Tips for Finding Safe Drivers for Your Commercial Vehicles
Whether you’re a restaurant in search of delivery drivers, a trucking firm looking to expand your fleet or a start-up that is always on the move, it’s critical to find and hire safe drivers for your commercial vehicles. Hiring safe, qualified drivers can reduce the risks for employees as well as minimize your company’s liability. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), motor vehicle crashes cost employers $60 billion each year in medical care, legal expenses, property damage, and lost productivity. If your business can avoid the expense of a commercial auto accident, you could save the average costs of $74,000 for injuries and over $500,000 if a fatality occurs. To assist in protecting your business, learn how to choose safe drivers for your vehicles.
Follow a formal hiring policy
Even companies that do not have a large fleet should have a hiring policy in place to ensure drivers are properly vetted before hiring. The policy should include the company requirements, state and federal regulations, and the process of how to hire a driver correctly.
Ask relevant questions
When interviewing, ask each candidate open-ended questions about their driving history and driving habits. You can choose to ask about how they stay alert when driving long distances, how they navigate unfamiliar roads, and what they would do if they were running late. Safety should be the priority in each of these answers. In addition to asking about their traffic violations, ask what they have actively done to improve their driving skills.
Evaluate motor vehicle records
Motor Vehicle Records (MVR) provide valuable information about each candidate’s driving history. Here, you can learn more about whether they have been truthful in the interview and how responsible they are as a driver.
Establish a safety program
Hiring good drivers is the first step. As a business, it’s imperative that you regularly train and monitor your drivers to ensure that your vehicles and business are kept in safe hands. Write up a safety program that includes written procedures, crash reporting, disciplinary action, and driver communication.
Protect your business with commercial auto insurance
Even the safest of drivers get into accidents. If the worst does happen, be sure that you have a commercial auto insurance policy that you can fall back on. At CAV Insurance Agency, we work with each business to determine their individual needs and budget. Serving Wellesley, Arlington, Natick, Concord, Cambridge, and neighboring towns, contact us today on 781-237-4107 to get started.