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How Reed Hurst Trucking Transformed Safety Training

How Reed Hurst Trucking Transformed Safety Training

Vertical Alliance Group hosts monthly webinars featuring clients who have made significant improvements in safety, compliance, and cost-saving by fully utilizing their Infinit-I Workforce System. The following is a synopsis of an interview with Pat Bode, Director of Safety & Driver Recruitment from Reed Hurst Trucking, Inc. Pat shares how Reed Hurst Trucking transitioned to using online training, how that change has positively impacted their company, and success tips for other Infinit-I clients.

Tina: I am so pleased to interview Pat at Reed Hurst Trucking. Over the last five years, Reed Hurst Trucking has used the Infinit-I Workforce System and integrated it into their safety training program. The Infinit-I Workforce System has more than 800 training videos specific to the trucking industry and HR-specific topics. My first question for Pat is, “Can you share with us just a little bit about your fleet and Reed Hurst Trucking? How many drivers do you guys have?”

Pat: We are a specialized hazmat carrier. We specialize in cryogenics: liquid CO2, liquid natural gas, oxygen, and helium. We have four locations. Our corporate office is in Pocatello, Idaho. We have locations in Utah as well as Cheyenne, Wyoming; Cortez, Colorado; and unmanned satellites in Texas and North Carolina.

We average about 70 to 75 drivers. We’re looking at growing here in the next six months to over 100 drivers. But for the last several years we’ve been averaging right about 70 drivers. About 95% of our company is company drivers. Maybe four drivers are owner-operators. A couple of them outright own their trucks and we a couple are leasing trucks from us.

Tina: Do you require those owner-operators to do the same training that you expect your company drivers to do?

Pat: They’re operating under our DOT authority, so yes. They are required to attend and do all safety training just as a company driver would.

Tina: We talked about your company, what about you?

Pat: I’ve been in transportation over 20 years. Most of those years, I’ve had my hand in some aspect of safety. So, I’ve always believed safety and operations can work together. And that’s how I’ve operated over the last 20 years.

I’m the only guy in our safety “department.” Vertical Alliance is a key part of that working. Their customer service reps are great. I make a single phone call or send an email. I get the information I need, usually within minutes or at worst an hour or two. My rep is always calling saying, “Hey, what do you need me to do?” So, the customer service people have taken a lot off my shoulders in helping manage the program. For those who are already using the system, rely more on your customer service representative.

Tina: So, you’re using the Infinit-I Workforce System, and you rely on your Customer Service Rep. Our reps are there to do a lot of the heavy lifting for you. They want to help you manage your program. We always want our clients to reach out to their reps. 

Pat: Definitely. When I first started, they were helping me by answering all my questions. And after a couple of months, I started relying on them more and more. They never say no. They’re always willing to go that extra mile and make sure I have what I want.

Tina: You’ve built an awesome online training program over the last several years, can you walk us through what your training program looked like before you went online?

Pat: Our training program was more of an orientation with the terminal manager. We had quarterly safety meetings, trying to get any required training in. The problem was operations, that’s how we make our money. So, we couldn’t tell the customer “no” and have everybody in the safety meeting. And, we weren’t hitting everybody. And we had to fly people in from the satellite locations. It was a hit or miss process, and it was almost impossible to make sure that everybody had all the required training.

Tina: So, when you started looking for an online training platform, what was your biggest concern?

Pat: Making sure we had the right content and that we were 100% compliant with everybody throughout the company. Compliance was a big concern. What I liked about Vertical Alliance is that they said, “Hey, here are some of our customers. Give them a call and ask them yourself what they think.” That sealed the deal for me.

Tina: You guys do a great job with training. You put a portion of your orientation online, and every driver now goes through that portion of their orientation online. How long was your orientation before that, and how much time is your in-person orientation now? 

Pat: Our orientation was running about four and a half days before we could get the driver out in a truck and earning money. Now, while they’re waiting for the results of their drug test, I set them up in Infinit-I for the online training. So now my orientation time is down to about two days. In person, we’re still doing all the DOT file and company policies. And, we go out and teach the Smith System, driving around town for the rest of the afternoon. It’s just the stuff you can’t put online. This system gets them in the truck and earning money a lot faster.

Tina: How have your drivers, your new hires, reacted to taking a portion of the training online?

