Shippers and carriers alike probably agree that one of their highest priorities is for shipments to arrive damage free.

Achieving this is the driver’s and carrier’s shared responsibility, and often it goes off without a hitch. But due to countless controllable and uncontrollable variables, shipments don’t always arrive in the condition listed on the bill of lading.

Unless carriers can prove any inconsistencies with the BOL compared with delivered freight were the fault of the shipper, which is a tough position to be in, carriers are often liable. Shippers and receivers can file a few different types of freight damage claims to recoup the lost value of their products, including concealed damage, visible damage, shortage or loss.

As freight claims can quickly become a steep expense, depending on the goods involved, it’s no surprise that carriers protect themselves with cargo insurance to help offset claim costs.

“There’s always an opportunity for a claim,” said Robert Kaferle, vice president of safety at Reliance Partners, a trucking insurance agency and safety consultant. “Cargo insurance doesn’t cost that much, but covering yourself and your company is paramount.”

While insurance is essential protection for carriers, preventing damages in the first place is always necessary to avoid any cash payouts and maintain trust with shippers and customers.

Small steps can go a long way to avoid damage, and drivers play a frontline role in this.

Preventing damage claims

Freight damage can occur due to factors both in and out of drivers’ control, so upon pickup, they must do their due diligence to ensure cargo is stacked, wrapped and secured properly in accordance with the procedures for the type of goods and trailer.

“Take advantage of that opportunity to inspect the load to make any changes or load securement suggestions,” Kaferle advised. “Ultimately, the driver is going to be responsible for the load in their care, so it’s up to them to make sure it’s good to go.”

In a lot of cases, loads may already be sealed before a driver arrives at the loading dock. Kaferle still recommends drivers take steps to do a quality check where possible.

“Even when it’s preloaded, there’s some responsibility that will fall on the driver,” Kaferle added. “Train your drivers to make sure the load is documented correctly, look at anything unusual on the BOL and then ask questions. A load can always be resealed, so if there’s ever any doubt about how it was loaded, or it appears to be leaning or bulging, always have the seal broken before you take the shipment.”

That documentation step is key. Drivers should verify BOL load counts always match actual cargo, notate any existing damages and include whether they couldn’t witness loading.

Visual proof is essential to confirm whether damage occurred before it was picked up by the carrier.

“Drivers should take pictures of how the trailer is loaded upon pickup and at the destination as well,” Kaferle advised. “Everyone’s got a cellphone and camera, so there’s no excuse not to take photos.”

Ultimately, driver training and awareness of cargo securement and BOL documentation are critical. Kaferle recommends carriers provide drivers with continuous training for these practices throughout their employment, not just during orientation.

“There’s always something to learn or reiterate, so it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in trucking,” Kaferle said.

Reliance Partners provides its clients with driver training resources in skills like cargo securement and many other key safety requirements in order to help them build a more compliant and thorough safety program.

Click here to learn more about how Reliance Partners can help improve load securement and protect your business against freight claims.

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Everybody in the transportation industry can probably agree on one thing: It’s not cheap to keep a trucking business running.

FreightWaves has estimated it costs $210,000 to operate just one truck annually, based on running 120,000 miles. Fleet owners might even say that most of the expenses that contribute to this figure are out of their control. After all, the industry is highly subject to supply and demand.

For instance, overall, companies can’t really control driver pay. If carriers want to be able to hire and maintain qualified drivers in a highly saturated market, they must pay competitive wages.

While it is possible to mitigate fuel costs with vendor agreements, fuel surcharges or monitoring a truck’s speed, carriers can’t control larger industry forces that influence the prices at the pump.

And, equipment prices are based on their current value in the market. There’s no guarantee of savings whether they buy used or new. “You can choose to get cheaper, but then your maintenance costs are going to go up because it’s less reliable,” said Robert Kaferle, vice president of safety at Reliance Partners.

These are just a few of the many variables trucking companies are powerless to change.

So what costs can a carrier actually control?

According to Kaferle, that would be insurance. The best way to control insurance costs, he said, is through establishing a strong safety and compliance program.

