All insurance is based on risk, and when it comes to semi-driving, one of the biggest risks is driver fatigue. If you manage or plan the routes for several drivers that take them across the country, there are several things you can do to reduce the risk of driver’s fatigue, highway hypnosis, and the resulting losses in response time and vehicle control. Here are some of the most essential ways to do it:
Educate your drivers about driver fatigue.
Everyone can get a bit tired or restless in the middle of a long route, and the usual fixes are to turn on the music higher or a cup of coffee. But that will only push the effects away for a small bit of time, and drinking coffee near the end of the day or as a replacement for rest will result in more dangerous driving later. Make sure your drivers can recognize the signs of driver fatigue, encourage them to find patterns in their routes that highlight when driver fatigue begins to set in, and make it easy for drivers to find solutions, such as better-timed breaks, a mix of short and long routes, and more. If your drivers have clean driving records and are demonstrably safe drivers, your monthly premiums will become less of a drag on your company’s expenses.
Make sure communication can go both ways.
Driver fatigue is a dicey subject. Sometimes managers push for routes to be completed no matter what, and some drivers think that one mention of how a route was too long will get them phased out of the longer, more profitable routes or the company altogether. But your drivers know more about the physical drain on standard routes than anyone in the main office, so it’s absolutely crucial that they be able to communicate concerns, recommendations, and even route preferences without the risk of penalty. This is also just good business culture, and low-employee turnover can also be used to argue down your insurance rates.
For more information about insurance, driver risks, and more, go to J.E.B. Insurance Services, LLC. We provide commercial truck insurance in the states of Florida, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, Iowa & Nebraska.