Pat: A lot of them like it. They’re feeling like they’re getting an exclusive deal. They’re making money sooner. They’re all for that. The faster they can start making an income, that’s what makes them happy.

We don’t pay our new hires for the time they spend in online training before the in-person orientation. It’s a legal issue. They’re not official employees yet. So, that’s helped reduce some of our orientation costs. The benefit to the driver is that, instead of sitting in an orientation in our office getting minimal pay, they get in a truck where they’re making good money faster. The driver gets to get in a truck fast and support their family.

Tina: What do you do for drivers that are not familiar with technology or who do not have a computer? 

Pat: Occasionally, yes, we run into that. Some do it at the library. Some sit at a computer in our office. Worst case, we let them know they have to do all the training when they come in.

Tina: I know you’re going through a lengthy review process right now on policies and procedures. Can you walk us through how you’re deciding which policies need to be reviewed and what that process is?

Pat: I’m reviewing all our current policies. One of our challenges is getting policy changes out to all our drivers and making sure to send a list out to the terminal manager. You need to have them sign off that they’ve read and understood the policy. It’s been a two or three-month process. 

Now, we’re putting all our policies onto Infinit-I. We send an email out to everybody saying, “Hey, you got a quick safety memo, please read through it and acknowledge that you’ve read it.

We have a record of their name, date, and signature certifying that they are who they are and answering a couple of questions for the knowledge base. It can be pulled up at any time by any of the administrators. It takes a week, not three months.

Tina: You do a lot of custom training. A few years ago, you did training designed to teach your drivers about different technologies in the cab. Can you explain how you came up with the idea to create the training video, what equipment you used, and how the training was viewed by the drivers? Was it beneficial? What was your ultimate feedback?

Pat: I have a video blog that I call “The Safety Corner.” I use a little GoPro camera and my phone video camera. We’ve been running Omnitracs or old Qualcomm since 2012. We’ve been on electronic logs. But a lot of drivers were having problems with navigating a GPS. I just walked people through how I would do it as if I were talking to them on a one-to-basis. My customer service rep got it uploaded to our online system. And, I assigned it to our drivers.

As a safety department of one, I don’t have time to make videos. With Infinit-I, it’s a good mixture. The drivers like the custom content. It’s not a video that they’ve seen over and over. Doesn’t matter what company the driver goes to, he’s going to watch the same video because we all have similar videos. But the custom content is a good way to break up the monotony. Especially when it’s personalized to exactly what they’re doing.

My drivers are acutely aware that every month they’re going to need to log in and take 15 to 30 minutes of training. We tie that into our quarterly safety performance bonus. Drivers must have 95% of their safety training done to receive their bonus. 

Tina: So, do you think that safety bonus has helped you with the driver adoption of the online training? 

Pat: Not really. I have a great group of guys and gals who are all very safety conscious. If I don’t have monthly training up on time, I get drivers calling saying, “Hey, you putting training up this month? What’s going on? Why are you slacking?” So, the drivers enjoy it. To be eligible for their quarterly bonus, they must have 95% of the training done.

If they’re more than four months past due, we may have the driver come into a terminal and may redispatch their load. They lose money. They start out with three percent of their gross for the quarter. Any incident, damage, a performance issue goes to a quarterly review board. A driver’s bonus may be reduced. 

Tina: You don’t just use the system for your drivers. You also train your maintenance department. Why did you decide to do that? How do you decide what your maintenance team is going to be trained on? 

Pat: We started realizing that maintenance guys are always there. So, we have our maintenance guys do quarterly training. We bring all the required training, lock out, tag out, fall protection, hazmat, Osha power tools, tire inspections. All that’s online, and it helps us keep all our training documented in one central spot.

Tina: Is there anybody else at Reed Hurst, besides the drivers and the mechanics, who take the training online?

Pat: Yeah, the dispatchers. We require our dispatchers to do the same training that drivers do. That’s important for me because they need to understand how the driver’s being trained. What’s kind of unique with us is my CEO, CFO, and COO are listed as drivers, and they get all the driver training. And, they have to get it completed, or I call them to harass them about it. It’s actually kind of funny because the drivers know Billy Hurst, our CEO, is doing his training. And I’ll get phone calls occasionally, “Hey did I get mine done before Billy got his done? Senior management wasn’t going to ask our drivers to do something that they weren’t doing, and they stuck with it. 

