Safety Information and Updates

We all know the running joke, no one in New England seems to remember how to drive the second it starts raining or especially snowing. But in all seriousness, its important to take a step back when the temperature drops and the snow starts falling, and make sure you're taking the simple steps necessary to make sure youre handling the tougher conditions safely.

Stay Back - Leave Time to React

In ideal road conditions, the safest following distance is 3-4 seconds. In snowy or icy conditions however, you want to leave at least 8-10 seconds of following time between you and the vehicle ahead of you. No easy task on some of our more infamous Massachusetts highways, but still an important proactive and simple measure you can take to vastly decrease your odds of a collision.

Be Aware of the Day's Varying Hazards

Is there a rain or wind advisory? Fog? Is the sun glaring off all that snow and ice? 

In rainy or slushy conditions, speed management is critical for avoiding hydroplaning, and keeping a safe distance between your truck and other vehicles is of paramount importance. The same goes for speed management and distance with foggy conditions, as the lack of visibility means its more important than ever to give yourself the most possible reaction time.

Sun glare can be mitigated with sunglasses and a visor, obviously. But keep in mind also that the difficulty in visibility even with those measures in place means you should still be watching your distance from other vehicles and speed, because not everyone else on the road is taking the steps to maximize their own visibility. 

Snow Driving - the worst, right? In any type of snow, but especially thick, slushy snow managing your speed and making sure youre taking your time on accelerations and decelerations is absolutely essential. In both snow and ice your braking distance can be much greater than it is in ideal conditions, so distance from other vehicles is key. Reduced traction from snow or ice packing on a road can result in it having 20% of the traction of a wet road. Poor traction means spinning wheels, so paying close attention to your speed, acceleration and deceleration is critical.

Black Ice - one of the most dangerous driving situations out there in the winter. Drivers should pay attention to the spray thrown from other surrounding vehicles - if it suddenly stops, it may indicate black ice is forming ahead.  

Reduced visibility from snow and ice buildup is hazardous. If you cannot see in ALL directions, it is not safe for you to be driving.

Additionally, should your vehicle break down in any of these extreme conditions, immediately call into your dispatcher or supervisor. You should not attempt to walk for help unless absolutely neccessary, and if so leave a note indicating your direction and attempted destination, etc. If your engine is able to run, remain in the truck with the engine running and the window cracked to prevent carbon monoxide buildup and wait for help to arrive. 

It Pays to Pay Closer Attention to your Truck Inspections in Extreme Weather

In addition to your regular daily vehicle inspections, once the cold weather hits its important to remember to pay extra attention to certain parts, fluids, and accessories. 

• Coolant & Antifreeze - both of these fluids need to be full at all times to help prevent any cold related engine problems
• Windshields - Make sure your defrosters are working properly at all times, your wipers are properly fitted so they press the window hard enough to completely clear the vision field. Your washer fluid should always be full, and you should be using a cold weather fluid, like a -20 formula.
• Tires - you need to make sure your tires are in good condition for winter driving, good tread, properly balanced and inflated. 
• Brakes - Make sure your brakes are properly adjusted, and make sure you are regularly checking for ice on the brake linings, and keeping air tanks as moisture free as possible. In a winter where youre dealing with a lot of ice driving & braking, pay attention to wear.
• Fuel Tank - you should be keeping your fuel tank full at all times if possible, especially overnight. Definitely do a top off when the forecast is calling for bad weather the next morning. 
• Lights & Reflectors - make sure that your lights are working, and make sure that all lights and reflectors are free from ice and snow before heading out - in this weather you need all the visibility advantages you can get.
• Exhaust - make sure exhaust fittings are tight to prevent carbon monoxide leaking. Also make sure your exhaust piping is free of snow and ice.
• Wiring & Airlines - any exposed airlines and wiring on your vehicle should be free of snow and ice
• Coupling Devices - Before coupling its critical that all snow and ice is removed from the 5th wheel. In below freezing temperatures, the jaws of the coupling device may not lock if the grease is frozen. The locking should be double checked, and the 5th wheel should be lubricated.
• Handholds, steps, and deck plates - should always be cleared of ice and snow to avoid falls. Always remember the 3 points of contact rule!

Winter Driving Equipment

The following items should ALWAYS be in your vehicle for winter driving:

• Windshield scraper
• Snow Brush
• Small Shovel
• Flashlight
• Warning Devices 

Its also advisable to think about your safety too - keep bottled water, some snacks, a cell phone/CB, and something to keep you warm should the need arise.

Winter is officially here! Just a quick reminder on simple steps that help DKB drivers deliver safely and efficiently to your business during inclement weather. 

First, when snow is predicted, please utilize a Safety cone over fill ports.  This deflects snow and ice from covers and fills which allows drivers to locate the fillports in a timely manner.  Time spent searching for fills and chipping ice is time not spent delivering fuel.

Second, please make sure fills are properly color coded per API specifications.  We have attached a chart for reference below. 

 Third, please be sure that all drive isles, stairs and access ways are clear of snow and ice so Drivers can safely make deliveries to your tanks.

 Thank You all for your business and cooperation this winter season.  Remember, you are never the last stop!

There are dozens of things to keep in mind to stay on the right side of Environmental Regulations for us fuel dealers, one of which is the SPCC plan.

Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plans (SPCC's) are a critical part of operating safely. If you store more than 12,000 gallons of petroleum products, regardless of packaging, you're required to have one but its actually a positive requirement when you think about it, and one that insures that your company and employees are always taking safety into account by knowing exactly what to do any time there is an issue. 