“Insurance, at the end of the day, is the transfer of risk,” Kaferle said. “The less risk, the less insurance costs. Insurance companies identify carrier risk through your Safety Measurement System (SMS) scores, previous accidents, and policies and procedures.”

By implementing a strong safety and compliance program, carriers can minimize the risk insurance companies take by insuring them, resulting in paying a lower insurance premium than another business of the same size operating in the same way but without such a program.

Reliance Partners helps trucking companies control what they can by matching them with the best insurer for their business. The Tennessee-based trucking insurance agency really stands out, though, because of its consultancy program to help carriers implement a safety program that puts them in a less risky position long term.

“You can do everything right and still get into a crash because somebody else did something wrong. All the training in the world may not be able to prevent that,” Kaferle said. “But we want to minimize the frequency and severity of crashes and incidents through training, awareness, policy and procedure, and ensuring that carriers are in the best position they can be in as far as risk goes.”

Reliance Partners provides carriers with training resources, answers their questions and guides them as they build their own internal safety program.

Putting together a compliant safety program doesn’t cost as much as people think, Kaferle said.

In addition to the lower premiums that companies often enjoy with safe practices, Reliance Partners helps businesses save money upfront with its no-cost-added safety resources.

Reliance Partners offers clients a driver training platform and a database with safety compliance resources for subjects like trucking, warehousing, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and human resources.

At the end of the day, no safety program will succeed without the support of drivers. Before carriers can educate drivers on how to improve safety compliance, they must understand why SMS scores are essential to their business and how it impacts their productivity and ability to make money.

“When you’re building a safety program, when you’re investing in your safety program, your drivers are the key,” Kaferle said. “Raise awareness, get a buy-in from your fleet and get them involved in that safety program just as much as your safety director is.”

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One can never be too sure the road ahead is without ice, especially considering the freeze-first nature of bridges. The question is: Are you willing to take your chances?

Reliance Partners Vice President of Safety Brian Runnels explains why bridges are the last place a driver would want to hit an ice patch and how to avoid such a scenario when things get icy.

“Ground warmth insulates the roads, keeping [them] from freezing as fast — bridges don’t have that,” Runnels said.

That’s because bridges are susceptible to winter conditions such as wind, rain and snow on all sides, even below. For this reason, Runnels urges drivers to also brace for ice when traveling over bridges and underpasses when temperatures approach or dip below freezing.

“Underpasses rarely get sun exposure,” he said. “Everything that’s dripping from the top of the bridge is now falling there and freezing.”

In general, ice-related truck accidents are caused by excessive speed and/or brake use. On one hand, acceleration causes your tires to spin, while on the other hand, braking causes them to slide. Regardless, a spinning or sliding tire will want to take the lead, often resulting in a jackknifing accident.

It sounds counterintuitive not to use your brakes, but Runnels believes you’re better off with constant rolling traction.

“You’ll want to try to keep that rolling traction as best you can on or under a bridge,” Runnels said. “Disengaging the power and not braking is probably the best way to do that.”

If a skid starts to happen, Runnels finds it helpful to pick a point straight ahead and steer toward it.

The more space around the truck the better, which creates more lanes, places to ditch and no other traffic around you. But bridges often lack these securities.

There may be an emergency lane to your right to aid a recovery — but not by much. You can only hope the guardrails or concrete barriers are enough to prevent a terribly high fall.

“There comes a point in a skid where you lose the ability to get it back,” Runnels said. “Especially on bridges, you don’t necessarily have a lot of room to correct it.”

Whatever the conditions, be mindful of your truck’s speed and approach bridges and underpasses with caution when the temperature sits around or below freezing.

What’s more, remember to always check the weather report before hitting the road and obey any signs warning of hazardous road conditions. Don’t hesitate to wait it out if you suspect the roads have yet to be treated for ice as those conditions worsen.

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Out with the old and in with the new. It’s time to update — and clean out — your permit book.

Jan. 1 is when the majority of permits expire, so be sure to get yours updated immediately. But sack those old permits while you’re at it.

