One Perspective On Why Compliance Should Be Based On Safety Determinations, Not The Other Way Around
“Safety and regulatory compliance are simply not the same.”
So writes Brian Fielkow in a recent Opinion column for Transport Topics. As the CEO of Jetco Delivery, Fielkow takes issue with top-down way in which policymakers and regulators govern his industry. He believes that trucking regulations don’t work not because of onerous legal obligations, but because they punish companies for violations after the fact rather than adequately addressing risks:
“From an outside and sometimes misinformed viewpoint, the level of safety is measured simply by crashes and regulatory compliance. When we measure crashes, it’s too late. We are basing our measurements on a tragic event. When we look at compliance, at best, we are looking at meeting standards that define the minimum or are incapable of addressing the broad number of niches in which we operate. At worst, we are spending time jumping through regulatory hoops that really do not drive safe outcomes.”
Fielko’s piece (which I encourage you read in its entirety) arrives at a pivotal moment in the trucking and transportation sector. President Trump has made clear his intentions to roll back any regulations he believes impede business growth. We’ve already seen how the current administration led the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to rethink its planned electronic logging devices rulemaking and implementation.
But in a looser regulatory environment, what’s keeping truckers and fleets safe? Fielko argues that the responsibility falls on “business leaders—both labor and management.” He writes: “This always has been the case regardless of the political climate.”
To that end, he offers 6 strategies for driving better outcomes and encouraging a culture of safety at your organization:
- “Ensure your employees report a near miss without fear of retribution.”
- “Walk around.”
- “Bring your front lines inside.”
- “Ensure an ongoing system of process audits exists.”
- “Promote a culture of accountability.”
- “Implement a new employee onboarding process that instills preventive behaviors from day one.”
Read the full article here.
If you agree with Fielko, we can help you take the lead in not only complying with the letter of the law, but in fostering proactive, safe practices throughout your fleet. Our automated compliance management system, Compligo, helps trucking companies train their employees and track their activities in easy, intuitive ways that work alongside your business rather than against it.
We know that no matter what regulations look like today or tomorrow, your job is to keep your people safe and happy. And we have your back. Learn more about Compligo.