Tina: That’s how you build a strong safety culture. So, you talked a little bit about monthly training. How do you decide what you’re going to assign on a monthly basis? How frequently do you decide what you’re going to train? Is it done at the beginning of the year? Do you do it on a month to month? And how do you pick those topics?

Pat: I do it month to month. I analyze if there are issues that we’ve had over the last couple of months that we need to have training on. Our 72-hour road and brake check are usually in September. There are seasonal issues, like winter weather driving and jack-knifing. GHS. First aid. 

Tina: You haul hazardous materials. You sue some of our Infinit-I hazmat training, you use some custom hazmat training. Can you walk us through how your drivers have responded to taking their hazmat training online? Walk us through a little bit about the custom pieces that you’ve put up and kind of how you do the online hazmat training.

Pat: We use Infinit-I online hazmat as well as training specific to our industry and to the products that they’re are hauling, whether it’s CO2, LNG, and so forth. They get it live with their trainer, and we follow up with videos. After, they get a level one inspection; we get a write up on that level one. As a follow-up training for a particular driver, I may specifically assign some CSA videos if they’re not good at maintenance or pre-trip inspections.

Tina: How do you manage the program? Do you monitor to ensure your drivers are completing their assigned training?

Pat: I monitor it usually on a weekly basis. Some reports are set up to automatically come to me. Our HR manager will run a report every payroll to see who has completed their required training for that month so that they can get paid for the appropriate payroll period as well.

Tina: You talked about corrective action training. Can you walk us through how you do online training and in-person meetings when your drivers get any violation?

Pat: Immediate retraining is usually an assigned video. And then, depending on the violation, the terminal manager may have a phone conversation or bring them in. Depending on the severity, we have corrective action steps which may include follow-up meetings as well as additional training. With Vertical Alliance, it’s all right there in that same neat package. So, we have documented, in the system, re-training and any corrective action training as well as any documentation a terminal manager made. 

Tina: How do you think the online training portion has impacted your company’s safety program? 

Pat: It has impacted our safety immensely. Six years ago, I would have cringed it you told me we had an audit. Now, I know I’m fully in compliance. I can prove I do continuous safety training and corrective action training. A couple of years ago, I had a driver that had a blowout. By the time we got him back to the terminal, he says, “I just watched that video and I did exactly what it told me to do.”

Tina:  If somebody is a safety director who’s just started with the Infinit-I Workforce System or they’re contemplating using online training of any type at their company, what’s the best piece of advice you’d give them about how to get started with it?

Pat: Just pull the trigger. It’s something that I think every good safety program needs to have. When I was doing my research, all the other programs were canned programs. They strictly used their information; you couldn’t add anything to it. With Vertical Alliance, I can put up my videos and make my custom content. It’s the same price range as these other programs. That was a no-brainer for me. If you’re looking at this as an option to improve your safety department, I can tell you, in my opinion, that you will see benefits within the first year. So definitely do it.

Tina: Do you have advice on how you got the owners to “buy in”?

Pat: I showed them where we were in compliance, what it would take for me to get everybody in compliance without online training. Safety affects the bottom line, but it’s hidden. Depending on your fleet size, if you can prevent one accident that saves you $5,000, that pays for a good portion or all of the Infinit-I annual fee.

Tina:  As a client, you’ve attended our Engage Evaluation Program. It was called Bootcamp back then. What was your biggest takeaway from attending that event? 

Pat: It showed me how to use the system in some ways that I wasn’t using it or hadn’t even thought of using it. I’d recommend it. You walk away with new ideas. I learned from other clients. The networking and seeing what’s working for another company, or what’s not working, was a benefit. That was the biggest thing. 

Tina: Awesome! Yes, we realized that our clients needed more in-depth training and ideas. That’s why we’re doing these webinars. And, once a month, we do an all-day client-only event. It runs from 8 until 2 or 3. We teach you how to use some of the “hidden features” and jewels of this system. There are things that clients didn’t know the system could do.

Not yet a client of Infinit-I Workforce? Join us at our next 2-day Engage Event

We would like to show you the benefits of online training and ensure it is right for you, I encourage you to come out to our next two-day event. We know that you’re still learning about how to build your training program. We’ll teach you how to use the Infinit-I Workforce system. And, we also teach you some of the nuts and bolts of building an online safety program and creating custom training.

