Delivery services are on the rise as more people order items to their homes rather than going out. That means that safety tips for delivery truck drivers are also growing in importance. Delivery truck insurance is a big component in keeping companies and drivers covered for liability, but there are many other proactive moves to make along with insurance.
As an insurance producer, providing these safety tips for delivery truck drivers will help you guide your clients. And by partnering with Prime Insurance Company to provide delivery truck insurance, you can ensure quality coverage for your clients while expanding the business you write. We see our work as a partnership between producers, policyholders, and ourselves, which is why we’re offering these safety tips.
1. Understand the Hazards of Deliveries
Every vehicle comes with risks to the driver, any passengers, cargo, and surrounding property. Other drivers are a hazard, as is weather, vehicle and road conditions, and issues like intoxication or distracted driving. However, there are also unique hazards that come with the territory of deliveries. Companies and drivers need to know these hazards to reduce risk and ensuing liability.
One of the biggest risks with delivery trucks is the sudden and/or frequent stops and turns drivers make. Drivers are looking for addresses and working quickly, which can lead to rear-end collisions and other accidents. Of course, driver skill and training can help in reducing this risk.
Large delivery trucks like transport trucks also have to contend with blind spots and backing up. Similarly, drivers have to be sure to properly secure cargo and properly engage the parking brake.
Overall, delivery truck drivers often deal with unfamiliar locations, in busy residential areas. They have to find parking spaces and make deliveries expediently, which contributes to risk. Knowing these hazards, your clients can work to mitigate the risk, especially when partnering with our experienced in-house risk management team.
2. Understand the Cost of Accidents and Incidents
If delivery driving hazards are not understood and addressed, the cost is high, both to human life and property, and for companies that will face lawsuits as a result. There are many stories of people and property damaged by delivery drivers, inadvertently or negligently.
From an infant killed when a delivery truck crashed into a vehicle to an 89-year old woman struck by a delivery truck as she crossed a street, these incidents happen everywhere. As with any incident involving personal injury or death, the damages are costly. For example, one lawsuit stemming from a fatal accident involving a delivery truck seeks damages in excess of $1 million.
Delivery truck insurance will help your clients manage the aftermath of any claims and will serve as a preventative measure. More on insurance later. We’ll start with basic safety tips that should be a part of every delivery company’s work.
3. Create a Weather Plan
People expect their deliveries to come through no matter what, but companies need to prioritize safety. That means that sometimes weather conditions will preclude deliveries from happening. Bad weather means poor visibility and poor road conditions, both of which increase the chance of accidents.
Company policy and procedure should outline the situations in which weather can halt or reschedule a delivery. Companies should commit to abiding by these weather plans, rather than forcing or pressuring drivers to work in unsafe conditions.
4. Ensure Inspection, Maintenance, and Certification — for Drivers and Fleet
There are two critical elements required for safe delivery driving — the vehicle and the driver. Both need to be in optimal condition to avoid needless risk. For vehicles, that comes down to inspection, maintenance and repair, and record-keeping. For drivers, training, certification, and record-keeping are necessary.
Companies should inspect every vehicle before use. If it is not in safe condition to operate, it should not go out on the road. As freight or cargo is loaded into the vehicle, it also needs to be inspected to ensure it is loaded properly. Any issues must be handled immediately. Preventative, proactive maintenance plans can make significant reductions to risk as a routine part of business.
As for drivers, each delivery driver must be properly trained and supervised. Companies need to ensure that their staff have an acceptable drivers safety record, and that they have the training to do the job correctly and safely. Drivers need to understand how important it is to comply with all federal and state regulations, as well as safe driving policies within the company.
Drivers also have to be aware of the risk of theft and be prepared to follow delivery truck driver safety tips that can help prevent that hazard. Drivers should, wherever possible, be aware of surroundings, park in well-lit areas, and lock their vehicles. Companies can invest in GPS trackers, cameras, and other tech to keep drivers, vehicles, and cargo safe.
5. Get the Right Delivery Truck Insurance
Regardless of how carefully delivery truck drivers follow safety tips, there is always the chance of something happening on the road. Delivery truck insurance keeps your clients in business. Prime Insurance Company provides coverage and in-house expertise in claims management and handling lawsuits. We’re an excess and surplus lines insurance company, which means we know how to tailor coverage to your clients’ needs, even if they have been deemed too risky by other carriers.
Because our insurance solutions are so flexible, based on our skilled underwriters’ years of experience, you can trust that we will find coverage wherever possible. For your clients, this is great news. For you as a producer, it is also excellent news. You can write more business covering non-standard risks, adding to your markets instead of interfering with what you already have. Please get in touch with us today to learn more about our delivery truck insurance. Our team is looking forward to learning more about your needs and you may be pleasantly surprised by all we can do for you. Call us at 800-257-5590 or email us at info@primeis.com today.
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Authored by Rick J. Lindsey, CEO, President, and Chairman of Prime Insurance Company
Rick J. Lindsey hails from Salt Lake City, Utah. He began working in the mailroom of his father’s Salt Lake City insurance firm, getting his introduction to the business that became his lifelong career. Lindsey quickly rose through the ranks while working in nearly every imaginable insurance industry job. As an entrepreneur, specialty lines underwriter, claims specialist, risk manager, and a licensed surplus lines broker, Rick Lindsey is highly skilled in all levels of leadership and execution. As he progressed on his career path, Rick discovered an urgent need for insurers willing to write policies for high-risk individuals and businesses. He was frequently frustrated that he could not provide the liability protection these entities desperately needed to safeguard their assets. He also formed the belief that insurance companies acted too quickly to settle frivolous claims. Lindsey decided to try a different approach. He started an insurance company and became the newly formed entity’s CEO. This opportunity has enabled Rick to fill a void in the market and provide a valuable service to businesses, individuals, and insurance agents who write high-risk business. Prime Insurance also specializes in helping individuals and businesses who live a lifestyle or participate in activities that make them difficult for traditional carriers to insure. If you’ve been denied, non-renewed, or canceled coverage, don’t give up quite yet. Chances are Prime Insurance can help.
