Letters to the Editor: Rollover Stats, SafeStat Scores, Hard Braking

These letters appear in the June 4 print edition of Transport Topics. Click here to subscribe today.

Rollover Stats

In reference to the article headlined, “Driver Error Causes 75% of Rollovers by Tank Trucks, FMCSA Says” (5-14, p. 33), I am curious about the tanker rollover statistics. How many of the “driver error” trucks had anti-rollover devices on them?

My opinion on anti-rollover devices and Vorad is that drivers will rely on technology to make them safe, rather than being safe on their own.

Adding technology does not make a bad driver better.

Bill Taylor
Owner
Taylor Transport
Enfield, Conn.

SafeStat Scores

Give me a break! Stop complaining about your SafeStat score and fix your problems.

Sure, some of the items trucks and trailers are being written up for are petty, but overall they are legitimate.

Fleet owners and managers are their own worst enemies and  should start fixing these problems before they start. It’s not hard to do if you follow the rules.
I can guarantee the drivers’ logs are a mess and the maintenance records are a mess. You have a high operating ratio and you have high maintenance costs.

Your SafeStat rating is high because you are not doing your job.

In conclusion, get it right in-house before you start pointing fingers at the Department of Transportation and your poor SafeStat rating.

Greg Hart
Owner
Hart Consulting LLC
Valparaiso, Ind.

Hard Braking

Hard braking happens when a driver has been traveling 20 mph or faster for two seconds or longer and then applies his or her brakes at a 9-mph decrease within one second. Twenty miles per hour is very fast for 80,000 pounds to be traveling forward. To put it in perspective, in an accident the human spine will snap at 10 mph.

Drivers need to understand that hard-braking reviews are a proactive step in protecting lives and property and, in turn, protecting jobs and revenue. Even one hard-braking event not followed up on can be detrimental to a court case; and that is why at our company we created a process to monitor the fleet’s hard-braking occurrences.

A driver with three or more hard-braking “events” will be routed through a terminal for a hard-braking review. The tractor will be inspected to check for any mechanical deficiencies that may have caused the hard-braking events. The driver then meets with a member of the safety department regarding the dates, times, and/or places of the hard braking.

Going forward, the driver will be closely monitored for future hard-braking events. Additional hard-braking episodes may result in suspension or possible termination.

A key component of the program is for drivers to increase following distance. Drivers who allow themselves greater following distance will increase visibility and reaction times, maximizing the chances of not having to hard-brake while in motion.

Reducing speed is not only good for fuel consumption, but also gives drivers more control. Decreasing speed by even one mile per hour might be the difference needed to avoid hard braking. Braking hard puts undue stress on the equipment and may lead to rear-end accidents, rollovers, jackknifing, cargo claims, serious injury or even death.

Preventing hard braking in 18-wheelers is quickly going mainstream as companies implement policies to avoid accidents. In the future, hard braking not only will be a reason to separate a specific driver, but it might be a deterrent for hiring that driver in the first place.

Creating a hard-braking program is essential. The sooner an organization can monitor, review, correct and prevent hard-braking events in its fleet, the sooner they will see a decrease in major crashes — the result of adjusting driving behavior or eliminating unsafe drivers from the fleet.

Setting and maintaining a standard now will mean big rewards for carriers in the future. Companies that don’t take a proactive approach to safety — such as eliminating hard braking — could find themselves shutting their doors because of costly claims and a reputation for bad driving.

Michael Anthony
Safety Manager
Boyd Brothers Transportation
Cincinnati