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SAFETY
& LOSS PREVENTION
The safety and loss prevention
function at a road transportation company is an important one.
Safety and loss prevention include many components ranging from
training of personnel in safe operating and driving procedures to
administering drug and alcohol testing, to developing and
implementing policies that reduce personal injury, cargo, and
equipment loss claims. Further, more and more governments are
maintaining safety data on carriers and assigning ratings for use by
shippers when selecting carriers. Perhaps just as importantly,
safety is good business and the most successful companies will
operate with an emphasis on safety.
Click on one of the job categories below for more
information on each role.
Some trucking specific institutions will offer instruction in
managing safety for motor carriers; however, these courses and
programs are few and far between. While to some extent, safety can
be taught, there is a heavy reliance on experience. For these
reasons, safety personnel often come from other job functions, and
the majority of training is offered on-the job.
Driver Trainer
Though most drivers are hired possessing the full set of
driving-related skills, most companies offer a thorough training
and orientation program for new driving recruits. This allows
the company to focus on processes and procedures that drivers
are expected to follow on a day-to-day basis. It also allows
companies to ensure that drivers are sufficiently trained in key
safety areas such as the handling of dangerous goods (a legal
requirement), as well as specific commodity handling procedures.
This can include tarping and chaining a load of steel, or
learning the safe loading and unloading techniques of gasoline.
Depending on the specific company requirements, training can
last anywhere from one day to several weeks.
The driver training function is a critical component due to the
level of responsibility riding on the drivers. In addition to
the training component, many companies rely on driver trainers
to recruit, assess and hire drivers. Driver trainers are often
former professional drivers, but don't necessarily have to be.
In all cases, they must be solid communicators, and accessible.
Training in adult learning is an asset, though not always a
requirement. Since a great deal of training is offered in a
classroom environment, skills and a comfort level in public
speaking are also important.
Freight Claims Personnel
From time to time, most companies are challenged with freight
claims, which is essentially a claim by a shipper or receiver
over the quantity or condition of the freight upon delivery.
Typically, the customer will file a claim with the carrier,
detailing the nature of the complaint. The freight claims
personnel will investigate the claim with an aim of resolving
where the error or damage occurred. Based on the outcome of the
investigation, the freight claims department will attempt to
resolve the claim, bearing in mind that he/she is dealing with a
customer, whose patronage the company may not be willing to
risk. Like many other trucking specific jobs, this position is
usually learned on-the-job. Again, strong communication skills
are essential. In addition, this position requires strong
organization skills and the ability to be attentive to detail.
Loss Prevention
Administrator
A key component of any organization is managing personal losses
and injuries. The trucking industry is no exception. Injury
prevention is key, and companies spend a great deal of time and
money training employees and other workers to work smart and
safe. This is critical since drivers are largely unsupervised
while on the road or at customers' facilities. The loss
prevention administrator works with provincial workers'
compensation boards to ensure that employees are covered for
work-related injuries. They also work with the safety and loss
prevention function to develop and implement solid prevention
policies to minimize employee risk.
Safety &
Compliance Administrator
While many of the safety-related functions within an
organization are company driven, federal, provincial and state
laws regulate safety in the trucking industry to some extent.
Companies are required to adhere to these laws, and demonstrate
upon request that they are. This is usually done through a
facility audit, where training, maintenance, vehicle and driver
operating and qualification records are thoroughly checked. From
the company perspective, it is vitally important that these
records are accurate and complete.
The safety and compliance administrator works with the safety
maintenance and operations functions to ensure that records are
being maintained as prescribed. This includes initiating regular
checks on driver records (driving abstracts), as well as the
company's official safety/operating record to check for
accuracy. It also includes reviewing drivers' logbooks to ensure
that they are not driving in excess of the allowable hours. This
is often done with the assistance of trucking specific
application software. Strong record keeping, organizational and
computer skills are paramount. Most, if not all, training occurs
on-the-job.
Safety & Loss
Prevention Manager
The safety & loss prevention manager is a critical member of
the management team. A company's safety record can make it, or
literally break it. A solid understanding of the company's
operations functions, as well as the laws imposed on trucking
companies by all relevant jurisdictions is critical. In
addition, some business and analytical skills are required. The
manager's responsibilities may include all safety and loss
components, ranging from road safety to safety compliance and
from freight claims to personal injuries for employees. In other
organizations, the role may be limited to the operations-related
functions, such as the tasks related to the driving function.
Typically, this is a progressive position, which relies on
extensive experience in related areas. However, there are some
private institutions that offer training for managing safety and
risk.
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