If you’re interested in attending an event, sign up for our next Safety Boot Camp.

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4 Tips to Improve Heavy Truck Fuel Economy

Tips for Heavy Truck Fuel Economy

What Does Fuel Economy Mean for Transportation Companies?

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “fuel economy”? Words like profitability, safety, and improved driver experience should be at the top of the list.

Transportation companies and commercial carriers have seen a large push toward fuel efficiency as government regulations continue to be implemented. Many companies, in an effort to navigate fuel cost increases, have implemented certain practices meant to improve profit margins.

Why Focus on Fuel Economy?

There are several benefits to operating a fuel-efficient fleet. At the top of this list is profitability. Fuel is one of the highest operating costs for any transportation company, so organizations of all sizes benefit from a focus on fuel efficiency and economy.

Regained time is another benefit. Implementing and following fuel-efficient best practices can lead to fewer stops, meaning drivers reach their destinations with better time.

In today’s environmentally conscious society, people tend to have a better view of companies that commit to the wise use of resources such as fuel. Consumers are more aware of the processes for supply chain and deliveries, so creating a positive consumer perception of your actions is good for your company’s bottom line.

Fuel efficiency and economy also leads to safer driving. Many of the best practices for fuel-efficient driving have to do with how the driver handles their vehicle. Fuel-efficient driving means following safer techniques on the road.

4 Tips for a Fuel-Efficient Fleet

Even if you have the most fuel-efficient trucks, it takes skill and knowledge to operate a fleet at maximum efficiency. This knowledge starts with best practice tips to help your fleet with better fuel economy.

Don’t Sit Idle

Idling happens at times for comfort, safety, or maintaining optimal fuel temperatures in harsh weather conditions. The problem comes in when long-haul trucks remain idle overnight. This can consume more than 838 million gallons of fuel according to a study from Argonne National Laboratory.

This equals up to approximately $3 billion worth of diesel fuel and gasoline lost each year by medium and heavy trucks combined! There are multiple valid reasons for idling, but there are solutions that can save time and money companies can enact to lessen this practice.

Watch Weather Conditions

Weather is something no one can control, but drivers need to track weather conditions to know what they might run up against. For instance, winter weather conditions are notorious for negative effects on vehicle fuel economy.

Aerodynamic drag increases by 2% for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit dropped in a large truck. This drag makes it more difficult for a driver to operate their vehicle efficiently and wastes more fuel. Preparing drivers for adverse weather and best practices in these conditions will help drivers overcome weather-related effects as much as possible.

Ongoing Employee Training

Highly-skilled drivers can produce up to 35% better miles-per-gallon performance than less trained drivers based on information from ATA’s Technology & Maintenance Council. All your drivers should receive consistent training to keep everyone on the same track. This includes training on safety, driver best practices, and fuel efficiency.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has conducted several studies that show driver training programs that include fuel efficiency improved fleet fuel economy by 5% to 10%. Infinit-I Workforce Solutions has training modules on all your training needs, including fuel efficiency.

Incentivize Fuel Efficiency

Driver incentives are useful tools to implement behavioral changes toward fuel efficiency. Maintaining a culture of safety is the most important thing a commercial carrier can do, and adding a focus on fuel economy further upholds this standard of safety.

Incentives keep your employees interested in participating in the safety process. Incentives also assist in making behavioral changes while keeping up employee morale. If you have the right motivating incentives in place, you can increase performance by 25% to 44%.

You can use incentives to promote safety programs. Consider using these incentives to reward drivers who show a dedication to improving fuel efficiency, safety standards, or other goals that can help increase your profitability and performance.

Make Training Cost Efficient and Easy

To get the best results from your safety and performance training, you need a cost-efficient program that’s easy for everyone to participate in. Infinit-I Workforce Solutions has the tools you need to meet these needs.

With our learning management system, you can set up all your orientation, ongoing, and corrective action training assignments easily, and the system will take care of assignment notifications. You can track progress to ensure drivers are getting the information they need to increase performance and safety. Your drivers can access the training assignments from any device with an internet connection, so you don’t have to worry about disrupting schedules.

Click the following link for more information on Infinit-I’s fuel efficiency.

