Ensuring Safety Among Long-Haul Truck Drivers

  




A long-haul truck driving career has a range of benefits. It can be a lucrative profession, offers opportunities to see different areas of the country, and tends to be accessible to people from a variety of backgrounds. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t also risks.

Being on the road with a large vehicle presents significant safety hazards. Some of these come from the inherent dangers of sharing the road with other drivers or facing unpredictable conditions. Others relate to attitudes, behaviors, or cognitive functions of the drivers themselves. It is, therefore, vital for logistics or fleet managers and drivers to collaborate on actions that ensure the safest possible experiences for everyone involved.

Addressing Behavioral Factors

One of the most important aspects of ensuring long-haul driver safety is to review the actions of drivers themselves. While intentional recklessness is likely to be a relative rarity, this doesn’t mean that unintentional hazardous behavior isn’t a factor. Therefore, fleet managers should prioritize taking steps that address potential behavioral risks among drivers.

Distracted driving

Distracted driving is a dangerous influence on road safety and can take a range of forms. Some of the most common causes include texting while driving, eating or drinking at the wheel, and simply reaching for items in the passenger seat. There can also be cognitive distractions as a result of thoughts unrelated to driving.

Given that laws related to distracted driving are relatively limited, it’s important for trucking companies and drivers to take responsibility for mitigating distracted driving upon themselves. This includes educating drivers about the damaging effects even slight distractions can have. It’s also worth performing regular assessments to identify specific distracted behaviors so businesses can provide the most relevant guidance to drivers.

Tired driving

Driving while tired can also be considered a form of distracted driving, but it’s certainly prominent and serious enough to warrant individual attention. The issues here aren’t just about the risks of falling asleep at the wheel, although that is a significant factor. Nevertheless, drowsiness and exhaustion can negatively impact drivers’ cognitive functioning, which can lead to dangerous driving.

As a result, it’s important for logistics managers to implement protocols that mitigate tiredness. Simply limiting drivers’ shift hours on the road may not be enough. Businesses must also ensure their staff take regular breaks and have access to nutritional food on long-hauls.

Improving Communication

Clear communication is essential to ensure that long-haul drivers have the information and support they need to maintain safety. Certainly, receiving clear instructions and seasonal weather advice at the outset of journeys is good. However, given how much conditions can change while on the road, effective in-transit communication procedures are essential real-time safety tools.

Reliable communication tech

To best influence safety, it’s important for logistics managers and dispatchers to establish a range of reliable tools. Certainly, citizens band (CB) radio and cell phones can be useful ways to speak directly to drivers. However, these methods also need to be supported by non-audio options in case drivers are in loud areas, such as loading docs and truck stops. Therefore, short messaging service (SMS) tools that send text versions of communications are also useful.

Standardized protocols

How communication tools are used can be as important as the tech itself. When trucking companies set clear standards and practices for communication for drivers and dispatchers, they can maximize safety on the road. Firstly, there should be set times for regular check-ins with drivers. When everybody understands the expectations here, it can be easier to follow up on missed check-ins that may be the result of accidents or issues. There should also be clarity on what communication channels are used for specific purposes.

Utilizing Tools in the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) has become a prevalent presence in a range of industries. This refers to an ecosystem of connected devices and sensors. These tools collect and share data in ways that help optimize processes. In trucking, the IoT is increasingly being utilized to bolster safety processes.

Mobile hotspots

In order for devices in the IoT to reliably share data over a network in a way that impacts safety, they need to be connected to the internet. Mobile hotspots can ensure consistent internet access while on the road, particularly when devices are connected to 5G services. Drivers and logistics managers can also set up strong security protocols on a hotspot, which protects systems from interference or data breaches. Hotspots can broadcast from cellular devices, but they can also take the form of dedicated mobile routers.

Driver assistance systems

Sensors in the IoT can connect to driver assistance systems in vehicles to respond to a range of hazards. 360-degree video tools are able to both provide drivers with an unobstructed view of their vehicles, as well as sense hazards in blind spots. Sensors throughout the vehicle can also track the motion of surrounding vehicles and objects in order to apply automatic emergency braking procedures.

Fatigue monitoring solutions

The IoT can also support effective fatigue monitoring tools. Cameras in the cab track facial signs of drowsiness, while sensors throughout the vehicle gather data that can help software to detect steering patterns associated with fatigue. These elements can both trigger warnings for drivers and send information to logistics managers.

Conclusion

Long-haul truck drivers are subject to significant safety risks, so it’s important to take steps to mitigate these. This should begin by reducing the potential issues with driver behavior, such as distracted driving practices or operating while tired. Improved communication also ensures that fleets are able to provide real-time advice and responses to hazards, through reliable tech tools and consistent comms protocols. The IoT also helps bolster safety practices with driver assistance systems and fatigue monitoring.

It’s vital to note, though, that none of these elements are one-and-done solutions. Managers and drivers must continue to assess changing needs and hazards. This ensures that employees in this field have the most relevant knowledge and tools to address the challenges they face on the road.


Indiana Lee is a writer, reader, and jigsaw puzzle enthusiast from the Pacific Northwest. An expert on business operations, leadership, marketing, and lifestyle, you can connect with her on LinkedIn.

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