Tag Archive for: truck driver safety

Maintaining Driver Safety in the Midst of Winter Storms

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Calhoun Truck Lines has a relentless focus on driver safety. In a variety of ways, our safety department strives to maintain high levels of our trucker’s safety on the roads. Check our blog for details on these driver safety measures.

Trucking-WeatherAnd when the weather conditions and driving conditions become a detriment to this safety, it becomes important to share our insights into keeping our drivers safe from poor weather-related driving conditions.

Last week’s frigid temperatures’ across the middle of the United States had a forceful impact on our Midwest trucking operations in Detroit, Minneapolis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus and Omaha. Our shipments decreased, and drivers were on extra high alert for any mechanical equipment failures with their trucks.

Weather of the fierce magnitude that hit the U.S. recently can also have a serious economic impact on trucking and the U.S. freight transportation industry. In a recent study “The Weather Business” an insurance company found that it cost U.S. airlines and trucking companies anywhere from $3 billion to $3.5 billion for the cost of weather-related delays.

But more than the economic impact that’s high is the potential toll of the human impact. It is the responsibility of our Calhoun Truck Lines safety department to make sure we maintain a high level of safety for each truck we put on the road. That’s important in all types of weather, from extreme summer heat to below-zero winter cold. Our trucker’s safety and condition of our cargo was first and foremost on our minds, in the most recent winter cold that gripped Midwest and much of the rest of the US.

Thankfully, our drivers and the trucks they drove in sub-zero temperature came through OK. We stayed in contact with our drivers, and found that close communication was essential in getting our cargo to its chosen destination. By working with good working trucking equipment, knowledgeable drivers and key coordinating staff, we found that you may not be able to beat Mother Nature, but can do well enough in spite of her ferocity.

 

Safety on the Roads is a Priority for U.S. Trucking Industry

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News recently came out from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that deaths in the U.S. from accidents involving large trucks rose to nearly 4,000 in 2012.

Truck-SafetyAccording to a Nov. 14 report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there was a 3.7% increase in deaths in 2012 from accidents involving large trucks. To a casual observer, this increase in number of road deaths involving may look alarming and cause concern for drivers on the road with trucks hauling large cargoes.

However, these numbers are misleading, as the American Trucking Associations’ president Bill Graves rightly pointed out in the ATA press release on the matter.  Graves is quoted in the release:

“Every fatality on our nation’s highways is a tragedy, and we all have an obligation to improve highway safety. Unfortunately, the data released today is a misrepresentation of our industry’s improving safety record,” said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. “When the public hears the term ‘large truck,’ they naturally think of the millions of large tractor-trailers that deliver their most essential goods. However, data released today lumps those tractor-trailers in with millions of smaller, non-freight-hauling vehicles whose crash rates are higher than in the trucking industry. The federal government should not be so casual with its terminology and should provide further information and clarity to the public. “

We at Calhoun Truck Lines agree wholeheartedly. There are many driving differences between our large cargo trucks and many of the medium-duty trucks on the road. There are also great differences in the safety numbers between interstate trucking vehicles and intrastate carriers.

As one of the Midwest’s largest cargo and intermodal freight carriers, Calhoun Truck Lines supports education for our drivers in our truck fleet. We teach our drivers about safety issues through our company newsletters, this blog, and policy guidelines. We strive to train our drivers for the highest levels of safety. We work directly with drivers to ensure DOT compliance and to manage our driver safety program with changing regulations. Our operation stays compliant with changing regulations from the FMCSA/DOT. Today, our drivers are well-versed in understanding driving safety regulations and how it affects them and our company.

That’s why we support the ATA’s call to segment our larger commercial load-carrying trucks vs. the smaller trucks that are included in the misleading NTHSA statistics. The ATA is 100% behind truck safety and driver safety on the roads, even calling to limit truck speeds and require electronic logging for large trucks on the road. Safety is a priority and we at Calhoun Truck Lines are in full support.

Calhoun Insights into Truck Driver Resources and Retention

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The issue of truck driver pay and industry retention of the drivers is the focus of a new three-part series at Commercial Carrier Journals.