Reliance Partners Vice President of Safety Brian Runnels urges drivers to start the year with a clean slate, starting with the permit book.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen permit books inside of trucks that are just a total disaster,” Runnels said. “Many drivers don’t bother to clean out the old stuff. They just keep shoving stuff in their permit book.”

The permit book is intended to hold the driver’s most important documents. Everything from the truck’s registration and annual inspection report to the motor carrier’s operating authority, International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) certificate and any insurance records should be safely stored within its covers.

According to Runnels, a disorganized permit book is a red flag to roadside inspectors. “If the permit book is a mess, that’s a good reason for an inspector to take a hard look at everything else,” he said.

However, he maintains it doesn’t take much effort to put your permit book together the right way. For starters, remove all expired permits.

“There’s no bonus points for having old permits in your permit book,” Runnels said. “So only keep what you need.”

Next, ask your safety department about what exactly your permit book should include. Permits often differ from state to state regarding specific commodities, and each industry is known to have its own unique documentation. Companies that haul hazmat for example, must have a hazmat authority certificate.

With each updated permit you receive, be sure to place each document in its correct location. Some books come with tabs, which Runnels said can be very helpful if used appropriately.

Runnels recommends folding full sheets of paper permits in a way that fits nicely in the book and easily displays information about what it is and when it expires. This helps inspectors find specific permits without frustration.

And don’t forget to apply your updated stickers to the side of the truck and trailer. The IFTA certificate, for instance, comes with two stickers attached to the permit.

“I’ve seen stickers still stapled to the permit in the permit book. The stickers have got to be on the side of the truck by Jan. 1,” Runnels said. “If you roll through a scale house and your IFTA stickers aren’t current, that’s a good reason to get pulled in for an inspection.”

Runnels recommends crossing your t’s and dotting your i’s whenever you can. He strongly suggests checking the permit book each time you enter a new truck as well as making sure the documentation is correct with each trailer you haul, such as checking that its license plate matches what’s listed on the registration.

“Quite honestly, that’s something you need to do every time you pick up a trailer,” he said.

Last but not least, it’s important to keep your permit book in a place that’s accessible. Runnels said he always kept his in the driver door pouch. The last thing you would want is for an inspector to grow impatient as you fumble around the cab for something that should be right by your side.

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No two days are the same for a truck driver. And so there’s always something new to learn.

Think of the highway challenges you encounter every day, the maintenance issues that pop up from time to time, not to mention the ever-changing regulatory environment.

Robert Kaferle, Reliance Partners’ vice president of safety, explains that from an educational standpoint, many wrongfully think that earning a CDL is the last bit of learning you will need to enter the transportation industry.

“But it’s really just the beginning,” Kaferle said.

Even though it’s not a white-collar, college degree-required profession, don’t assume trucking is without a learning curve. In fact, even the most seasoned drivers know they haven’t seen it all.

“A truck driver will tell you that the driver that they were at 100,000 miles of safe driving is not the same driver they are now at 1 million miles,” Kaferle said. “Successful people, regardless of the industry, are the ones that continually learn and evolve and strive to be the best they can be.”

Kaferle maintains that continual improvement is attainable only for those willing to keep learning. And this can only be achieved if everyone’s on board.

Kaferle has spoken extensively on personal accountability and the role motor carriers must serve in order to foster an effective culture of safety. Rules and regulations may promote and encourage safety, but it’s solely up to the motor carriers and drivers to practice it.

What separates effective from ineffective safety training is how it’s executed. Kaferle explains that going through the motions, showing the same training videos or teaching the same exercises over and over won’t pique the interest of your drivers or office staff.

“It’s imperative that carriers are always looking for better ways, more unique ways, to provide training and constant reinforcement,” he said.

If you don’t know where to look, your next step should be to turn to a safety professional. Kaferle notes that bringing in a third-party consultant to review your processes can help identify potential gaps in compliance and risk factors in need of improvement. Like solving a crossword puzzle, sometimes it takes the eyes of another to help with the areas you’re struggling with.