We retrain all our drivers on SPCC plans annually to make sure we keep everything fresh, and this also lets us get feedback from drivers on issues they see in the field, so we can proactively address them as needed. Your drivers are your eyes in the field and boots on the ground and your best source of information for both keeping everyone operating safely,and keeping them happy!

Making sure everyone is up to date and has a step-by-step detailed plan of action is a relatively simple way for us to make sure we're all focused on safety all the time. 

Ed wrote an article for Oil & Energy on SPCC plans and staying on top of regulations for the November issue, you can read the full article here at Oil & Energy Online 

We talked before about how we instituted a driving policy in 2010 that specifically prohibits drivers from using cell phones or any other devices while driving (you can read that policy here if you want: Dennis K Burke Distracted Driving Policy) in a nutshell, we have drivers call in prior to leaving their dispatched site for updates on loading instructions, next stops, etc, rather than answering dispatch or other calls while driving, loading, or delivering. 

The problem was, how could you know for sure someone wasn't using the phone? And what about the scores of sales people and others in company vehicles, how could we know for sure they were adhering to what we think is a critically important safety policy?

Good news.Turns out that "There's an app for that". 

The one we chose uses GPS to determine when the vehicle is in motion, and blocks the ability to text, email or use the phone until the vehicle is stopped. Pretty cool, right? 

You can read more about the app and why we chose to go with this method instead of hands-free devices or other options in Ed's September article for Oil & Energy here: Lock Down Phones Ensure Compliance

What do you guys think about locking down devices, or what policies or changes have you made that have helped reduce distractions for your drivers?

In talks at a recent Driver’s meeting, I got to thinking about how much the products that companies in our industry handle have changed over the years, and just how important it is to make sure that everyone in the company is up to speed with those changes and what those changes mean for them, whether they work as a driver, warehouse worker, or customer service rep.  

Whether your fleet has expanded into diesel delivery in response to regulatory changes for generators, your state is going to ultra low heat, your company has moved into biofuels/bioheat or ethanol gasoline, or your fleet is now using DEF, it's critically important that your operations and safety teams look at different product properties, risks, and differences.

It's important because not only do you need to train your drivers on placard changes and different loading procedures at both the truck and terminal levels, but you also need to train service techs and warehouse or supply personnel. Beyond that, it’s also important to train sales and customer service, which sometimes gets forgotten in the chaos of adapting to new products or regulations.

For example, we all experienced the biofuels learning curve with solvent properties dissolving gaskets quickly, and filters needing to be replaced more often. If your company is supplying BioHeat, it's important to let your service techs and customers know about increased filter change intervals. Warehouse personnel should know to keep an eye on and ensure proper hoses and gaskets are being used to avoid leaks, corrosion, and safety issues. Station customers should be aware of micron requirements for biodiesel filters. Customer Service reps and Sales teams should be informed enough on the product specs and specifics to answer customers questions on safe handling as well.  

If your company fleet has moved into using DEF, it's important to not only train drivers using the fluid in their own trucks, but if you store it in bulk at your facility, service and warehouse personnel should understand how to store it properly and what problems can arise from non-closed systems or non compliant metal pumps gaskets or fittings, etc. This is critical to ensuring you don't contaminate your fleet (or a customer fleet if you deliver). It’s also important to train sales and customer service on these same items, even though they don’t handle the product themselves, it’s a huge positive for your company to have customers know that they can call anyone at your organization and get the information they need to make sure they too are handling the product safely and properly.

Environmental risks and proper response for spills or leaks of products is important for all personnel as well – not just drivers. The entire staff needs to be aware on what is risky to their health, what's an emergency, what the protocol is for spills or leaks, etc. not only is this important for your liability but more importantly your staff safety, and the safety of your customers.

I thought it would be a good idea to run through different product handling needs and changes in more detail in future updates – what types of product changes have affected your company and the way you train staff to handle and deliver products?

Road Check is upon us again! The dates for the 72 hour inspection period for 2014 will be June 3rd through 5th. According to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CSVA), one of the programs sponsors:

" Since its inception in 1988, roadside inspections conducted during Roadcheck have numbered over 1 million, resulting in more than 220 lives saved and 4,045 injuries avoided. It also provides an opportunity to educate the industry and general public about the importance of safe commercial vehicle operations and the roadside inspection program" (excerpt from CSVA's website, which is an excellent source for commercial vehicle operators:  http://www.cvsa.org/programs/int_roadcheck.php )

So what are they looking for and how can you make sure your truck is ready? Last year saw over 73 thousand inspections of trucks and buses (thats 17 PER MINUTE on average!) with 22% of trucks, and less than 4% of drivers placed out of service. 

The inspections all come down to ensuring that drivers are operating safely and doing so in a safe, properly maintained vehicle. Most of the prep is just a matter of paying extra attention to the simple every day safety measures we all take - making sure you have your license, medical card, hours of service paperwork/elog, and any cargo documentation you need in your truck - and it sounds silly but make sure you fasten your seatbelt! The craziest part of last years inspection numbers was that almost 900 drivers were cited for seatbelt violations!

Last year the inspections primarily focused on load securement, and this is always a critical part of the test since its a huge safety concern, so make sure your straps, chains, tailgates are in good shape and proper working order. In terms of the overall vehicle inspection, what you have the most control over as a driver is making sure you have proper documentation for what you're carrying, especially hazmat drivers. Making sure your vehicle is properly placarded, you have the right paperwork, and if youre in a city like Boston, you know what routes you can and cannot travel with hazardous cargo. This years focus is HazMat compliance, so all of us fuel folks have to keep that in mind and be extra vigilant. 

We all work hard to do our jobs as safely as possible every day, so just make sure you're a little extra vigilant next week, and it'll all be over soon!