Leading safety management system that brings current industry news that your company to use to stay updated & informed in todays fast pace world.
Vertical Alliance Group was a sponsor of the 77th Annual Alabama Trucking Association's Convention and Meeting held recently at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Destin, Florida.
Vertical Alliance Group's premier online training solution, Infinit-I Workforce System, is part of the ATA's preferred partner program.
Learn more about how an ATA membership can save you 10% on your Infinit-I Workforce System.
A school bus fire happened yesterday in Massachusetts. No students were on board the bus at the time of the fire. The cause of the school bus fire is under investigation. While school bus fires are not an everyday occurrence, it is important that you train your bus drivers (and students) on fire safety and prevention on the school bus.
Ongoing training is the preferred way to do this to ensure bus drivers always have fire safety at the top of their mind. Bus drivers should also receive safety training on how to use a fire extinguisher, how to check to fire extinguisher is properly installed on their bus, and other fire safety and prevention tips.
The Infinit-i Workforce System provides an easy way to ensure your school bus drivers are properly trained on what to do in the event of a fire on their bus. Schedule a demo today.
Another class of attendees has graduated from the Infinit-I Engage Evaluation Program. Safety directors and owners of trucking companies from across the U.S. came to Fort Worth, Texas on May 19th and 20th to learn about how online training could benefit their companies.
In addition to spending 2 days learning a lot of great materials, they also had the opportunity to watch a cattle drive and take advantage of networking opportunities over delicious food and drinks.
Interested in learning more about this two day event? Explore our event website or call us at 866-775-4669, ext. 103.
Our May 2015 Infinit-I Engage Evaluation Program was well attended by trucking companies from coast-to-coast who came to the Wildcatter Ranch in Graham, TX to learn more about the pros and cons of implementing online training into their business. This three day event is our Infinit-I Engage Evaluation Program.
In addition to classroom training and delicious meals, attendees also got to participate in skeet shooting, horseshoe contests, and horseback riding. These additional events only happen at the Wildcatter Ranch events. Take a moment and watch our video slideshow of some of the highlights from the 3 day trucking event. Then, reserve your seat to one of our next events. There is no cost to attend the event.
A school bus driver is receiving partial blame for three teens stealing a school bus in Nashville, TN. “Metro police are working to find the three teens who allegedly stole a school bus and then crashed it.
The suspects took the bus from Pearl Cohn High School on April 25. Surveillance video from inside the bus shows the teens cat-calling women, taking pictures and falling over. Metro police said two of the teens drove the bus, and one of them struck a utility pole, damaging the front passenger door.
The teens abandoned the bus around midnight near the intersection of 21st Avenue North and Meharry Boulevard. Metro Schools said the bus driver may be partially to blame. The activity bus is used for sports and field trips. Whoever drove it last left the doors unlocked and the keys inside.”
Are your full and part time school bus drivers properly trained on a continual basis about the policy and procedures your district uses?
Schedule a demo and learn more about how the Infinit-I Workforce System makes continual education an easy part of your student transportation department’s training. Read News Story
School bus driver called hero after safely evacuating students when bus catches on fire. School officials are praising the actions of the bus driver, whom they are calling a hero in Orange County, FL. Several dozen students had to be rushed from the bus before fire gutted it from bumper to bumper, eating up the padding and exposing the steel.
Are your drivers properly trained in what to do if a fire happens on their bus?
Fire safety training is one of the many video trainings available o
Ask any professional safety leaders the question, “How do you produce results with your drivers?” and you’ll get back a litany of responses. Top safety professionals train drivers regularly; they motivate; they terminate; they regulate.
Then ask, “What is the key to it all?” If the group is seasoned, you’ll likely hear a singular response, consistent communication. Vertical Alliance Group has shown hundreds of companies through its educational events called Infinit-I In-Person Boot Camps how to provide consistent communication and how to turn it into results like:
This past week we had the privilege of sharing this information with 18 companies whose size ranged from 40 trucks to just over 1,000 trucks. Our guest journeyed from New York, Ohio, Indiana, Florida, Idaho, North Carolina, Kansas, Alabama, Oklahoma, Utah, Michigan, Illinois, Texas and Tennessee to our Stockyards Infinit-I In-Person Boot Camp located in the historic district of Fort Worth, Texas.
During the Infinit-I In-Person Boot Camp, each guest was able to learn the strategies of using technology, like the Infinit-I Workforce System to improve their communication and how to focus it on areas of their operation to dramatically improve results. They actually heard live from a current client who discussed how they focused on improving their fuel efficiency which has resulted close to an $8,000 per week savings. Besides learning in a relaxed environment, they were also able to network with their peers about common initiatives, build relationships, and think of their own ideas to solve some of the challenges they’re facing.
