Happy February (and Happy Valentine’s Day – if you’re into that sort of thing). As we continue moving through the first quarter of the New Year, there are a couple of topics that are worth visiting from the perspective of the Safety Department.

I know ELDs continue to be the bane of a truck driver’s existence. Trust me – PeopleNet is the bane of mine. However, to their credit, PeopleNet has made some strides in recent weeks in the right direction. An update was released that has significantly reduced the Malfunctions and Diagnostics messages you should be receiving. If you continue to see these malfunctions, please contact Hannah or me.

Additionally, I want to remind our drivers of the cost of safety – and just how big the impact is of just a minor accident. I am very proud of how our fleet has handled winter driving – we’re well into February and have not yet experienced a major incident related to winter weather. However, we have continued to struggle with space management and maneuvering. Just last week, one of our more seasoned drivers who just received an award for 250,000 miles of safe driving lost focus for just a split second and damaged the side of his truck while backing. Due to the extremely slim margins of our industry, that truck, although it will still generate revenue, will not generate any net profit for approximately the next year.

Slow maneuver accidents tend to lead to larger issues. Doing the little things right will ensure everyone remains safe out on the roads. Because of this, it is extremely important every driver attempts to do the little things right – make sure you Get Out And Look (GOAL), take time to set-up for maneuvers and backs properly, and maintain focus when operating in tight quarters. You all have an extremely tough job, and usually it gets done extremely well. However, this is one area where we can show some improvement.