The best way to prevent fleet crashes and in the process lower injury frequency rates is to hire drivers based on their ability and past performance. This discovery comes from Liberty Mutual Group, which recently released the results of its annual trucker survey.
As part of the study, the company identified practices in seven key areas that contributed to lower injury frequency rates:
1. Management Programs
- Most companies that measure injury frequency rates have lower frequency rates.
- Those companies that conduct driver surveys had frequency rates 18% lower than those that didn’t conduct surveys.
- Although most companies conduct injury investigations, those that use written injury investigation forms, ask for prevention recommendations, calculate injury rates, set injury rate goals and track injury rates by customer had a 13% lower injury frequency rate.
2. Expectations
Four out of five companies have a written seat belt policy and close to 50% have both a written seat belt policy and enforcement activities. Those with both the policy and enforcement had a crash injury frequency rate that was 33% lower than those that didn’t use both.
3. Selection
- Four out of five companies use a hiring checklist to document each step of the hiring process. Those using a hiring checklist had 30% lower injury frequency rates.
- Four out of five companies have job descriptions that include essential job functions. Companies including essential job functions in the job descriptions had an 11% lower injury frequency rate.
- Four out of five companies designate a medical provider. Those using designated medical providers had slightly lower injury frequency rates.
4. Monitoring Performance
- Companies that provide technology for driver managers so they can verify available hours of service for drivers had a 37% lower crash injury frequency rate.
- One out of four companies has GPS and uses it to monitor speed. These companies had a 15% lower crash injury frequency rate.
- Two out of three companies conduct road observations. This practice results in a slightly lower injury frequency rate.
5. Transitional Work Programs
One out of four companies had someone responsible for tracking employees out of work and had written transitional work job descriptions. The group using both had a 7% lower injury frequency rate.
6. Injury Prevention
Most companies offer some form of injury prevention activities. Those that use an injury prevention manual provide regular training and have observations for enforcement had an injury frequency rate that was one-third of those that do not.
7. Training
Three out of four companies use written agendas for training. While written agendas are important, the survey found that injury frequency rates went down as the training group size became smaller. Those with written agendas and one-on-one training had a 30% lower injury frequency rate.
