Experienced contractors make safety their biggest priority when they’re on a job site. Getting to and from a job site safely should get the same attention. When you have to drive to multiple sites in the course of your work as a contractor, strategic precautions could mitigate your risk exposure considerably.
Replace Older Vehicles
Contracting company owners may be understandably reluctant to undertake major repairs on vehicles that have racked up serious mileage and are beginning to look worse for the wear. However, trying to get by with a vehicle that isn’t performing reliably or has issues with a general safety function could put you in a precarious position.
Rather than putting a lot of working capital into repairs, consider getting an affordable financing option for a new vehicle. Finding room in your operating budget to buy a current model will give you complete confidence that your truck is roadworthy. Making this the year to replace your work vehicle with a newer and safer model may prove to be a smart use of your company’s resources.
To plan the right vehicle purchase, you have to consider a lot more factors than size and cost. As you are looking online for the best deals on a new Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, or Ram for sale, compare features and capabilities to find the right truck or vehicle for your business needs.
Stay on Top of Maintenance
Regardless of whether you have a new or used truck keeping up with essential preventive maintenance is crucial for commercial drivers. Replace brake pads, inspect lines, and check fluid on a set schedule. Also, regularly checking your tire pressure is a must. When winter is underway, consider switching to snow tires so you’ll be ready for rough conditions on the road.
Being attentive to preventive maintenance helps to ensure that a company-owned vehicle is mechanically fit and safe. It might also spare you from having to deal with more costly repairs further down the line.
Self-Audit Your Driving
Use a monitoring device that you can plug into your truck’s OBD port to record data about your safe driving habits. This type of device is a particularly smart buy for contractors with more than one vehicle or multiple personnel members driving on their business’ behalf.
Monitoring equipment can generate detailed reports and real-time alerts. They also capture useful information about hard braking. Stopping short may be necessary to avoid an accident on rare occasions, but making it a regular practice increases the likelihood of being involved in a collision.
Self-auditing your driving practices is probably going to make you more conscientious about what you’re doing to stay safe on the road. Looking at a report about how many times you exceeded the speed limit in a given week could be a serious eye-opener that prompts you to drive more cautiously in the future.
Keep Your Business Safely Traveling Along
Ultimately, contractors have to be pragmatic about safe driving. Putting the right amount of time and money towards important safety initiatives will help you protect yourself and reduce liability risks.