Texas-Based Company creates COMPLIMENTARY “Driving in Winter Weather” Training Course in honor of fatalities in recent crashes.

Infinit-I Workforce Solutions takes steps to prevent future winter weather-related crash fatalities.

February 18, 2021

Dallas, TX – Infinit-I Workforce Solutions, the leader in on-demand business education for safety training anytime, anywhere, announces support for professional drivers in honor of recent winter weather-related crash fatalities across the nation.

“We witnessed a tragedy in DFW. I sat silently with my team as we watched emergency responders clear the twisted wreckage from an interstate that my employees travel daily. It was at that moment I knew I had to act.

In honor of every soul involved in that crash, and so many others happening across the country in the wake of this unprecedented weather, we have compiled a custom training package, specifically designed to prepare truck drivers for winter weather conditions.

Our mission is to prevent these events in the future, and we are determined to save lives. We believe that in reaching the entire trucking industry, we can achieve the most good. So, this package is now available at no cost, for immediate deployment, to every trucking company, owner operator, passenger transportation company, and medium-duty fleet, big or small.”

Jay Wommack, CEO

Infinit-I Workforce Solutions

Texarkana, TX

The unprecedented winter storms halted business, stopped trucks, and caused thousands of vehicle crashes in the South. In response, Infinit-I Workforce Solutions offers a complimentary training course that better prepares professional drivers for winter weather conditions.

“This winter storm brought temperatures, snow, and ice like we have never experienced. In hindsight, it’s human nature to give advice on what we should have done to reduce the number of traffic accidents and fatalities that have taken place in the southern states.

We are turning hindsight into foresight as our contribution to the safety of all professional and commuter drivers. This course will bring awareness to all who participate and better prepare us for future catastrophic events.”

Lindsay Presley, Industry Marketer

Infinit-I Workforce Solutions

Texarkana, TX

Read more on FREIGHTWAVES:
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/transportation-training-company-offers-free-course-after-deadly-storms

For more information about this offer, visit Infinit-I Workforce Solutions.

About Infinit-I Workforce Solutions

Infinit-I Workforce Solutions is the industry leader in on-demand business education for safety training anytime, anywhere. With more than 1,000 expert videos, our training platform reduces accidents, violations, employee turnover, and training costs to make your business more profitable and litigation-proof for the long-haul. You will be in good company as our solutions are used by more than 1,500 clients across 300,000 users across Trucking (For Hire and Private Fleets), Student Transportation (School Systems and Private Bussing), and Warehouse Management. For more information about Infinit-I Workforce Solutions, visit www.infinitiworkforce.com.

Winter fell hard and fast in the fourth quarter of 2019. During that time, I spend countless hours ensuring my fleet was ready for the impact snow and ice can present. The ice storms that overtook the northern half of both coasts and the Midwest thwarted our preparation attempts. Current forecasts predict the wintry conditions will be present this weekend, calling for 5-6 inches of snow throughout the northwestern mountainous areas.

Each of my drivers who would encounter snow or ice had access chains or cables.  They kept a supply of windshield washer fluid for maximum visibility. I assigned them training specifically designed for truckers in winter weather conditions.  We spoke frequently about searching for easy exit parking which did not require backing on departure. They were to pay extra attention to their truck and trailer lights to ensure they were clean and operational. During trip planning, we worked together to ensure plenty of time on the back end of the haul to give them a buffer in case of bad weather.

We had all the bases covered. I made sure they had all the tools needed for safe performance. One issue I did not anticipate was the mental toll that driving in these conditions could pose for some drivers.

Driving in wintry weather can pose a high-stress environment for truck drivers of any experience level, especially when they are not accustomed to snow and ice. Adding to the potential for vehicle instability, the sight of other trucks and cars that skidded to a halt on the median puts additional stress on the driver.

Jack’s Breakdown

He was between hubs, miles from the last and the next truck stop. It was one of those empty stretches of lonely highway where you could not even stop for coffee. The snow was bearing down on the Ohio highway on which he was traveling. I asked if he felt safe to continue operating in these conditions. His choice was to keep rolling. Jack was equipped with tire chains and enough experience to make it through the snow. He was advised to pull over if there were any concerns about safe operation whatsoever, and he continued his journey.

Then began the series of unlucky events, each could have been devastating had we not taken drastic measures. He pulled off at a rest area to equip his snow chains. When he reentered the truck, it wouldn’t start due to a malfunctioning battery. He called dispatch to report the issue.

The snow was bearing down on the Ohio highway on which he was traveling. A mere 20 minutes after he pulled over, his tire tracks were no longer visible.

Considering all factors, I decided our best course of action was to have Jack’s truck towed to the nearest truck stop.  Because of the snow, every towing company within a 100 miles radius was at capacity. The company with the shortest wait time estimated a 5-hour window to pick up the truck, and Jack. I gave them his truck information and coordinates.

