Aside from diesel, one of the biggest costs to any haulage company is insurance. It can be a seriously hefty price. However in addition to shopping around there are other ways in which you can take action to reduce your haulage insurance premium. One of the best ways that companies can reduce this cost is to look at managing risk with regard to safety, and in particular accidents. So how do you go about doing this?
Putting all Drivers through Regular Safety Courses
If a haulier can demonstrate that they are actively controlling risk by taking action, then there is a good chance that they will see lower insurance premiums as a result. One way to do this is to make certain that all drivers attend regular safety courses. The Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving (SAFED) scheme is a government run programme aimed at improving the driving standards of hauliers and reducing accidents. Attendees are made aware of the most common causes of accidents and how to prevent them from happening.
Utilising Telematic data
Another major cause of accidents involving lorries is tiredness and fatigue. Those hauliers who provide extra training for criteria such as driving hours, tacho regulations and working time may also see a reduction in premiums. By embracing modern telematic data it provides information about important aspects of safety such as vehicle speeds, application of brakes, how the truck is being driven, and for what periods of time. For a haulier owner, having this information at their fingertips, means that they can see where potential problems might lie, and by offering additional training they may be able to prevent an accident from happening. Inevitably this means cheaper insurance premiums.
It does seem that insurance companies are rewarding haulage companies who are prepared to take action and manage risk. By taking ownership of health and safety issues and by putting procedures in place that will inevitably help to reduce the risk of accidents and aid safe driving, the result is going to be a huge tick in the box for those companies looking for reduced premiums.
Managing risk has to come from the top and for a haulage owner, by placing safety at the forefront of your business, making employees aware of it, and rewarding those with good driving records, you can see to it that accidents are reduced and those all important insurance premiums go down. Find out more about Haulage insurance online at www.skyinsurance.co.uk.
