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TRUCKERS DELIVER SAFETY: The trucking industry does more than its share to promote safety, according to some industry insiders. Here’s proof: (1) Trucking highway injuries and fatalities are down. Even though the number of vehicles on highways is increasing, the number of trucking-related fatalities continues to fall. A recent report from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found that fatal accident rates dropped last year, and that truck-related injuries fell even more. Injuries for 2005 were 114,000, compared to 116,000 in 2004, and 122,000 the previous year. (2) Safety belt usage is up. The Department of Transportation reported that 59 percent of Class 7 and Class 8 truck drivers routinely wear safety belts. That’s an increase of 23 percent in three years. Hazmat drivers (84 percent) and tank truck drivers (83 percent) boasted the highest usage rates. (3) New equipment and technology promote safety. Truck makers aren’t just thinking about improving air quality; they’re focusing on safety, as evidenced by side and rear cameras, collision warning alerts, rollover prevention systems, and methods of lane tracking. (4) Motor carriers reward safe drivers. Carriers have long rewarded safe drivers with various incentives. One of the most dramatic instances is Swift Enterprises, which recently awarded $1 million to a California driver for superior safety on the road and $10,000 to the nine runners-up.
HIGHWAY TRAVEL AT A HIGH: Last year, motorists drove almost 3 trillion miles on U.S. highways, according to a new report. That’s an 8 percent increase in travel over the previous year, and almost a 20 percent jump compared to 1995. “These figures underscore the importance of our efforts to fight traffic congestion,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters. Just days before the study was released, Peters urged state and city transportation officials to partner with the Department of Transportation (DOT) to fight traffic congestion in the country’s major metropolitan areas. Through the Urban Partnership Agreement, the DOT would provide qualified states and cities with a combination of grants, loans, and credits to test technologies that would reduce traffic congestion. Meanwhile, the public seems to agree that something needs to be done to shore up America’s aging infrastructure. A new study by AAA found that more than 70 percent of Americans agree that more money is needed to maintain the transportation infrastructure, because the demands placed on it are so heavy. In previous surveys, respondents were more reluctant to increase funding. When asked which kind of funding options they preferred, the most popular choice (52 percent) was a toll on new roads and highway lanes. Only 21 percent favored increasing the gas tax, and 19 percent preferred a new financing method that would impose a tax based on the number of miles a person drives.
SMOKING IN OHIO: A new Ohio law bans smoking in most public places, and, technically, that means most Ohio truck drivers can no longer smoke legally behind the wheel. Practically speaking, however, enforcement of the law for truck drivers is expected to be lax. State government officials said the ban was not likely to be enforced on truckers, since inspectors will enforce the rule based on complaints; it is unlikely that people will complain about truckers smoking in their cabs. As written, the law applies to Ohio-based truckers. Tractors belonging to carriers with headquarters based in other states are considered “out-of-state workplaces,” and are not subject to the ban. Likewise, drivers who own and operate their own trucks are permitted to smoke in their cabs, since the law exempts family-run businesses that do not have customers visiting them. The law requires no-smoking signs to be posted at workplaces—and that means on truck doors, according to Larry Davis, Ohio Trucking Association president. Ashtrays must also be removed from workplaces, including commercial vehicles. Davis said the industry will seek an exemption from the law for drivers.
SPEEDING TRIPLES CRASH RISK: AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports there are four main driving behaviors that directly increase a driver’s risk of being involved in a crash. They include driving faster than surrounding traffic, driving while drowsy, being distracted, and driving aggressively. Speeding almost triples the odds of being involved in an accident; driving while drowsy poses a similar risk. The AAA Foundation found that when a driver’s eyes strayed from the road for more than two seconds, the risk of a crash occurring was nearly double that of a driver who paid attention to the road. For those exhibiting aggressive driving behaviors, the odds of a crash more than doubled. Peter Kissinger, AAA Foundation president and CEO, said, “Although you may have driven too fast or while fatigued in the past and haven’t crashed yet, these risks are real and thus will eventually catch up with you if you continue to drive in this manner.”
HOURS-OF-SERVICE—TAKE 3: It’s been nearly 70 years since the government first set limits on the number of hours a trucker could drive. Those rules stayed in place until 2004, when new rules were written, and then one year later the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) revised the rules, due to pressure from the trucking industry and the public. Almost two years later, drivers are still confused about the changes. “I still have calls from guys, ‘Can I do this? Can I do that?’” says one operations managers. But now it looks like the industry may face a new set of rules as a federal appeals court considers the HOS regulations, which have been challenged by both truckers and safety advocates. Safety groups argue that the extra hour per day spent driving causes fatigue and greater risk of accidents. Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) argues that the latest rules regarding how team drivers split shifts in sleeper berths were not adequately previewed for public comment. Previously, team drivers were able to alternate between five hours in the sleeper berth and five hours behind the wheel; team drivers must now spend a minimum of eights hours in the sleeper berth. Many in the trucking industry say this change has cut productivity—and carriers, drivers, and shippers are all paying for it. Regardless of what the appeals court rules, the decision will probably not be the end of the story. With Democrats taking control of the Congress, regulatory oversight is expected to become more active, and if OOIDA and safety proponents lose at the U.S. Court of Appeals, they would have the option of asking the Supreme Court to take the case.
PEACE OF MIND: After a 20-year deadlock in the Ohio House, legislators recently passed a bill requiring insurance companies to cover mental illnesses the same way they cover physical illnesses. If Governor Taft signs the bill—and he’s said “there’s a good chance” he will— then people who suffer from some mental health disorders would no longer face high out-of-pocket expenses. About 35 other states already have mental health parity laws in effect. Some 500,000 Ohioans suffer from serious mental illness, and the bill would help about 110,000 of them, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Ohio. The bill mandates that companies offer health insurance that covers seven biologically based mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Taft previously objected to the bill, suggesting it would drive up insurance costs and hurt small businesses, but he has softened his stance in recent weeks. Betsy Johnson, associate director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Ohio, said, based on other states’ experiences, any increase in costs would be less than 1 percent.
HANDLING CONFRONTATION: Talking to an employee about bad behavior or unmet goals is never easy. Kerry Patterson, co-author of Crucial Confrontations, offers these helpful tips: (1) Don’t assume the worst. Never go into a meeting assuming the worst about another person. This sets the wrong tone and causes the other person to act defensively. Give the other person the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes the problem is actually lack of ability or understanding rather than lack of motivation. (2) Stick to the facts. Stay away from voicing opinions and judgments. Facts are less controversial and incite fewer “hurt feelings.” Describe what you expected from the person and what you actually observed. (3) Keep emotions in check. If you become upset, simply tell the other person that you’re too distressed to think clearly at the moment, and reschedule the meeting. (4) Avoid asserting your power. Instead of using threats or punishment, explain the consequences of the person’s behavior. Explain what happens to other employees, to customers, to quality, or to anything that matters. Allow the voice of reason, not discipline, to be the motivator. (5) Simplify the job. What if the person can’t do the job? Simply ask him or her what it will take to make the job doable and then brainstorm together. The solution may include handing the problem off to someone who has more resources or authority. (6) End well. Set a time and deadline for when the task should be completed. Make it clear who is supposed to do what.
The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer
someone else up.—Mark Twain