Why is Incentivizing safety for drivers important? Road safety is one of the first things they teach you when becoming a truck driver and with good reason. Being on the road can be very dangerous if the proper precautions are not taken. This is especially true when truckers spend so much time on the road because it can be extremely tiring and driving while tired can be just as dangerous as driving while intoxicated (Healthline). This is why several companies have put an incentive program for safe driving into place.
Because unsafe driving does not only affect one person, but also everyone else on the road along with them, it is imperative to instill the importance of safe driving right from the beginning of training. This is why incentivizing safe driving is such a great idea. Putting emphasis on the importance of driver safety is something that all trucking companies should do first and foremost, and giving drivers a safety incentive is an excellent way of doing so.
Truckers should always be safe while on the road regardless of whether or not they are being compensated, however, it can help the cause when they are receiving something for their efforts. In this article, we will take a look at what a safe driver’s incentive is, what it might look like, and the benefits of having one in place. Let’s take a look at safe driving incentives and what they can do for truckers and trucking companies.
What is Incentivizing Safety for drivers?
Well, just as the name states, this is a bonus – typically in the form of monetary compensation – for a driver who abides by certain safety rules and is careful on and off the road. The incentive will depend on the company, as companies who offer incentives make their own and some don’t offer them at all. However, they are usually worth the extra effort.
If you are curious about your company’s safety incentive policy, then be sure to inquire about it. Everyone could use some extra cash, right?
Read Also: Safe Drivers Week
What does a typical safety incentive policy look like?
Again, this varies from company to company. Here, we will look at a sample from our very own safety incentive policy from Nova Lines. “Safety first and always” is one of our core values. We offer a very nice incentive for their drivers which serves as motivation for being safe on and off the road. Let’s take a look at what we offer.
- Clean Roadside Inspection Bonus: Nova Lines offers bonuses for receiving a clean inspection free of citations or warnings. We will give you a certain amount of money for a Level III roadside inspection, a bit more for a Level II, and then even more for passing a Level I roadside inspection without any hiccups.
- Quarterly Safety Bonuses: If a driver has two or more clean roadside inspections, or none at all, within a three month period, they will receive a safety bonus. Certain requirements including things like completing all CarriersEdge training, no preventative incidents or accidents, or no violation by any regulatory including local, state, and federal, and more. If all of the requirements are not met, the driver will not be eligible for the bonus.
Just as there are bonuses for safety, there may also be fines for any violations received during a roadside inspection. This, once again, is subject to change depending on the company you are with, but many companies will assign fines for any violations found. This is, in its own way, an incentive to abide by all safety regulations.
What are the benefits of putting a safety incentive program in place?
As we all know, safety is one of the most important parts of being a trucker. Not only maintaining safety for yourself but for others on the road with you. A safety incentive program is a way to ensure that truckers are doing everything that they can to be safe on the road. While no company can assure that every driver is doing every single thing correctly, they can do their best to motivate them to do so.
Incentivizing safety for drivers is a great way to get more drivers on the right page and doing the right thing. There are several benefits to this incentive program that we are going to take a look at.
- Incentives motivate people. Placing an incentive, especially when it is related to money, can really motivate people, in this case, truckers, to do what they are being incentivized to do. In our society, money is a motivating factor, and if everyone is expected to abide by every single safety regulation at all times, then the money is a great way to ensure that happens.
- It holds truckers accountable. Yes, having a bonus for being safe is one way to hold drivers accountable, but adding the fines for violations takes it up a level. Not only do they have the added bonus of money if they do things the correct way, but they also have the fact that they could lose money hanging over their heads. This will certainly hold them accountable and encourage them to drive safely.
- It can make a difference in the way truckers see safety. When truckers see that there is an incentive in place, not only will they take the extra steps to be cautious and careful, but they will see that there is more to it than that. It will (hopefully) encourage them to take a look at the bigger picture and understand just why driving safely is so important.
- Incentives can save a company from heavy fines. Any company that does not emphasize the importance of driver safety is on the road to some large fines. Every time a driver gets a violation, or something worse happens, the company is liable. That being said, it can result in some pretty hefty fines for the company, and no company wants to lose money.
Incentivizing safety for drivers is incredibly beneficial to everyone involved. They do not only directly affect the driver, but also a large number of other people. Incentivizing safe driving is a good way to emphasize safety regulations. The incentives should be well thought out and very direct. In the end, they can help save lives.