The road transport industry includes both road passenger as well as road freight services. In Australia, it has been regarded as a national workplace health and safety priority.
This is because a lot of road accidents tend to happen due to careless driving. The fatality rate in Australia due to road accidents was 583 between 2003-2015.
Freight transport, especially, has to be handled very carefully. Not only is the safety of the drivers a top priority but also the proper delivery of the goods and items in the vehicles.
If you have a freight transport system of your own or you’re looking to partner up with one, here are a few management tips for safe transportation services.
1. Have a safety-first policy
The starting point is to check if your workplace has a safety-first culture or not. The health and safety of the workers should be the most important thing in the office as well as on-road.
If you don’t have this culture yet, try to make it happen. Involve the chief and the management personnel so that this idea is integrated down to each and every worker
Develop a “ready reckoner” that keeps updating with the near-misses, accidents, and major and minor injuries every week. It will give you helpful insights regarding how well you’re able to manage these things as compared to your previous years.
Distribute this data with the other heads so that they can discuss this with the staff and drivers. When you hire new employees, teach them this policy so that they can also get used to it easily.
2. Transport safety tools
Having a GPS tracking system can cut down on operational costs a lot. You’ll be able to monitor things like over-speeding, reckless driving, and standing idly.
With a smart tracker system, you can also check things like if the air conditioner has been kept switched on while the truck is idle or not. Mobile learning can also help to advance their knowledge. There are many useful apps that are free of cost, such as the app designed by the Western Australian government.
This particular app helps to decode dangerous goods on road transport. Using this, you can send your staff regular updates about checking points, seatbelts, and load limits.
3. Telematics to check drivers’ behaviors
If you install a telematics system in the company vehicles, it will help to keep safety a priority. If anyone is found to break the rules, they will be fined and punished accordingly.
There are many benefits of installing telematics, such as reducing the speed of the trucks, monitoring the number of hours a driver is driving to prevent fatigue and exhaustion, minimizing potential collisions, and lessening risks related to driving.
The Federal Government’s national freight data hub uses telematics to track freight carriers and the kind of goods they transport.
4. Incorporating more change
Inter-connecting trucks that are able to share data among themselves can pave the way for autonomous vehicles on the roads.
The IMOVE co-operative research center has been conducting extensive research on transport and mobility. Many researchers feel that self-driving cars are much safer than conventional ones because humans tend to cause the most accidents.
This kind of advanced technology will definitely come with its own safety protocols so you won’t have to worry about a damaged truck. Maybe in the future, these freight trucks can be electric, without the need of having parts like internal combustion engines.
5. Minimizing risks
Even though technology has made all our lives easier, it does come with its own set of problems like cyber hacking.
So your transport company can face not just accidents but legal troubles as well. Many drivers, due to the constant pressure of delivering goods, have deteriorating mental health. This is why it’s very important to keep their mental health a priority.
For example, Freight People, an Australian Freight company, takes utmost care of its workers’ mental health and satisfaction. It makes sure that every worker receives their due respect and pay and there is healthy workplace culture. Your company, too, can implement these values.
Over to you…
These five tips are useful if you want to minimize any kind of accident and make sure your transports go smoothly. If you want to collaborate with a freight transport service, Freight People is the ideal choice for you. Your business will not only flourish but will also ensure that the products are delivered safely.
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