Reliance Partners has discovered that carriers more involved with their drivers and safety managers find it easier to build a solid safety culture. So when helping companies establish a new safety program, its risk management team utilizes in-person workshops and online webinars to keep motor carriers engaged.

“We work with them to create a culture of safety, a proactive safety program with a reactive element to it,” Kaferle said.

What Kaferle finds quite effective is when carriers personalize their training materials to better connect with their fleet. For example, featuring their people or equipment in safety videos.

“We help clients produce videos that can then be utilized on our online training platform,” he said. “What it does is it gets the carrier involved and it produces something that they think is valuable.”

What it boils down to most is carrier interest. If no one’s on the same page about safety, if there’s a lack of desire to constantly improve and learn from past mistakes and if the fleet isn’t seeking new ways of engaging drivers, it may unfortunately take a tragedy to come to your senses.

In the trucking industry, wisdom doesn’t come with experience but rather from adaptability and a willingness to learn.

Kaferle stresses the importance of continual training because no one knows everything — no matter how long you’ve been in the industry.

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Happy New Year! Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to make those resolutions.

Whether it’s to improve your vehicle maintenance record, boost retention rates, mitigate driver violations or revamp your safety training program — or all of the above — January is the time to put a plan into motion.

But just like having a personal trainer at the gym, you don’t have to go about tackling your goals alone.

Brian Runnels, Reliance Partners’ vice president of safety, encourages motor carriers to work closely with their insurance providers or third-party safety representatives to develop a plan with realistic and attainable objectives.

“Goals are great, but if you don’t have a road map to achieve those goals, there really isn’t much use to having the goals in the first place,” Runnels said. “If you’re not getting those resources, reach out to us. We at Reliance Partners will be happy to speak with you.”

Reliance Partners provides industry-leading safety consulting to motor carriers of all sizes. Offering detailed in-person risk assessments, its robust team of safety experts will identify violations and areas in need of improvement within your company and step you through the process of mitigating these risks and establishing a culture of safety.

Motor carriers that enroll in and stick with a safety program like Reliance Partners’ see their CSA scores greatly improve as a result of building a better safety culture.

One such company told Runnels that its New Year’s resolution is to get better fuel mileage in 2023. It plans to achieve this by lowering the governing speed from 72 to 68 miles per hour.

“It doesn’t sound like a lot, but if you can save one-tenth of a gallon per mile, well, once you start adding that by a hundred trucks over a year-long process, that’s a good chunk of change,” Runnels said.

“Anytime you slow down even just a little bit you’ll have more time to react when there’s an issue in front of you … so I think they’re going to see their accident rates go down.”

Once companies commit to a goal, Reliance Partners’ loss control team will check in quarterly to ensure that progress is being made. Runnels stressed the importance of collaboration, as it’s harder to achieve your goals alone.

“As a business owner, maybe that’s something that you look into for 2023, asking yourself, ‘What kind of assistance am I getting from my partners?’” Runnels said.

Third-party expertise may be just what’s needed to uncover problems that have gone undetected for far too long. Runnels recalled helping a motor carrier identify why it was experiencing an uptick in accidents.

Upon reviewing the company and its processes, Runnels noticed that its drivers, who petitioned for more home time, were still driving long distances daily. They wanted both the long miles and at-home time.

Though the company had shrunk its operating area to ensure that its fleet could be home nightly, its drivers still wanted the same amount of miles, so they were pushing harder. “And when you push harder, typically bad things happen,” he said.

“The problem they had before was that drivers weren’t getting to go home, so they wanted to leave. Now drivers aren’t getting the miles and they’re wanting to leave,” Runnels said, explaining that scaling back the operating area meant drivers had to haul more to make more.

With pay based on miles driven in a smaller operational area, Runnels suggested that changing the pay structure could mitigate the need to push harder.

“On my next visit with them I’ll say, ‘OK, now that we’ve recognized the problem, what have you done to improve or address the issue?’” Runnels said.

Whether the issue is visible or if you’re just curious to know where you’re most at risk, Runnels recommends that every motor carrier work more closely with the safety partners they have.

