Long Haul Trucking Soars With Safety: The CVSA’s Operation Safe Driver Week was scheduled for Oct. 15 to 21, 2017. This initiative had Law enforcement across the country identifying unsafe driving behavior in commercial and passenger vehicles such as speeding, distracted driving, failure to use seat belt, following too closely, improper lane change, texting, cell phones, and failure to obey traffic control devices. As always, our team did an outstanding job and passed the week without any violations or citations that would lead to point deductions in our safety scores. This is a testament to the outstanding work of our entire fleet and safety division who share a constant attention to detail and observance of the rules of the road in regards to safe driving. As a company it is important that we treat every week with this diligence and always take pride in being a company that operates at a high level as safely and legally as possible. It’s no surprise that we take pride in maintaining a great looking fleet; let’s make sure our safety scores stay as clean as our trucks!

Permit Book Season is upon us!
It is permit book renewal season again. As in past years, all drivers will be required to come into the Albertville office prior to December 31, 2017 to get their permit book updated and sign the required annual forms. 4th quarter training will also be a part of this years permit book updates. Jessica Harff will be conducting this training course and it will be offered Monday through Friday at 8:00 AM, 11:00AM and 2:00 PM. This training course is about 30 minutes in length so please plan accordingly.
Please stop by and see any member of the Safety Department at your earliest convenience to get your permit book updated. You will need to bring in your permit book and your Peoplenet Instruction Book

Remembering Johnathon, It is with a very heavy heart that we say good bye to valued team member and outstanding driver, Johnathon Lee, who passed away this month. Johnathan was a great member of the Long Haul family and we will always remember his kind spirit and warm personality. Our company was proud to have a man like Johnathon representing us on the road, who like each of our outstanding drivers always did so with professionalism, safety and a warm smile for everyone he met. Thank you, Johnathon, for everything you did during your time at LHT, you will not be forgotten, and always remember as a valued member of our team.

Three Keys for the Month
1) Congratulations and thank you to each member of our driving team and safety division who helped make Operation Safe Driving a success, great work to all!
2) Don’t forget to get through corporate sooner than later in order to ensure your permit book is up to code and ready for 2018!
3) Following distance is on the of the most critical aspect of safe driving, and we encourage all of our drivers to take the extra time to make sure they aren’t tailgating or creeping too closely on the traffic ahead. Maintaining a safe following distance can help keep us collision free and moving safely all winter long!

The Bottom Line:
“Safety tips to keep our money in our wallets, not paying fines”
We’ve seen winter arrive in Minnesota a bit earlier than expected this year, and can only anticipate that it’s a sign of what’s ahead. As the temperature drops and roads get wet with snow and ice, one of the most critical things for us to keep in mind when traveling down the pavement is maintaining a safe following distance. Following the vehicle in front of you from the appropriate length is one of the best ways to avoid potential collisions, and helps keep not only the valued members of our fleet safe, but the pedestrians that we share the road with as well. Slide outs, hard breaks and swerving can occur when we meet slick road conditions and it’s not always easy to immediately correct. By maintaining a safe, and legal following distance we leave ourselves in the appropriate position to correct our wheels, and keep moving all while avoiding any potential collisions, or loss of control. We value each member of our driving fleet immensely, and look forward to another profitable winter of safe and accident free driving.