The article, “Weighing demand for drivers, Part 1: Shippers prepare for capacity crunch“ looks to cover the reasons behind the industry’s driver shortage in the US, and the impact it’s having on shippers, fleets, truck drivers, capacity and more. Writer Kevin Jones (Senior Editor, Trucking Media) sees that the simple solution to increasing the numbers of drivers should be to raise their wages. But it’s not that easy. He writes:

“Though pay in some trucking niches has surged, it has been comparatively flat for trucking as a whole. Since 2003, wages for the entire for-hire trucking industry have grown 32 percent, slightly less than the entire private work force, at 34 percent.”

Truck-Driver-Retention

The article describes reasons besides stagnant wages why there has been what it calls a ‘persistent’ driver shortage:

  • Older drivers: A large number of long-time drivers are approaching retirement age;
  • New regulations: Many drivers have left because of new regulations like the Compliance Safety Accountability program, have pushed many drivers out of the industry;
  • Productivity losses: losses due to new hours-of-service regulations will increase driver demand, and;
  • Reluctance: Fleets are reluctant to add capacity in a sporadic economic recovery.

Let’s face facts: The last five years have not been great for the trucking industry as a whole. It’s been a prolonged period of stagnation on the economic recovery front. And moreover, driver pay won’t dramatically increase unless the trucking business costs lower or the industry as whole increases the volume of moving shipments. Under the current administration, it’s not an entirely promising outlook.

But in the midst of these difficulties, Calhoun Truck Lines has increased our driver fleet 35% this year.  Much of our firm’s success relates to allocating more resources towards driver retention and driver education. We spent more time training our drivers and using a variety of incentives to retain our fleet. Yes, the overall regulatory environment and an evolving intermodal sector is difficult to manage in the midst of these changes. But we feel that this environment can present many opportunities for drivers to succeed and stay close to home.

If you’re a truck driver and interested in driving for one of the leading intermodal trucking firms in the Midwest, please contact us. We’d be happy to learn more about you and see if you’re ready to go trucking with us.

Setback for Truckers? FMCSA Denies ATA Request for Extra 3-Months’ Time

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Has there been another setback to Calhoun Truck Lines and the rest of the still economically challenged U.S. trucking industry? Only time will tell. Interstate shipping firms learned recently that their request for an extra three months’ time before a new trucking hours-of-service rules take effect was rejected by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Apparently, the FMCSA does not believe ATA has demonstrated good reason to delay compliance, and that the FMCSA is not willing “to sacrifice what may be several months of public safety benefits from the timely implementation of the rule.”   interstate shipping Calhoun Truck Lines

The American Trucking Association had asked the FMCSA a month ago to delay the start of updated hours-of-service regulations. But like the US Senate and House Republicans, it seems like trucking’s main bodies have a hard time agreeing as well.

Trucking Info wrote: “In response to a late January letter from ATA president Bill Graves, FMCSA Chief Counsel T.F. Scott Darling III on Feb. 22 denied a request to delay compliance with the new rules from a scheduled July 1 start date until three months after a federal court issues its decision on challenges to hours of service that ATA and other groups have filed.“

The Hours of Service of Drivers Final Rule was published in the Federal Register on December 27, 2011. The Final Rule’s effective date is February 27, 2012, and the compliance date of selected provisions is July 1, 2013. More info is at the FMCSA Hours-of-Service page.

The final rule, according to the FMCSA, required truck drivers who maximized their weekly work hours to take at least two nights’ rest when their 24-hour body clock demands sleep the most – from 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. This rest requirement is part of the rule’s “34-hour restart” provision that allows drivers to restart the clock on their work week by taking at least 34 consecutive hours off-duty. The final rule allows drivers to use the restart provision only once during a seven-day period.

“I’m not sure how this ruling will affect capacity over the next twelve months,” said Brent Bois, President of Calhoun Truck Lines, a leading Midwestern intermodal trucking company. “It seems as if our government may take care of that problem with the unresolved “sequester” deadline just days away. However, our elected official’s inability to resolve these issues will have a negative impact on our economy for the remainder of 2013 and will mitigate any truck capacity issues this year.”

“The real issue resides with training drivers and enforcement agencies,” continued Bois. “The likelihood of inconsistent enforcement and unwarranted violations will increase and have a negative affect on the trucking community. This will not help add drivers to the industry and could have a much larger impact on capacity in the long run.”

