For motor carriers, “safety culture” is more than just a buzzword, it’s a critical element that ensures the well-being of your drivers, protects human life, and maintains the financial health of your business. At its core, safety culture reflects how seriously your organization prioritizes safety, from the drivers on the road to the executives in the boardroom.
However, creating and maintaining this culture presents its own set of challenges.
Yet, with the right tools and commitment, it’s possible to build a safer, more efficient operation. In this article, we’ll discuss case studies that dive deeper into how safety culture benefits motor carriers, how you can cultivate a safety-first mindset within your motor carrier, and why it matters.
What is Motor Carrier Safety Culture?
Motor carrier safety culture refers to how employees of a motor carrier perceive safety. That includes everyone in the company from the drivers and mechanics to the CEO.
Is safety a number one priority or an afterthought? Are employees thoughtful about safety because they fear being punished or because they have a strong desire to stay safe?
It’s no mystery why creating a safety culture might be important in a motor carrier. In 2022, there was an estimated 160,000 large truck crashes nationwide. That’s not only a problem for your motor carrier insurance claims, but it’s also a huge risk for human life for your drivers, other drivers on the road, and everyone’s families.
Proven through numerous research and studies, improving the safety culture of your motor carrier can not only help reduce the number of crashes and violations of your drivers, but it can also provide them with other benefits as well.
Creating a workplace culture that prioritizes safety is crucial for the longevity of your motor carrier. That’s because it can create numerous benefits for your company, including:
Reducing costs: Whether it’s from reducing the need for truck repairs after accidents or lowering your insurance premiums, improving the safety of your motor carrier can help reduce the costs of running your business.
Improving job performance: Creating a safety culture in your business not only ensures that your drivers avoid more accidents, but in turn, your clients’ goods arrive on time and intact. This can help you with higher client retention rates.
Litigation protection: Motor carriers with stronger safety cultures work harder to prevent circumstances that might result in legal action. That includes unsafe driving, truck collisions, and more, which helps protect your business from litigation.
Retaining employees: Employees don’t want to work somewhere that might be dangerous to their health or wellbeing. In a 2021 survey on workplace safety, 41% of respondents said they had left an organization due to unsafe work conditions. Creating a safer work environment can enhance employee retention.
Improving Motor Carrier Safety Culture Case Studies
Over the last decade, there have been numerous studies done on the best ways to improve motor carrier safety culture and its overall results. Some of those studies include:
National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence
The NSTCE conducted a study on Effective Strategies to Improve Safety in commercial motor carriers. Results showed that nine motor carriers had successfully improved their safety outcomes including less severe crashes, insurance claims, and improved CSA and BASIC scores. In this study, researchers discovered a connection between an organization’s safety culture and their actual safety performance.
“The safest companies had strong safety cultures where safety was valued, costs were not a factor when making safety decisions, employees were comfortable raising safety concerns, and all employees “bought-in” to the safety process.”
One of the most effective strategies they observed for creating a safety culture was the dedication and commitment from the top of its organization. This included regular safety meetings and maintaining consistent communication where safety was the main topic.
Overall, six out of the nine motor carriers researched cited safety culture as one of their main focuses for improving their safety. Some notable safety improvements out of these six motor carriers included a 75.6% reduction in preventable crashes, a 45-percentile improvement in CSA Unsafe Driving BASIC, and an elimination of all preventable rear-end crashes and rollovers.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
This U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) report provides a recommendation for how the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) can determine if a new entrant applicant meets safety requirements and how the FMCSA can better prepare new applicants to remain safe as they continue to operate.
What the report found was that creating a safety culture within the motor carrier created a substantially better safety performance.
“A hypothesis grows from this that the ongoing operational safety behavior of drivers is predominantly shaped by their motor carrier’s safety culture. Thus, a motor carrier’s safety culture should manifest itself in safety performance statistics relating to all aspects of operations, including drivers’ safety performance.”
1. Leadership Commitment
No matter what culture you want to create in the workplace, everything starts at the top. If drivers don’t feel like management cares about safety, it doesn’t give them a lot of motivation to care about it themselves.