You can schedule a free demo to see for yourself how easy the Infinit-I system is to use.

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New DOT Reasonable Suspicion Training Video on Semi-Synthetic Opioids Now Available

DOT adds semi-synthetic opioids to drug testing panel

Vertical Alliance Group, Inc. is committed to ensuring you have access to new training videos on a monthly basis. This month we added three training videos for use on the Infinit-I Workforce System.

Request Catalog

The first video provides training on the DOT’s final rule that expanded the DOT drug testing panel to include four semi-synthetic opioids.

Education/Training: Semi-Synthetic Opioids
Length: 05:45
This video discusses semi-synthetic opioid drug testing: why it’s happening, how it’s performed, and what you should be prepared for.
Section:  Drug and Alcohol
Module: Drug and Alcohol Training – Section 4 – Education and Training

The additional videos are Spanish translations of videos already available in English on the Infinit-I Workforce System.

7 Deadly Errors – 7 Errores Mortales
Length: 06:39
Este video trata sobre los 7 principales errores mortales que los autos frente a vehículos grandes. También brinda consejos que los conductores de vehículos grandes pueden usar para evitar estos errores mortales..
Section: New Spanish
Module: 7 Deadly Errors – 7 Errores Mortales

CSA Speeding – Exceso de velocidad
Length: 04:51
Este video es un recordatorio corto de CSA sobre las diversas infracciones de exceso de velocidad.
Section: New Spanish
Module: CSA Speeding – Exceso de velocidad

Please call your Client Service Representative at 877-792-3866, ext. 300, if you have any questions.

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Boundary Invasion Training for Staff Now Available

baoundary invasion schools staff training

Vertical Alliance Group is committed to ensuring you have access to new training videos on a monthly basis. This month we have released one new training video for use on the Infinit-I Workforce System.

Boundary InvasionRequest Catalog
Length: 05:58
This video discusses the definition of boundary invasion and the proper procedures staff should practice to protect children from inappropriate conduct by adults.
Section: Schools
Module: Boundary Invasion

Please call your Client Service Representative at 877-792-3866, ext. 400, if you have any questions.

 

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How to Plug 3 Holes Causing Stress in Your Truck Driver Safety Program

Plug Holes in Truck Driver Safety Program

Holes in Your Truck Driver Safety Program

If training is causing you stress, chances are there are holes in your truck driver safety program that are costing you lots of money and time that could be put to better use in other areas of your company. For your training program to be effective you need to be able to coordinate drivers, properly document training, and streamline your orientation process.

If these areas are a struggle, you can get an easy fix. With the right tools, you can take a more strategic approach to training and better allocate your resources. Before you take that strategic approach, you need to better understand the holes that are causing you stress.

Hole #1: Coordinating Drivers for Safety Meetings

If you’re still spending time trying to coordinate your truck driver safety program with old fashioned techniques that require gathering your drivers in one place, you are throwing away the resources available to you. Industry studies show that 40% to 65% of your drivers are not attending these types of safety meetings.

With this method, by default, your unknowingly allowing complacency to take hold in your company. You’ve probably heard the old industry saying:

“Rookies bump into stuff, it takes years of experience to be involved in the catastrophic crashes.”

In other words, your rookie drivers are fresh on their safety training and still have some fear of the equipment that makes them careful. Over time they learn by experience how much they can get away with to cut corners, and complacency begins to take over.

When complacency takes over, your CSA scores take a hit which can kill your business. That’s why your initial and ongoing training is crucial for all your drivers to participate in. The good news is, it’s not only possible to make this happen, it’s also easy with the Infinit-I Workforce Solutions platform.

Hole #2: Properly Documenting Training & Communication

There is always the possibility of ending up in court because of an accident. If this happens, you must be able to prove your drivers received and understood training to protect your company. You also need to prove that every memo, letter, policy, procedure, or other important company information was received and read by all employees.

The golden rule in training is:

“If it’s not signed; if it’s not dated; if it’s not in writing; if you can’t find it… it did NOT happen.”

The Infinit-I Workforce system can help you ensure you are following the Golden Rule in training. The platform will help you keep track of all necessary documentation and communication, saving your company from costly punitive damages in court.

