Fleet safety is crucial for every transportation business. That means, after you find CDL truck drivers for your open positions, you don’t want to send them on the road without a second thought. Instead, you want to take the time to optimize your driving routes and take other steps, ensuring that safety is always the priority. 

While it may seem like cultivating a safer, more efficient fleet is a massive undertaking, that doesn’t have to be the case. If you aren’t sure where to begin, here are three truck routing tips that can help. 

1. Constantly Monitor the Routes in Progress

In many cases, you’ll have a driver’s entire route planned when they head out of the door, ensuring they are following the optimal path. The issue is, circumstances can change after they leave. There might be an accident on the preferred road, a storm rolling in, or other issues that often develop with little or no notice. 

Aside from that, your drivers may need to make unplanned stops. There could be a mechanical issue that needs addressing or a safety concern they need to handle. This alters the timeline. 

Ideally, you want to make sure that you constantly monitor all routes in progress. It’s wise to check what lies ahead, enabling you to contact the driver if there is a problem and give them guidance to avoid it. 

Additionally, it’s best to track their actual progress, allowing you to see if they make an unexpected stop. That way, you can reach out and offer support if it’s needed or, at a minimum, inform the customer of the delay if that’s necessary. 

2. Embrace Safer Navigation Practices

In a world where GPS is the norm, it’s easy to assume that you don’t need to take any other steps to keep your drivers on the right route. However, GPS signals aren’t always available, particularly in remote areas. Additionally, some GPS notifications may not provide enough notice about a situation that could create a potential hazard, like an off-ramp unexpectedly being on the left instead of the right. 

Ideally, you want to embrace safer navigation practices. While you can certainly make use of technology like GPS, have alternative solutions available. Create a set of step-by-step instructions that aren’t dependent on a GPS connection. Also, have the driver review them before they hit the road, ensuring they make note of anything unconventional about the route. That way, they are prepared, making it easier for them to stay safe. 

3. Keep Up with Time Tracking

Time tracking can be crucial for driver safety. It helps you determine how many hours a driver has been on the road, when they’ve last taken a break, and so much more. 

By reviewing time tracking information regularly, you can identify drivers who may be pushing themselves too hard or are otherwise at risk of fatigue. Since being tired can have serious consequences when on the road, it’s a crucial step, allowing you to intervene if the need may arise. 

Ultimately, all three of the tips above can make a difference. If you’d like to find more experienced drivers for your distribution needs, the team at PTS® can help. Contact us today.