When you drive tow trucks and haul other people’s cars, you know how important it is to be careful and safe. You’ve got a lot of responsibility on your shoulders, but there are some ways that your company can work on being as safe as possible. Even if you have a good safety record, with few accidents or other incidents, it’s important to do everything you can to cement that commitment to safety.
Here are some ways that you can amp up safety within your towing business:
1. Be diligent during the hiring process.
It’s important to hire people who are qualified to drive your tow trucks and who are dedicated to safety. Make sure to follow all of the steps that are required for the hiring process, including running background checks and MVRs (motor vehicle records) and getting a drug/alcohol test if needed. You need to make sure that the people you’re going to allow to drive your trucks will treat them as if they were their own.
2. Set up safety policies.
Make sure that your business has clear rules about driver and vehicle safety. You should have written policies that are distributed to all drivers and employees. Your safety policies will hold everyone accountable to the same standards of safety and will explain your expectations for your drivers’ behavior.
3. Have monthly safety meetings and weekly check-ins.
It’s important to spend time talking about safety and reviewing driver training. Monthly meetings are also a good opportunity to go over your business’s policies and touch base with everyone.
You can also do weekly check-ins with your drivers to give them some individual time to talk with you about anything that they’ve noticed as far as safety is concerned. Your drivers are the ones who are in the trenches (sometimes literally), so it’s important to listen to their suggestions and observations.
4. Have GPS systems in your trucks.
GPS systems can help you monitor the speed that the trucks were going. Having a way to check on speeds can help dissuade your drivers from pushing the speed limit or going too fast. Speed limits are there for a reason.
5. Eliminate distracted driving.
Make sure that you have a very clear and firm policy about distracted driving. You need to ensure that your drivers know that you won’t tolerate the use of cell phones while they’re on the road and that they need to keep their attention on the road. Cell phones and trucks are not a good combination.
6. Have logs for vehicle inspections and hours of service.
Keep everything in writing. Have your drivers fill out logs that record their hours of driving and their vehicle inspections. It’s important not to let the bookkeeping slide and insist that everyone fill out their logs properly. This will help you keep tabs on the goings-on at your tow truck business.
Keep in mind that we’re here to help you lower your chances of having a claim. We’d be happy to help you discuss measures that you can take at your specific business to increase safety at your towing operation.
If you need insurance for your tow truck business, we’d love to help! We can help you find the best coverage at the best possible rate, and we’ll help you build a policy that’s customized to your business. We can even get you three free quotes!
