A panel of fleet executives discussed strategies for building a culture of safety during the Truckload Carriers Association’s annual conference at the Gaylord Palms resort, held March 8-11, in Kissimmee, Fla.
Panelist Bob Peterson, president and chief executive of Melton Truck Lines, described the conflict between operations and safety as an “old school” problem.
Tulsa, Okla.-based Melton is self-insured for “almost everything we do,” he said. Accepting a greater amount of risk as a self-insured carrier has helped put safety at the forefront of people’s minds.
“If you do the math and figure out how much money you make after moving a load a long distance, it’s simply crazy to think about jeopardizing the safety of the driver, our customer’s cargo, or our equipment or another motorist if there are any flaws in what should otherwise be a flawless delivery,” he said.
Melton is using technology such as electronic logs and advanced planning tools to keep its operations in compliance with regulations and its own safety protocols.
Peterson also discussed how the company uses video event recorders to coach drivers. The company plans to install cameras in all 1,100 trucks by the end of 2016.
Besides capturing video events for training, Melton has been using the cameras to defend itself in court. Recently, a video proved essential to derail a lawsuit brought by a motorist that slammed into one of its trucks, he said. The company also caught one of its own drivers texting while going 70 mph with an unauthorized passenger in the cab. The driver rear-ended a vehicle.