Research has shown that companies with strong management commitment to safety experience fewer crashes and better safety outcomes. A study highlighted by the FMCSA found that management’s active involvement in safety programs, such as attending safety meetings and reviewing safety performance, significantly correlates with improved safety outcomes.
2. Open Communication and Reporting
It’s also important for leaders to create an environment of open communication. This allows employees to feel more comfortable reporting safety concerns or near-misses without fear of retaliation. Encourage an open dialogue about safety issues and make sure that feedback is taken seriously and addressed promptly.
3. Ongoing Training and Education
Ongoing training and safety education allows motor carriers to consistently remind their drivers and employees about the importance of safety, not only for business but for their livelihood. It also provides drivers with any updated safety rules and regulations they need to be aware of while on the road.
From the DOT case study listed in the previous section, motor carriers that provided proactive and continuous training to new entrants saw a significant reduction in crashes and safety violations. The crash rate of carriers that received additional safety training was 30% better than the drivers in the control group. Overall, the study showed that all training programs that included follow-up sessions and reinforced homework led to better safety performance compared to those that did not.
4. Monitor Safety Scores and Data
Caring about safety scores and data is crucial for motor carriers because it directly impacts their ability to foster a strong safety culture. Good safety scores demonstrate a commitment to safety, reducing the risk of accidents and enhancing the company’s reputation. Analyzing safety data allows for the identification of risk areas and proactive interventions, leading to fewer incidents, lower insurance costs, and improved operational efficiency.
What are the Challenges of Creating a Safety Culture?
Though creating a safety culture is essential to reducing crashes and improving safety scores, it can pose some challenges to motor carriers, including:
Resistance to Change
One of the most significant challenges in establishing a safety culture is overcoming resistance to change, particularly from long-time employees who may be accustomed to certain ways of operating. It’s possible that drivers with years of experience might view new safety protocols or technologies, such as telematics systems or electronic logging devices, as intrusive or unnecessary.
This resistance can slow down the implementation of safety initiatives and create divisions within the workforce, making it difficult to achieve a unified safety culture. Overcoming this challenge often requires clear communication, demonstrating the benefits of these changes, and involving employees in the decision-making process for new safety policies.
Inconsistent Enforcement
Ensuring consistent enforcement of safety policies across all levels of a motor carrier’s operation is crucial but can be challenging. Sometimes, due to lack of oversight, differences in management styles, or varying levels of commitment among different departments, it’s possible that rules might be applied unevenly. This can create confusion and undermine the perceived importance of these policies.
For example, if some managers strictly enforce seat belt use while others overlook it, drivers may question the company’s commitment to safety. This inconsistency not only hampers the development of a safety culture but can also result in increased traffic violations.
Lack of Resources
Smaller motor carriers often face significant challenges due to limited financial and human resources. This can make it difficult to invest in the tools and programs necessary for fostering a strong safety culture. Unlike larger carriers, which may have more resources and dedicated safety departments, smaller companies might struggle to afford comprehensive safety initiatives.
That’s why it can be helpful for motor carriers to have a tool or solution that can solve multiple problems or provide ample data and information all in one place. This allows them to allocate their budget to one solution versus multiple, helping them utilize their resources more efficiently.
For example, MC Advantage by Fusable, allows you to analyze your CSA score, see detailed inspection reports, and develop safety score cards for your drivers. MC Advantage will even give you a detailed report with the same details that insurance companies review, so you know what needs your attention most to improve your safety performance.
In Conclusion
Based on research conducted over the past decade, it’s been proven that a strong motor carrier safety culture leads to less crashes, less violations, and improved safety performance. This can provide motor carriers with ample benefits, including lowered insurance costs, employee retention, and litigation protection.
Though fostering a safety culture in your motor carrier business might come with challenges, using the right tools and resources can help alleviate the stress. Powerful data products like MC Advantage can provide you with the information your motor carrier needs to better monitor its current safety performance and find ways to improve it.