It took a couple of hours to coordinate the tow. I had to plan the details of the pickup, drop off, and repair, I rescheduled the live unload scheduled for that evening. The quote from the tow company was sent to management for approval. While I was preoccupied with the logistics, Jack was sitting, alone in his truck, on the side of the highway, in the snow.

Jack’s Other Breakdown

When I called him to discuss the plan, he had been alone with his thoughts for hours. Understandably, he had worked himself up and could not remain calm. Maybe it was boredom, maybe it was uncertainty, maybe being stranded with no immediate solution made him feel claustrophobic. Whatever the reason, he began to panic.

“I have to get out of this truck, Lindsay, I can’t sit here anymore,” he pleaded. “I don’t have food, I’m freezing, my phone is about to die. I’m going to find a truck stop or grocery store or something. I just have to go.”

I begged him not to set out on foot. After searching his location, he was at least 2.5 miles from the nearest fuel stop. He knew two and a half miles in a snowstorm was a bad idea, but he was not thinking clearly. He was cold and hungry and wanted to escape the situation he was trapped in. I asked him to wrap up in every piece of clothing he had to stay warm and I would send a taxi to his tractor. Before he could answer, his phone battery died, and the line fell silent. I called back, nothing. I sent several messages to the truck. No answer. I was afraid that in his fragile state of mine he had taken off on foot, against both of our better judgment.

Don’t Skip this Step

These are the realities of life on the road for truck drivers. As safety professionals, we can do everything in our power to control a situation and prepare for what lies ahead. Sometimes, such as with Jack’s situation, it is easy to skip a step. In all the hustle to secure the load, reschedule the delivery, and plan for a tow, I forgot to keep the communication lines open with my driver. His lack of information led to anxiety within himself that could have had a terrible outcome.

• – Always check the weather where you are and where you’re going.
• – Stay to the right whenever possible, keep extra distance between cars.
• – Stay away from car packs and avoid parking on the shoulder.
• – Connect others on the CB radio and encourage communication.
• – Keep emergency supplies on hand like:
  • – Snacks and Water
  • – Tool kit and Flashlight
  • – Waterproof boots
  • – Extra socks and sweats
  • – Blankets
  • – Back-up battery bank for phones

Start Today

Infinit-I Offers the following courses to help prepare your drivers for the quickly upcoming wintry weather conditions they will face.

• – Winter readiness checklist
• – Driving in Extreme Weather Conditions
• – Real-Life Lessons: Winter Weather and a Bad Case of Ice
• – Real-Life Lessons: Icy Cab Step Leads to a Broken Arm

Above all, you must prepare to counter uncertainties within your target audience. If your goal is to ensure the safety of your fleet, focus on frequent and consistent safety training. Now, you can do it for free. Infinit-I Workforce Solutions is offering a Complimentary 30-Day Trial to help you prepare your entire fleet.

At the beginning of my career in trucking, I ran a fleet of 40+ OTR reefer drivers from a tiny, fluorescent-lit cubicle in Texas. My drivers ranged from know-it-all rookies with three months experience to 40+ year career truck drivers who actually did know it all. They all taught me valuable lessons throughout my time as a dispatcher.

As with any job, it is impossible as a dispatcher to make every driver happy. “Do me a favor? Run this one and I’ll look for a good one next,” I would beg of them. They had heard it all before. Sometimes, they didn’t believe me, but I always tried to deliver on that promise.

“Just don’t send me to California, please.”

Don’t Send Me to California

Out of the thousands of loads I dispatched; I heard this phrase continuously. At first, I didn’t understand why my drivers didn’t want to make a run to The Golden State for a few days. To me, it would be a dream to park the truck on the beach and watch the sunset over the shore from the sleeper.

It is not a dream, not for a truck driver. I had romanticized the idea of running the coastal roads to such an exaggerated point that I was not listening to the reality of the situation. It wasn’t until one of my drivers was affected that my eyes were opened to the nightmare.

Josh was from Oregon and had a natural disdain for California, almost as if he were born with it. He shared that, “California is full of winding mountain roads, construction at every turn, 55 MPH highways, and rush hour traffic that lasts for hours while you watch your clock tick away!”

Josh was my most dependable driver. He showed up no matter the load, the pickup location, or the destination and was always on time. When I gave him California loads, he would sigh and say, “Okay, boss, whatever you need,” and then be on his way.

The Citation that Changed my Mind

Still to this day, one particular run-in burned into my memory. It was August and Josh was running a bottled water load to NorCal. Josh called me first thing Tuesday morning. His voice was shaking and I could feel his irritation. “Hey Boss, I just got pulled over. I think I’m getting a ticket.”  I did my best to calm him down, and calm myself down, so I could coach him through the company’s citation procedure.

He agreed to remain respectful to the officer and find a safe-haven so he could call me back. A lengthy fifteen minutes later, I answered Josh’s phone call and began my rapid-fire questioning.

“Did you get a ticket? Were you speeding? How fast were you going?”

“No, Boss, I wasn’t speeding. I was smoking.”