Hole #3: Spending too Much Money on Orientation

If your company looks anything like the rest of the industry, you’re probably on a regular search for new drivers. This means you’re not only spending a lot of time and money on orientation, you’re also losing money with every hour the drivers sit in your facility completing their training.

There is an easier and faster way to complete orientation training to get your new drivers on the road quicker without taking away from your truck driver safety program. We all know you can’t make money if your drivers aren’t on the road.

Infinit-I Workforce Solutions has helped hundreds of trucking companies create customized online orientation to get their new drivers prepared and on the road faster.

Stop Patching Your Training Holes and Fix Them for Good

While some holes in your business need a lot of work to repair, the holes in your truck driver safety program are easy to fix with Infinit-I Workforce Solutions. Our online learning management system allows you to maintain orientation, ongoing, and corrective action training to fit your company needs.

Chances are you’re not doing everything you can with your safety training, and the things you are doing manually are creating too much stress. With Infinit-I, you can optimize your training, decrease your workload, increase your profits, improve your CSA scores, and fix the holes that can keep you up at night.

Request a demo to walk through the system with one of our experts who can show you exactly how you can deal with your training issues with little effort on your part.

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Active Shooter Emergency Action Planning Training Added to Infinit-I Workforce System

active shooter emergency preparedness training

Vertical Alliance Group, Inc. is committed to ensuring you have access to new training videos on a monthly basis. This month we added one HR training video for use on the Infinit-I Workforce System.

Request HR Catalog for Online Training

Active Shooter – Emergency Action Planning
Length: 1:36:24
This video discusses how to mitigate active shooter threats through the creation of an active shooter preparedness plan for your organization.
Section: Human Resources – Infinit-I
Module: Active Shooter – Emergency Action Planning

Please call your Client Service Representative at 877-792-3866, ext. 300, if you have any questions.

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Online CIPA Training & Active Shooter Training for Schools Now Available on Infinit-I

CIPA Training for School Districts Online

Vertical Alliance Group is committed to ensuring you have access to new training videos on a monthly basis. This month we have released eleven new training videos for use on the Infinit-I Workforce System.

Compliance with CIPARequest Catalog for School Training
Length: 03:25
This video discusses the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). It discusses who CIPA covers, what CIPA requires, and details the requirements of an Internet Safety Policy.
Section: Schools
Module: Compliance with CIPA

Balancing First Amendment Rights When School Staff Go Viral
Length:54:46
A member of your faculty or staff posts a seemingly innocuous online expression, and all of a sudden you have a PR nightmare on your hands when the community finds out about it. Balancing your school district’s efficacy against the First Amendment Rights of faculty and staff in the age of social media doesn’t have to be a daunting task.
Section: Safe Pupil Best Practice Webinars
Module: Balancing First Amendment Rights When School Staff Go Viral.

Surviving a Terrorist or Active Shooter Attack in School
Length: 47:11
Schools are one of the safest places in America, but they are not void of violent incidents. Is your school district prepared to keep everyone safe should a terroristic threat arise in your district? Learn the keys to surviving a terrorist assault and minimizing casualties and how to plan and train to facilitate early recognition of violent threats.
Section: Safe Pupil Best Practice Webinars
Module: Surviving a Terrorist or Active Shooter Attack in School

A. Introduction (Active Shooter)
Length: 03:08
This video reviews the areas to be covered in this series with a focus on learning how to survive and minimize casualties.
Section: Schools
Module: Surviving a Terrorist or Active Shooter Attack in School

B. Trends and History Lessons (Active Shooter)
Length: 09:36
This video looks back at significant active shooter incidents in the United States and what can be learned for the future.
Section: Schools
Module: Surviving a Terrorist or Active Shooter Attack in School

C. Terrorist Attack on a School
Length: 06:10
In this video, Steven Haynes describes what a terrorist attack on a school might look like.
Section: Schools
Module: Surviving a Terrorist or Active Shooter Attack in School

D. How We Respond to Danger (Active Shooter)
Length: 04:20
This video looks at how individuals react in a potentially life-threatening situation.
Section: Schools
Module: Surviving a Terrorist or Active Shooter Attack in School

E. Security Measures (Active Shooter)
Length: 02:50
This video looks at layered security measures as a best practice for securing your campus.
Section: Schools
Module: Surviving a Terrorist or Active Shooter Attack in School

