When it comes to managing our large fleet of trucks, we’re focused on cultivating a culture of driver safety. Accidents can pose a potential risk of injury to drivers and damage to trucks and also loss and damage of freight. Through regular training, we reinforce safety procedures that ensure our drivers avoid pitfalls that can lead to accidents.
Our driver safety checklist
Every person in the transport supply chain has a responsibility to ensure the safe transport of goods on roads within Australia. With this in mind, it is important to have a driver safety checklist for every driver to review before heading out.
- The first check a driver should do is a self-check. Am I intoxicated? Am I tired? These are important questions to ask not only before embarking but also on the road.
- The driver should always properly check their loads before embarking, you reduce the risk of freight accidents. You may also opt to reduce the maximum freight weight, which will improve fuel economy as well as help prevent accidents.
- Larger trucks have their own unique fields of vision and blind spots. Drivers must be aware of these when driving, even if they are driving the same vehicle between new loads, as certain freight may obscure vision.
- Any time a driver takes their focus off the road, they are putting themselves at risk. Before a driver heads out, they should ensure all potential distractions on their dashboard and mobile phone are limited.
Operational safety measures
Besides implementing driver safety training, we also employ these operational procedures:
Improve Shift Management: According to one study, 20% of fatal road accidents involve tired drivers. A good percentage of these may be related to driving in shifts. Increasing the length of breaks between shifts, as well as reducing the length of shifts overall, is a key step in reducing driver fatigue and keeping our fleet focused on the road.
Implement Telematics: Telematics allows monitoring of drivers on the road through a suite of reporting tools, including GPS, driver ID and freight temperature monitoring. The information that a telematics suite provides may be used to predict and prevent accidents and improve driver efficiency.
Stay On Top Of Fleet Maintenance: Approximately 5% of truck accidents are caused by mechanical faults. Regular maintenance ensures our fleet is always running safely and efficiently.
Prepare For, And Avoid Bad Weather: From heavy rain to extreme summer heat, the weather conditions can add an element of risk to the journey. Where possible, we plan routes around inclement weather to help reduce accidents.
The team you can rely on
You can trust Lee Transport with your goods, we go above and beyond to ensure driver safety. Our experience, expertise and road-tested solutions help keep our drivers, freight, and fleet safe and secure.
Would you like to know more about our safety procedures? Please call our friendly staff on 07 54821697 and we’d be happy to answer your questions and organise a free quote.