Company policy stated that Josh could smoke in his cab; no concern there. However, throwing a cigarette butt out of the window in California is considered littering. He was cited with a ticket and a hefty $500 fine that neither of us could have seen coming.

Outrageous! For a cigarette butt? I could not believe the enormity of the fine; $500 is utterly ridiculous and disproportionate to the crime of littering.

However, I was disillusioned by my own ignorance. In a week or two, the California wildfires began to rage. These fires remained uncontained, despite their emergency efforts, for months.  In 2018, two million acres burned and a hundred people died. I could not stop thinking about Josh’s cigarette. What if?

• – Have you trained your drivers on state-specific laws?
• – Have your drivers been recently trained on performance expectations during traffic stops?
• – How are your drivers planning routes where wildfire may be a threat?
• – Are your drivers allowed to abandon their truck if fire danger is imminent?

California State – State of Emergency

The fires in California are yet to be contained, spreading to the neighboring states Oregon, Nevada, and Washington.

To date:

• – 75 Acres Burned
• – 8, 136 Wildfire Incidents
• – 26 Fatalities
• – 7,776 Damaged Properties

To reduce risks, freight corridors along I-5, I-10, I-80 are affected. Drivers are experiencing highway closures, reroutes, and increased traffic due to evacuation orders. California officials declared that an immediate threat to life exists due to the wildfires and access to the public is strictly prohibited.

The state has issued air quality warnings. Recently, drivers in Oregon we forced to return to California or abandon trucks on I-5. Use caution when traveling through smoke-filled areas with reduced visibility and insufficient oxygen.

Infiniti Can Help

At Infiniti, we believe in creating safer truck drivers, supporting your safety culture, and protecting the motoring public. We achieve those goals by increasing communication and training capability using our award-winning platform, built specifically for the trucking industry.

To help with our mission, we are offering trucking companies a 30-Day Complimentary Trial. Try us out and you’ll see how we’ve become the most referred provider in our industry through delivering programs that result in fuel savings, reduced violations, fewer accidents, and enhanced liability protection.

Learn more here.

Trucker’s New Reality

Among tragedy and outraged citizens, we again find ourselves in a dangerous and impossible position. Across the nation, streets are lined with broken windows, vehicles ablaze, and the tear-streamed faces of those affected by recent political and legal events.

We have seen businesses destroyed, citizens injured or killed in the streets, and protesters being forcefully subdued. And yet, it continues.

As a trucking industry professional, my immediate concern is focused on truck drivers. I have seen too many viral videos of protestors climbing on top of a tractor-trailer, in a futile attempt to stop an 80,000 lb. machine with their bare hands. I have seen images of demonstrators crawling into a moving, loaded trailer to pilfer the products and goods within.

In St. Louis, a situation turned fatal for one such participant. A man attempting to loot a truck pulling doubles became lodged between the two trailers. As the truck driver began to escape the violent scene, he unknowingly dragged the man several blocks. The family of the victim blamed the driver and his employer for the loss of life.

The driver of the truck may have never been faced with such a dilemma. At that moment, with demonstrators banging on his trailer and brandishing weapons, he made the decision to retreat to safety. I cannot be certain what was going through his mind at the time. I am sure he was thinking about getting to a safe haven as quickly as possible, rather than what company policy states. That does not, however, eliminate the risk of future litigation his company may face.

Fleet-wide Communication

What is your company policy on proper procedures for truck drivers when faced with potentially violent protests? Have you communicated any updates or expectations with your fleet?

As for safety professionals, planning for these dangerous scenarios have become an unimaginable reality. We tout proactivity in the trucking industry as a pseudo-mantra, “Be proactive, not reactive.” If the driver involved in this tragic accident had not been prepared for this type of scenario, his only option was his own gut-reaction.

Be Proactive, Not Reactive.

If you have put emergency procedures in place for your drivers, ensure you are communicating to your entire fleet. In most cases, you may write up a message and send it over to the truck, hoping it does not get lost in the jumble of dispatch messages and weather alerts.

Infiniti can create a custom message in written or video format and instantly deploy it to your entire fleet. Your drivers will be notified they have a new assignment. You will receive documentation when they review the updated procedures.

Above all else, drive safe out there!

Ensure you have a clear and concise plan of action that your fleet and operations can execute should they run into one of these demonstrations:

• – Do your dispatchers know how to advise their drivers?
• – Are there any curfews along their route?
• – Do you have a plan for customers if freight is delayed or damaged?
• – Have your drivers included searching for protests in their trip plan?
• – Should your drivers abandon their truck if they feel endangered?
• – What should your driver do in the event of an injury?
• – What should your driver do if his equipment is damaged by protesters?

Infiniti Workforce Solutions reminds all professional drivers that your safety is our number one concern. We are doing everything in our power to minimize further injuries and damage. We want to bring safety to the forefront of your truck driving experience.

To help with our mission, we are offering trucking companies a 30-Day Complimentary Trial. We are here to ensure the secure movement of your freight and the safety of your entire fleet.

Learn more about increasing your communication capacity here.