact of any accident that might occur among your fleet.
Avoiding accidents is primarily about managing risk and keeping safety in mind at all times.
Of course, if it was as simple as that, no one would have an accident on the road, and that clearly doesn’t happen. But there are things you can do before you even hit the road to help on that front.
Some things are simple. For instance, when dealing with a vehicle the size of a commercial truck, knowing your limitations and your hazards is key. Many a CDL instructor will tell you, for instance, “Never back up unless it’s completely unavoidable.” The drawbacks of a simple use of the reverse gear in a commercial truck are often not worth the risks unless there’s simply no other way. If possible, circle around so you can keep the truck oriented forward and avoid the issue of possibly hitting something in a vehicle with blind spots the size of continents.
Know that you’ll never avoid all accidents. Even the safest drivers can have an accident, and many accidents are unavoidable. They’re not all due to driver error. Some can occur because of outside elements on the roadway, whether it’s another vehicle or an unavoidable road hazard. Make sure you keep a careful record of what happens in any such incident and you can mitigate any insurance claim with the facts that may exonerate your driver of wrongdoing. In many cases, insurance companies are more concerned with what led to the accident, and what you do to prevent it in the future.
Which leads to the next important tip: document, document, document. If you’re going to convince your insurance carrier that your driver was not at fault in an incident, it’s important to gather as much information as possible on an incident, including any data from your truck’s suite of technology to police reports to bystander testimony and anything else than point to other causes of an incident than driver error on your fleet’s part.
Technology can also help try to prevent accidents, with some limited success to date. Newer trucks with lane departure and adaptive cruise control have been shown to improve accident ratios, but data is still new, so you can’t rely on such tools on their own.
Making sure you have highly trained, experienced drivers behind the wheel is paramount to supplement any safety measures, of course.
You’ll never avoid all trucking accidents, but you can reduce them with careful planning and safety measures.
Until we find that magic spell to avoid accidents without diabolical entanglements, you can turn to Fleet Risk Solutions to help you plan for such situations. They’ll map out your options and won’t require your soul in payment, guaranteed.
Avoiding trucking fleet accidents is the goal. Fleet Risk Solutions is an important part of reaching it.
About the Author
Logan utilizes a holistic approach to assist trucking companies with growth, and survival in one of the most volatile times in our history. A strong risk management program is critical for every business, but trucking companies are extremely susceptible to breaks in the risk management process. Maintenance violations, driver violations, breakdowns, driver turnover, and the list goes on, all have a domino effect on each other, and the cost of operating a trucking company.