Doing the little things…
Trucking is a way of life. There aren’t many industries that impact an individual like someone who drives a truck across the country.
When your desk includes a steering wheel, gauges, gas, brake, and gear shifting pedals, a bed sitting behind you and you maneuvering over 80,000 pounds over thousands of miles every day; what industry really compares to this one? It certainly takes its toll on the driver and the business owner. And in a lot of situations, that is the same person!
So what does that all mean?
Well, it means that when it comes to this business, there is a lot of risk facing them every day. And there are a lot of people watching them, looking for that potential catch of doing something wrong. Between the Department of Transportation, insurance companies, and the general public, the business owner and driver are being overanalyzed every day.
So how do you minimize that glare from all these eyes continually staring at you?
In simple words, doing those little things. When we discuss risk management practices with any business, we emphasize this continually. So what are the little things?
Regardless of your budget, there are TWO VERY IMPORTANT things that you can do on a regular basis that will influence how you are viewed:
1. Maintain your truck or trucks
2. Manage your drivers
Pretty simple right? When it comes to insurance, these two factors can determine if you stay on the road and how expensive staying on the road can get. In this article, we’re going to focus on the first item:
Maintain Your Truck or Trucks
Taking care of your power units has considerable impact on the way your trucks perform, obviously. And the better your truck performs, the less downtime it has. And less downtime means more income. Consider that the following most likely occur at DOT stops and lead to Out of Service inspections:
– Brakes out of Adjustment or other brake problems
– Tires – tread depth, care, etc
– Load Securement
– Lighting – from brake lights to turn signals
– Leaking oil
– Damaged/obstructed windshield
– No proof of annual inspection
Spending time on preventative maintenance will increase the time that your truck is on the road. Increased time on the road is maximizing revenue for that truck. However, the same is true that when a truck is placed in out of service status, that is decreased revenue for that truck. As expenses continue to fluctuate, being able to keep trucks moving will allow you to maximize profits.
So what preventative maintenance actions can you take? Do those things that help ensure your truck keeps operating:
1. Daily pre and post trip inspections (we will have another blog on pre and post trip inspections)
a. Reviewing key areas of the truck that are visible to the driver
b. Have the driver take note of any issues that are found and have them addressed immediately by onsite or third party mechanics
c. Pre and Post trip inspections also assures the driver that loose debris is removed, preventing potential windshield claims
2. All minor mechanical issues are addressed at the time of being found
a. When light being out is keeping you from driving down the road, addressing that issue before the truck even leaves the yard works to your advantage every time
b. Keeping a record of all maintenance work will help you stay ahead of issues that could plague your truck
c. Brakes and tires done on a scheduled rotation keeps you out of the DOT black hole as well as improve your reaction times to prevent accidents and claims.
As you do the little things with your truck, the time spent driving on the road will be increased. And the more time that truck is on the road, the greater the revenue expectations of that truck. And more revenue is what the business owner is always looking for.
But while you can maximize revenue, you can also reduce expenses. The DOT puts the average Out Of Service percentage around 20% for trucks and 5% for drivers. If you are doing those little things to keep your truck operating effectively, the better consideration you will receive from insurance companies. Everyone wants better insurance rates. Keeping your Out of Service percentages low puts you in control of getting those better insurance rates.
Be sure to watch for our next article on the second action you can take to help your business and lower your insurance rates: Manage Your Drivers.