Calhoun Truck Lines Honors its 2012 Driver of the Year

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Delivering the goods, day in and day out. That sums up an average day for a truck driver of an intermodal trucking company. Punctuality, patience and persistence help, too.  

Truck driver of the year Calhoun Truck LinesDrivers at Calhoun Truck Lines begin their days with lines at depots and rail yards. During the course of a typical day, these drivers might encounter equipment problems, weather issues, long unloading/loading times, and not least of all, sharing the road with the average distracted driver. And then there is also the side of the job that deals with paperwork, business expenses, regulations, and other variables that are a necessity in running one’s trucking business.  

On the flip side, there are many components that must work properly in order to produce work to keep the trucks moving and comply with regulations. Drivers often have to put up with long hours and sleepless nights. They also need the ability to meet the demands of customers on a daily basis.   

One of the shining examples in 2012 for this work is our 2012 Driver of the Year – Mark Rea. Based from our Omaha terminal, Mark consistently exhibits a high level of professionalism, while going with the flows that come with running intermodal freight. He has shown responsibilities towards driver safety and properly servicing our customers. Mark is a good example of the high quality we expect from our drivers and the recognition that comes with the work.  

Mark typifies in some ways the unique relationship that exists between Calhoun Truck Lines and all the drivers that contract with Calhoun. There are countless obstacles to deal with when getting loads delivered on a daily basis, and managing a strong cooperation between drivers and Calhoun employees is needed to get the job done.  

Many of Calhoun’s employees who work behind the scenes make sure payments are made, orders are billed, and safety measurements are met. Everyone plays an important role in making sure we continue to move forward as a company.  

In this work, certain drivers stand out as going beyond what’s asked of them, while displaying acts of professionalism. Many of these drivers have been nominated or received “driver of the month” honors over the past year. Yet, Mark was one driver that stood out above all the rest. Because of these strong assets, we’re happy to honor Mark Rea as the Calhoun Truck Lines Driver of the Year.

Thanks for everything you do Mark!

Driver Safety with Calhoun Truck Lines

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In the intermodal trucking business, getting the cargo to one’s destination on time and in budget is probably the most important need for a client. On its heels, though, is the safety and focus of our truckers while delivering intermodal cargo in the Midwest.  

At Calhoun Truck Lines, we take safety of our truckers and the cargo very seriously. We work with all our drivers in the Federal Motor Safety Administration’s Compliance, Safety and Accountability (CSA) BASIC program. It’s a program designed to provide a threshold of safety for intermodal trucking companies and their drivers. It is Calhoun’s goal to go above and beyond the minimum threshold of safety and reduce driver violations.   

Below are some of the requirements we have laid out for our drivers under the different categories in the CSA BASIC program. You can be assured we are actively focused on creating policies and actions to accomplish these goals.  

Unsafe Driving

  • No cell phones or other use of electronic equipment while driving
  • Provide continuing education on managing driver speed and space
  • Test drivers for proper backing techniques
  • Provide extreme weather driving education and best practices  

Fatigued Driving

  • Hours of Service training for dispatchers and drivers
  • Audit all driver logs and maintain consistent records
  • Consult with industry experts for improved training
  • Continuing education at all quarterly safety meetings  

Driver Fitness

  • Track driver CDL expirations
  • Random drug testing
  • Mandate pre-employment drug testing
  • Monitor mandatory annual driver physicals  

Vehicle Maintenance

  • Random DOT truck inspections (in addition to the required annual inspection)
  • DVIR received daily from all drivers
  • Maintain and manage the maintenance of leased chassis
  • Mandate monthly maintenance reports from all drivers  

Cargo-Related

  • Zip-tie Policy for container securement
  • Continuous hazmat training for managers, dispatchers, and drivers
  • Continuous education on equipment inspections and cargo securement for all drivers  

Crash

  • Follow Great West Casualty’s guidelines for accident reporting
  • Equipment control education (during orientation and quarterly) for all drivers
  • Participate in the Great West Casualty “Value Driven Driving” program    

As a Midwestern leader in intermodal trucking, Calhoun Truck Lines is committed to being proactive about truck driver safety. Our company stays up to date on all communications from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. In the states in which we operate, we work directly with drivers to ensure Department of Transportation compliance and support our field operations to enhance working relationships with our truck fleet.

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