We know that today’s safety leaders have a lot on their plate. Your ever-growing list of job duties and responsibilities leave very little time to be effective communicators using the old approach; especially with a workforce that’s always on the move. The focus of our Infinit-I In-Person Boot Camp is to show you the cutting edge of consistent communication utilizing technology as a tool that helps you to reach your drivers more often and creates behavioral change producing tremendous results! We would love to have you at one of our next events. Check out our upcoming schedule.
Canal Insurance held its annual Safety Conference April 22-April 24 at their home office in Greenville, South Carolina. This 2 day event saw presentations by a multitude of industry experts and representatives, including by Vertical Alliance President & CEO, Jay Wommack.
Tim Lawhorne (left) and Randy Sturdivant (right) of Vertical Alliance Group with Canal Insurance representative Ross Brigman (center)
The first day featured presenters from the SC Division of the FMCSA and the CVSA going over changes in policy that have happened over the past several months. Additionally, the highlighted some possible changes on the horizon. The day wrapped up with a panel of attorneys sharing their views on the trends in litigation they are seeing in the industry.
Attendees were given the chance to mingle and network atop Soby’s Loft in Downtown Greenville, SC.
Day 2 started with a presentation from keynote speaker, Dan Baker. Dan covered a variety of subjects, including how best to deal with each of the 4 separate generations that are currently in the workforce.
The day continued on with several more speakers, including our very own CEO, Jay Wommack. Topics of discussion included trends of technology in the transportation industry, importance on focusing on positive reinforcement of safe behaviors, as well as taking a look at the myths surrounding personal safety.
Attendees were treated to a lunch from a local BBQ restaurant on day 2.
The event served not only as an educational tool for attendees, but it also gave them a chance to network and discuss a variety of topics with other trucking companies from all over the United States. Vertical Alliance Group extends a thank you to Canal Insurance for for affording us the opportunity to both attend and present at this year’s Safety Seminar. We look forward to a continued partnership working together to make the trucking industry safer and more profitable.
Since 2004, Ram Services has successfully operated a fleet of 15 trucks out of the Dallas, TX area. When they lost one of their drivers to a single-vehicle fatality in July 2014, they knew a DOT safety compliance audit was coming.
What they didn’t know was just how severely that accident, coupled with one other recordable accident in a 12-month period, was going to impact their business’ bottom line when the audit happened that November.
With the exception of the two recordable accidents, Ram Services’ safety compliance audit was one any company would be proud to brag about. In fact, if they had been a tad larger, those two accidents would not have hurt the audit much.
As a low mileage carrier however, the two recordable accidents pushed the company’s Crash Basic too high based on the FMCSA formula, and Ram Service was downgraded from a satisfactory rating to conditional. When this happened, the company began losing the ability to service their customers, all of whom required the satisfactory rating to use Ram Services as a freight provider.
The company knew they had to do something- fast. The future of their company, and the livelihoods of their drivers, depended on it. So, they began the process of appealing the ruling.
When the DOT field officer called two months earlier than expected to discuss the ruling, he asked the company to provide four things.
This was the real test for Ram Services on if their efforts had been successful.
While many companies would have required a great deal of time to pull this information together, and some may not have all the requested documentation, Ram Services was able to quickly gather everything they needed.
As users of Vertical Alliance Group’s online learning management system, Infinit-I Workforce Solutions, their training records were all in one place.
“Since we use the Infinit-I Workforce System, I was able to send him a 54 page Excel document with every training module my guys have done and passed for the last two years.
My client services representative and I had planned training for this year in December, so I was even able to easily provide him our Accident Countermeasures Plan, too,” explained Angela Klattenhoff, owner of Ram Services.
During her call with the field representative, Klattenhoff was also able to explain their company had steady improvements in all BASICS since the beginning of the CSA safety compliance guidelines.
Less than one week after the call, Ram Services was back doing business with all their former clients thanks to good news from the field administrator.
“After reviewing your request, the safety management plan, and the evidence submitted, the FMCSA is granting your request. Effective immediately, Ram Services’ safety rating is upgraded to satisfactory.”
The Klattenhoff’s business was saved, and all their drivers were back on the road.
“I wanted to share our story with others because it is a real-life example of how the fact that I could produce documented training, past and future, made a huge difference in our ability to get our ratings changed.”
To learn more about how your company can take advantage of all Infinit-I Workforce Solutions has to offer, schedule a demo today.
By Aaron Huff @AaronHuffCCJ on April 23, 2015
Until last year, CAB Logistics was holding a company-wide safety meeting every quarter. To accommodate all 250 drivers, the meeting had to be repeated for two or three consecutive days. The result was several days of lost productivity. CAB Logistics has two divisions. One transports frac sand for the oil and gas industry; the other operates a private, white-label fleet for FedEx Freight. In early 2014, Rocky Lott attended the Infinit-I Engage Evaluation Program. This free event, hosted by Vertical Alliance Group, takes place once or twice each month in Texas for small groups of new and prospective clients. The two-day event is packed with information about a Web-based learning management system (LMS) and communications platform called the Infinit-I Workforce System, and is filled with Texas hospitality. Click here to attend.