“Whatever you were struggling with last year, start doing proactive training to avoid it in 2023.”

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Are there things you wish you could change in the trucking industry? Do you sometimes feel as if you’re the only one frustrated by some particular issue?

Chances are many others feel the same way.

But nothing will change unless someone speaks up. And that someone could be you.

“Getting involved in state and national organizations is a great way to make an impact and make your voice heard,” said Robert Kaferle, Reliance Partners’ vice president of safety.

Visiting with carriers weekly, Kaferle hears a lot about the rules and regulations that frustrate them the most.

This got him thinking: Carriers have the opportunity to make public comments on prospective rules before they even go before committees or get put into regulations, so why don’t more carriers voice their concerns?

“There’s an opportunity for everyone to participate, but a lot of people either don’t take that opportunity or they don’t know about it — or they just like to complain after the fact,” Kaferle said.

He suggests that getting more involved in industry matters is the best way to keep yourself informed and out of trouble in the ever-changing trucking regulatory environment.

“There’s an open and robust rulemaking process in place at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration,” Kaferle said. “FMCSA does a really good job of notifying the public of rule changes.”

He added that both the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) and FMCSA are great resources not just for news regarding regulation changes but also for safety information and training documentation.

“There’s also state and national trucking associations that you can get involved in that take the opportunity to work with state and federal lawmakers on behalf of the trucking and transportation industries,” Kaferle said.

Kaferle himself is a member of the Laredo Motor Carrier Association and Tennessee Trucking Association, and he is on the Transportation Safety Administration Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee.

From his years of experience, involvement is also a great way to learn the ins and outs of the industry’s many processes and law enforcement techniques, he said.

As a member of the Tennessee Trucking Association, Kaferle recently got to observe a Department of Transportation officer perform a mock level one inspection up close when the group visited a local weigh station to see how the scales work and how inspections are carried out.

Don’t let the size of your company or inexperience in advocacy discourage you from joining an organization and voicing your concerns. Kaferle encourages all carriers that anytime is a good time to get involved.

“You don’t know until you go and get involved,” he said. “There may be 50 other carriers in your state that have the same issue as you, but no one has stepped up and made [regulators] aware of it.”

However, it’s OK if you’re not fully comfortable with public speaking from the get-go. Joining some kind of trucking association or advocacy group is a great way to get out of the office and network with like-minded carriers.

Kaferle suggests that in-person networking is far superior to platforms like LinkedIn, pointing out that friend requests on social media often come with some ulterior motive to sell you something.

“If there’s an industry issue that a particular carrier has, trucking associations nationwide would be interested in hearing about it because that one person may be the last person that they need to hear from before it becomes a major issue, thus moving it up their priority list,” he said. “So everyone’s involvement in sharing their voices only makes our industry stronger.”

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It may be cold outside, perhaps bone-chilling in your neck of the woods, but that’s no excuse to skimp on your pre-trip inspections.

Reliance Partners Vice President of Safety Brian Runnels encourages truckers to brave the elements and go above what’s required of your pre-trips this winter to check for ice-related issues that could freeze you in your tracks if not addressed.

“I know it’s cold and it’s not fun to be out there in those conditions, but get out there and do your pre-trip,” Runnels said.

With snow and ice in the picture, Runnels suggests adding a few other steps to your pre-trip inspection.

First and foremost, start every day by checking the weather report — it’s best to know before you go. A quick look at your apps for weather and traffic conditions can save you from a world of trouble if conditions are subpar.

Runnels notes that other preliminary factors to consider with each pre-trip check include having the right winter clothes and gear as well as a decent food supply.

Once these factors are taken care of, it’s time to perform your walk-around. Remember, the bare minimum won’t cut it in freezing temperatures.

Let’s start where ice will cause the most issues — the windshield. It’s susceptible to freezing unless proper precautions are taken. For starters, don’t forget to make use of your heater and defroster settings.