F. Essential Course of Action (Active Shooter)
Length: 06:00
This video discusses the information that must be quickly reported to authorities in the event of an incident; the actions those on the scene must take while law enforcement is still trying to get on the scene; an explanation of law enforcement’s priorities once they arrive.
Section: Schools
Module: Surviving a Terrorist or Active Shooter Attack in School

G. Resources and Training (Active Shooter)
Length: 03:10
This video reviews the Homeland Security suggestions for an active shooter situation and additional training available from that department.
Section: Schools
Module: Surviving a Terrorist or Active Shooter Attack in School

H. Questions (Active Shooter)
Length: 13:30
This video is a compilation of questions and answers asked during a webinar on Active Shooters in the school.
Section: Schools
Module: Surviving a Terrorist or Active Shooter Attack in School

Please call your Client Service Representative at 877-792-3866, ext. 400, if you have any questions.

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Winter Weather Readiness Tips for Truck Drivers

WINTER WEATHER READINESS TIPS FOR TRUCK DRIVERS

“I like the cold weather. It means you get work done.”
– Noam Chomsky

Trucking is an industry where the work always gets done, no matter the challenges – and there are many challenges. Staying on top of new legislation and regulation, monitoring new technologies and their benefits, and creating a company culture that attracts the best talent at all levels are just of few of the things leaders in transportation know to expect and can manage. Winter weather, however, is a factor teams can prepare for, but no one can control.

Safety and Winter Weather Conditions

Creating, implementing and maintaining a culture of safety is a pivotal core value for any transportation company. Employee training focused on the best practices for driving in winter weather conditions is an important part of that culture. Incidents of weather-related accidents involving large trucks increased greatly between 2012 and 2014, causing many leaders to reevaluate how to make the roads safer for everyone.

North America has experienced numerous severe weather events since the beginning of this year, including new record-cold days and even the first snow in 28 years in Tallahassee, FL! The cold weather continues and with it, a need to focus on cold weather preparedness for truck drivers.

Below are tips to keep drivers safe in extreme weather conditions.

Winter Weather Tips for Truck Drivers

  • Check weather apps and sign up for alerts

    Traveling long distances is a literal “day at the office” for truck drivers. Weather conditions can change dramatically over great distances. Starting with the end in mind is perfect for these occasions, as a trip can originate in mild temperatures but end in harsh winter weather. By planning ahead, drivers can choose better routes and determine the best locations to refuel and rest.

  • Perform pre-trip inspections

    Preparation is the key to success. Performing a pre-trip inspection is a vital best practice for truck drivers. When the practice becomes second nature it can be tempting to forego, but the routine is an essential safety step for every trip.

  • Treat traffic with care

    Wintry weather is a challenge for everyone on the road; truck drivers must exercise additional caution navigating slick road conditions. Maintaining a safe following distance is always important, but in winter weather it is paramount. Also, following traffic signs, like detours, ensures trucks are traveling along the best paths for the conditions.

  • Stay on track

    Traction is necessary to keep drivers moving forward safely. Patience and extra caution must be exhibited to start, accelerate and stop on wet or icy surfaces. Drivers have to be willing to travel at much slower speeds, to ensure better traction.

  • Keep windows clear and maintain a watchful eye

    There are various steps that can improve driver visibility in extreme weather conditions. Keeping all windows, mirrors and reflectors cleared of snow, ice or excessive dirt is essential, as is making sure all lights are working. Again, the pre-trip inspection is vital to this process. Use the cabin’s AC to keep windows defrosted and maintain a safe temperature, protecting both driver and fuel. And while navigating icy roads, especially on bridges and overpasses, remember to watch for snow drifts, which could have small vehicles or structures underneath.

To obtain more tips from industry experts and prepare a truly world-class fleet, click here to learn more about the Infinit-I Workforce System for Trucking.

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Vertical Alliance Group Hosts 4 New Free Webinars

Trucking companies are not immune to the safety, HR, and OSHA training and legal challenges businesses across America will face in 2018. With that in mind, Vertical Alliance Group, Inc. has announced four new webinars they are hosting in the first quarter of the year.

Each webinar is free to attend and is designed to provide trucking executives with up-to-date information, strategies, and best practice tips to empower employee safety and productivity in 2018.

