Understanding the Safety Manual

Why does every company make their truck drivers sign a receipt for having completed a Truck Driver Safety & Policy Manual? And why is it so important that truck drivers understand what is in this manual?

For any trucking company that is trying to do things right, they will have a truck driver safety & policy manual. It will contain many of their most important TRUCKING policies, such as the following distance policy, discipline, cell phone use, accident procedure policies and many, many more.

Why is it so important for truck drivers to have a safety manual? Part of it is to spell out to the driver what is expected. If the driver knows what the company thinks is acceptable behaviour, then the truck driver is more likely to do what is acceptable. People love to know when they are doing a good job. They also love to be recognized for doing their job correctly. With a policy and procedure manual, the driver will know when they are meeting or exceeding company expectations.

Drivers will also know what the ramifications will be when they are not meeting company expectations. The discipline policy should outline to the driver what steps will be taken when the driver falls short of achieving company expectations. This is very important if the driver ever needs to be terminated.

Because this manual will become part of any court proceedings in the future, it is imperative that the driver has read and understood this document. Should a collision claim go to court, then the driver will be examined and asked if they adhered to the company’s policies. All too often, the driver has signed a document stating that they have read and they have understood the policy manual, but sometimes the driver has signed the document but never bothered to read the policy manual. This will likely come out in court and be used against both the company and the driver.

For the company, it is very important that they have a comprehensive driver safety and procedure manual. This manual will be used in court, and the company will be asked how they know that the driver read and understood the manual. Even if the manual is very well written, if the company cannot demonstrate that the driver had the knowledge contained in the manual, then the manual will be used against the company in court. The lawyers involved in these proceedings are usually very smart. They also know what is normal in mini trucking companies. They know that mini trucking companies simply hand out the safety manuals like candy to every driver. They get the driver to sign a document, and the company then thinks that they have met their obligation. I can tell you that this very thing has been used against many companies in court, and the companies usually come out on the losing end.

So, what might a company do to protect itself? First, have a well-written manual. Secondly, you need the driver to sign the manual. Thirdly, you can test the driver on the contents of the manual. All three of these items need to be documented and placed in the driver’s file for future reference.

How can we handle truck drivers who have a difficult time reading and understanding an English-written manual? One possible solution is to have the manual made into an audio file. In this way, the driver may listen to it as often listening to it is easier to understand than trying to read an English document. Then, after the driver has listened to the document, the company should have the driver complete a written test on the contents of the audio file. Also, give the driver a written copy of the audio file/company safety policies. In this way, you are making it easy for the truck driver who has difficulty with English.

If you need a safety policy or if you have any questions regarding your safety policy, please reach out. I would be happy to speak with you.

Drive safely,

Chris Harris
CEO & Top Dawg
Safety Dawg Inc.
905-973-7056
chris@safetydawg.com
@safety_dawg (twitter)