Drivers can take things a step further with winter-specific wiper blades. The added benefit of these blades is that they have a boot over the mechanical arms of the wiper that prevents ice buildup. Runnels also suggests switching out your washer fluid for one that contains a deicer mix. This is because when temperatures start to plummet, regular wiper fluid can easily freeze.

But when dealing with ice, maintaining optimal visibility may still require a bit of handiwork. Every driver should have an ice scraper on hand, not only for the windshield and your steps but for the lighting systems as well.

With the advent of heatless LED bulbs, Runnels said lights today are more susceptible to ice buildup than in the days of the red-hot fluorescent bulb.

“The old filament light bulbs used to be able to burn through the snow and you’d still be able to see your lights. Now with LEDs not giving off any heat, those lights get covered up and you can no longer see your turn signals and brake lights,” said Runnels, noting that this especially happens when the wheels kick up snow behind the trailer.

Remember that ice also can threaten more than just visibility. For instance, you don’t want water in the air tanks during wintry conditions, so you will want to drain them quite frequently this time of year.

“If moisture gets in those airlines, they’ll freeze,” Runnels said. “And with your brakes and so many other [truck components] being air controlled, if those lines freeze up, you’re kind of dead in the water.”

Another thing Runnels said to check is the air lines underneath the trailer. In fact, a buildup of snow or ice can weigh them down to the point where they’re touching the road.

So, while winter-proofing your truck and trailer adds quite a few steps to your pre-trip, remember the additional time invested before hitting the road is time saved from the side of the road — or worse, overturned in a frigid environment.

Breaking down is one thing, but breaking down in sub-zero conditions is another level of inconvenience, Runnels warned.

Other precautions like chaining your tires can prove to be quite beneficial. Runnels said even little things like painting a bright yellow line on the sides of your trailer tires can serve as a great visual aid to see if they are spinning.

“We’re coming into this bad weather time of year, and it’s just in everybody’s best interest to really pay attention to their equipment and to the weather reports, give themselves some extra time and just be extra safe out there,” he said.

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Commercial trucking, like any job, has its ups and downs. The road is smooth for the most part, but it can become bumpy at times and turn unexpectedly.

That said, the industry is known for its welcoming atmosphere, attracting drivers of diverse backgrounds. What’s more, pay has been increasing along with other benefits, making commercial drivers some of the best-paid individuals outside of the office.

Many have gone on to enjoy fulfilling careers behind the wheel. However, not everyone is cut out for the job.

Reliance Partners’ Vice President of Safety Brian Runnels and Director of Safety Robert Kaferle contrast the expectations and realities of the trucking lifestyle and describe the characteristics that greatly determine success in the industry.

If one thing is for certain, it’s that trucking will take you out of your element.

A lot of drivers enter the industry with dreams of seeing America and all its beauty. While the gig can lead you to exotic places far from home, Kaferle reminds new truckers not to consider commercial driving a vacation; don’t expect you’ll be sightseeing while on the clock.

For example, a friend of his, a doctor, said his dream for retirement is to enter trucking and see the United States. Kaferle explained to him that the only sights he should expect to see are what’s along the freeway.

“You can’t take your truck to the Alamo; you can’t take your truck through downtown San Antonio or to Dealey Plaza [in Dallas],” Kaferle said.

Recruiters and companies are doing everything they possibly can to make the job more attractive, Runnels said. With new trucks and advanced in-cab technology, never before have drivers had access to such resources and comfort on the job.

But frustrations can arise if everyone’s not on the same page. Reports of carriers using misleading practices isn’t unheard of, but it’s often the case that drivers misinterpret a recruiter’s pitch or simply do not consider any sort of setbacks that could arise when assessing the job.

“With any sort of sales, which recruiting is, they’re selling the absolute best-case scenario that their particular company has to offer,” Runnels said. “It’s technically not wrong because if everything lines up, the best is possible. The problem lies in that there’s a lot of gaps that drivers can fall into and not receive exactly what they expected.”

Age may play a factor in job frustration, as the industry’s “fresh” drivers tend to be relatively advanced in years. The median age of over-the-road drivers is 46 while the average age of a new truck driver in training is 35, according to a 2019 report from the American Trucking Associations.