“Vertical Alliance Group is always looking for opportunities to provide educational resources to trucking companies over and above the resources available on the Infinit-I Workforce System. Each month we host webinars on topics requested by trucking executives looking to improve their safety program,” said Tina Bell, Marketing Manager for Vertical Alliance Group. “Our first quarter webinar series is focused on helping companies build a strong safety culture, while properly coaching employees who may need additional behavioral awareness training. We have partnered with some of the industry’s leading safety professionals and attorneys to create this dynamic series.”

The four webinars currently scheduled for the first quarter are listed below.

1. How to Build a Strong Safety Culture That Saves Time & Reduces Accidents
Presenter: Patrick Bode, Director of Safety and Driver Recruitment at Reed Hurst Trucking
Date: January 23, 2018 | 10:00 AM CST
Register Here

2. How to Prepare for the Top OSHA Compliance Challenges in 2018
Presenter: Adele Abrams, Esq., CMSP, Firm President of the Law Office of Adele L. Abrams P.C.
Date: January 31, 2018 | 10:00 AM CST
Register Here

3. How to Get Safety Ideas Out of the Boardroom & Implemented Into Your Culture
Presenter: Brian Fielkow, CEO of Jetco Delivery, LLC.
Date: February 15, 2018 | 10:00 AM CST
Register Here

4. How to Counsel, Review, & Handle Difficult Employees in the Workplace
Presenters: Marie Trimble Holvick and Sara Moore, attorneys at Gordon & Rees
Date: March 20, 2018 | 10:00 AM CST
Register Here

Vertical Alliance Group will announce additional webinar speakers for the “Best Practices in Transportation” webinar series later this year.  You can always find the latest webinar schedule on our website by clicking here.

Since 1999, Vertical Alliance Group, Inc. has been the leading provider of innovative business software solutions for the trucking industry. Their premier product, the Infinit-I Workforce System is designed to help trucking companies empower their profits and safety with a proven online driver training program. The fully customizable training and communication platform features over 800 training videos covering topics like safety, CSA, harassment, fuel efficiency, human resource compliance, and business training.

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RS Concrete Attends Engage Evaluation Program

RS CONCRETE ATTENDS ENGAGE EVALUATION PROGRAM

This month we welcomed 13 trucking companies to the Vertical Alliance Training Campus in Irving, Texas, where we taught them how to maximize online training and build a strong safety culture. Two of the people who joined us were Irma Salinas and David Caudillo, both of whom work for RS Concrete in Houston, TX. During the event, Irma and David sat down with us and shared why they were glad they had taken advantage of the opportunity to attend.

What RS Concrete Learned at the Engage Evaluation Program

Question: Tell Us a Little Bit About Your Company
We are a family-owned business for concrete manufacturing. We deliver all ready mix concrete. We’ve been in business since 1992 are are the largest family-owned concrete business in Houston. Owned by a Hispanic actually and the body that’s us

Question: Why did you decide to come to the Engage Evaluation Program?

Our insurance agent, Kimberly, is the one that put us on to checking it out. She got one of the sales rep down to Houston, and we had a meeting there. We liked the program and think it fits our company just because of the hours that our drivers work. That’s why we made it over here.

Question: What are two things you learned at the event?

How important safety meetings, trainings, and orientations are for our drivers. And how we can actually implement them and make drivers interested in them … once they’re hired and before they’re hired. And how quick and easy the meetings can be.

Question: If one of your colleagues was thinking about coming to this event, what are two reasons you would give them for coming?

They should come once because everybody here, and this company, knows exactly what they’re talking about. They’re very knowledgeable. What they’re saying the product they’re selling, their expertise is awesome. The people they bring in here know exactly what they’re talking about, exactly what companies need in order for them to get their job done for their companies

Question: What did you learn during the event that may change your current training program?

Document. How important is it for you to have everything documented and in place in the event a tragic event, or any little bumper-to-bumper happens. You know, it’s just how important it is to have it signed and to document.

 

About the Engage Evaluation Program

Our Engage Evaluation Programs are free, two-day, hands-on classes designed specifically to teach you how implement online training. The event is the fastest way for you to discover what your training program should look like, all while networking with like-minded industry professionals. You’ll learn how easy it is to reduce your liabilities, establish a culture of safety and excellence in your company, and empower your employees.

Click Here to learn more and reserve your seat to our next event.

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