Ensuring road safety is the responsibility of everyone using the roads, from trucks and trailers to pedestrians. As trucks are widely used for transport throughout Canada and with the US being Canada's largest trading partner, Toronto, Ontario, or for that matter Montreal trucking companies must implement adequate safety measures to prevent their trucks from getting involved in road accidents. According to statistics, "Between 2016 and 2020, 1,881 fatal collisions involving commercial vehicles (including trucks) occurred across the country." Apart from fatalities, truck owners must face financial repercussions in the form of penalties, claim payouts, costly repairs, increased insurance premiums, fines for delayed deliveries, and so on.
Measures for Ensuring Transportation Security
When customers pay shipping freight charges, all FTL and LTL transport companies consider it their responsibility to ensure that the shipment is not damaged or lost and is delivered to the right address. However, a reliable and trustworthy trucking company in Canada would go one step ahead by taking concrete steps to reduce the risk of accidents and injuries and thereby protect the lives of its truck drivers and that of others.
Here is a look at the measures adopted by responsible trucking companies in Toronto and around Canada to ensure transportation security when trucking in Toronto, Canada, or the US:
- Responsible Driving
Encouraging drivers to be constantly on the lookout for potential hazards as well as changes in road conditions, check blind spots when changing lanes, take wide turns carefully, wear seat belts, drive at a safe speed, avoid using mobile phones, slow down when there are visibility issues while taking turns or curves, maintain proper stopping distance, always give signals, and so on.
- Stay Focussed
Driving is a great responsibility and therefore drivers must avoid things that distract them and compel them to take their eyes off the road and hands off the steering wheel like having food, sending messages, staring at billboards, feeling sleepy due to tiredness or sickness, and so on.
- Make Vehicle Inspections Mandatory
Doing maintenance of the trucks before and after each trip helps in ensuring vehicle fitness.
- Allow Proper Rest and Breaks
Ensuring that the drivers take proper rest and break not only while driving but also in between shifts.
- Use Digital Solutions
Using solutions such as GPS tracking, cameras, etc, not only to provide help to the drivers during breakdowns or other emergencies but also to track the speed of the vehicle.
- Avoid Overloading
Overloading affects not only the stability of the vehicle but also the driver's control over the vehicle. Besides, it puts great stress on the whole suspension system, brakes, and tyres.