This concerns Runnels not only because the industry is having a hard time finding younger drivers, but also because the older “new” drivers are entering the industry with preconceived work expectations. He said that those who’ve spent many years working 9-to-5 jobs, such as factory workers with union hours and set holidays, may have a hard time adjusting to life on the road.

But prior work experience can, on the other hand, be invaluable. For instance, because of their experience in working long shifts at odd hours, Runnels has seen coal miners, firefighters and farmers transition very well to the trucking lifestyle.

Trucking’s a career only for sharp-minded individuals who thrive under stressful mental and physical conditions. If you’re adventurous, hardworking and always up for a challenge, then trucking is definitely a career to consider.

Those with short attention spans or who easily grow impatient may want to steer clear. Kaferle warns against speeding but also against the dangers of being lulled by monotony.

“It’s so beneficial to fight through all those things that Robert pointed out, relating to monotony and boredom,” Runnels said. “There’s a huge accident waiting to happen if you get bored and complacent.”

“The perfect company doesn’t exist because if it did, there would only be one trucking company and we’d all work for ’em,” Runnels said, urging truckers not to nitpick the small things, but to weigh the good with the bad.

“If the company has more goods than bads and it’s working for you … stay and try to make it as close to utopian as you possibly can because jumping ship and starting over and being on the bottom of the totem pole again is not a way to get preferred runs and days off. It just makes you the new guy all over again.”

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In a technology-rich and automated industry, it’s easy to take certain aspects of the job for granted. But what if your GPS loses signal? Would you know how to get to your destination on time? Situations like these are merely bumps in the road if you’ve come prepared.

It’s never too late to learn truck driving basics, which is why Reliance Partners’ Safety Team is gearing up a new series of articles to discuss the skills that every trucker should possess but hasn’t been taught.

“There’s so much technology out there that sometimes going back to the absolute basics is something that’s missed,” said Brian Runnels, Reliance Partners’ vice president of safety.

Adding to its safety and risk management thought leadership, Reliance Partners’ Trucking 101 series will explore such areas as defensive driving, trip planning, vehicle maintenance and communicating with dispatch, among other safety and soft-skill topics.

Runnels noted that a lot of problems stem from truckers being taught for the test, not for the road. But a test can’t prepare you for the many nuances that truck driving entails.

“I think that industry turnover or burnout has a lot to do with people not understanding that this is not just a job, it’s a lifestyle,” Runnels said. “If you don’t know how to work with this lifestyle, you’re probably not going to be very successful.”

Readers can expect new Trucking 101 content throughout the year, featuring commentary by Runnels as well as Robert Kaferle, Reliance Partners’ director of safety. The tag-team duo tackles trucking safety and risk management from a number of angles, with Runnels focusing on driver safety and Kaferle on operations management.

Combined, both Runnels and Kaferle have decades of experience in the trucking industry.

Before joining Reliance Partners to help carriers with driver safety and retention, Runnels logged over 2 million safe driving miles in his career before switching gears as a driver instructor, among other roles.

Kaferle worked extensively in the management side of the industry, with notable roles as nightly and weekend dispatcher for a Texas truckload carrier, ascending to director of its Northeast operations in Pennsylvania before becoming VP of operations for another carrier. Kaferle’s experience led him to Reliance Partners, where his goal has been to help carriers establish top-notch safety programs.

“A lot of carriers that we visit just assume that their drivers already know a lot of things that they should know, so they don’t teach it,” Kaferle said. “In reality, those are the basics needed to build their driving foundation on, but they often don’t receive the right training.”

Both Runnels and Kaferle said they’re excited to share the tips and tricks they’ve learned over the years to help those entering the industry have a better grip on their job and prepare them for situations that are hard to prepare for but will likely encounter.

Runnels compared driver skills to tools in a toolbox. Much like high-tech trucking devices, Craftsman tools are good to have, but if you don’t have a screwdriver, hammer, a pair of pliers and a box of nails, it’s a lot tougher to do your job when technical problems arise — the same goes for learning the driver basics.

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