100 Trucking Safety Meeting Topics and City Driving Tips
I get a lot of email from trucking companies, asking for safety meeting topics and ideas- and I have a bunch of them. In fact, my articles have appeared in hundreds of trucking company newsletters (and have been stolen by dozens of websites). I have answered many of the same questions again and again.
I don’t mind though- I love getting email- and it shows that a lot of people are interested in safety. I like safety. In fact, to me, safety is a virtue- a personal value.
Before I give you my 100 safety meeting topic ideas, I thought I’d lay out the top one that everybody seems to overlook the most- and very likely the most important safety skill drivers need to discuss.
Safe City Driving Tips
Trucking companies, taxi companies, even sales reps- anyone who drives for a living has to put up with city driving daily- heavy traffic, road rage, aggressive drivers and more. What’s worse, nobody teaches on this subject.
I have been harping on it for twelve years now, through my Big City Driver articles, and as a columnist for Ten-Four Magazine. So I have a huge arsenal of safety tips, especially when it comes to City Driving.
Ten Keys to Safe City Driving
1. Understand Traffic Waves – When you understand what traffic waves are, you can easily dissolve them.
2. Prevent Traffic Jams – By understanding what causes traffic jams, you can actually prevent them.
3. Stay Calm – It’s easy to stay calm during stressful traffic situations, when you understand what makes you stressful.
4. Do the Math – There’s an easy math system (you can do in your head) that proves that only a few seconds can possibly be saved while driving in a city, so it is therefore pointless to try to hurry.
5. Be Predictable – Sudden movements cause accidents. Steady, predictable movements give others a chance to react.
6. Time Traffic Lights – Timing traffic lights so that you don’t have to stop, will reduce stress and equipment wear.
7. Expect the Expected – Getting cut-off on the highway is so commonplace now, you should really be expecting it.
8. Compensate for the Ignorant – Take pride in the fact that you are one of the few who gets it. Then, you will feel sorry for ignorant drivers, instead of getting mad at them.
9. Teach Others – Help spread the word so that everyone will learn to prevent traffic jams, rather than cause them. Everyone who drives, whether it’s a car or a truck, needs to learn how to prevent traffic jams.
10. Make Sure an Accident is Never your Fault – Two simple rules will keep you in the right, every time. Pound these two simple things into your head and you will never have an accident that is your fault.
NOTE: Below is a long list of safety meeting topics. I can’t lay out the whole safety meeting for you- just the topics- unless you want to hire me to come to your next meeting. If you are in the Chicago to Indianapolis area, just email me here. I don’t charge any more than the average truck driver. Or, go here for more info on the Ten Keys to Safe City Driving.
Top 100 Safety Meeting Topics
Whatever safety meeting topic you choose for your next meeting, begin by asking your drivers- how many haven’t had an accident in 20-30 years? Then ask them what their secret is.
- Wind – the silent killer
- Speed kills
- Your CDL is your livelihood- don’t take chances with it
- How to prevent a jackknife
- Winter driving
- Construction season
- How to the most valuable employee
- What causes road rage- and how to avoid it
- The Smith System
- When to use, and not use your CB
- Backing safety
- Stay current on regulations
- Practice CDL tests
- How to earn bonuses
- What is common sense
- Aggressive driving
- Prevent forklift accidents
- Loading dock safety
- Preventing preventable accidents
- Holidays and accidents
- Lumpers- scam or service
- Courtesy is cool
- Attitude is aptitude
- Be the captain- it’s your responsibility in the end
- Staying healthy on the road- walk a lot, drink water
- Save time on foot
- Don’t eat while you drive
- Plan where you will sleep- in a safe place
- Save fuel
- How to get promoted
- How to get a pay raise
- Job-hopping- it’s not always greener
- Plan for your retirement
- Buy insurance supplements
- Share some stories
- Ask drivers for ideas
- Driver appreciation
- Surprise bonus checks for safety
- Give out ham’s or turkeys for the holidays
- Safe driver awards ceremony
- Tailgating is stupid
- How to think positive
- How to eat cheap on the road
- Trip planning
- Cellphone or texting while driving
- Turn corners without braking
- Driving in rain
- Fog
- Convoy safety and hindrance
- Don’t drive tired
- No delivery is worth your life
- Utilizing the chain of command
- Communication is key
- Pre-trip/post-trip inspections
- Train your spouse
- Sexual harassment
- How to report problems
- Cover your rear
- Gravel pit etiquette
- How to never lie on your logbook
- Customer service
- Hazardous material handling
- What to do in case of accident
- Fighting fatigue
- Distracted driving
- Emergency stopping
- Don’t use your back
- Cruise control driving
- Avoiding slip-and-fall
- First aid
- Using equipment in winter
- Keep stress low
- Safety is your responsibility
- Securing your load
- Bobtail safely
- Proper tarping
- Hours of service
- Understanding anti-lock brakes
- Safety equipment
- Cleanliness is safety
- Company policies and rules
- How not to drive
- Mountain driving
- Ergonomics
- Understanding why we do what we do
- Roadside inspection etiquette
- Biggest mistakes rookies make
- Understanding our safety rating
- Stupid 4-wheeler moves
- Truck Diver Trip Envelopes
Whenever you present a safety meeting, try to encourage drivers to participate, and tell stories, so others can learn from those experiences. It’s OK to laugh- find some entertainment in your points.
Have fun, and be safe.
Ken Skaggs
That’s a good point that the speed limit might be too fast in the winter. It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to vehicles. My uncle is thinking about getting into trucking since he’s had a preference for driving large vehicles anyways.
I really appreciate the insight here in this post and confident it’s going to be helpful to me and many others.
I like that you mentioned that sudden movements cause accidents. It might be a good idea to start making your moves slowly and making sure that it is safe. While getting a ride to the airport, I was in a van with my family and the driver was driving safely and making sure that he didn’t put anyone in danger. My family and I all felt much safer.
Every truck drivers should be equipped with the safety and driving tips. It is not just their lives which are at stake when they sit behind those wheels. The lives of those people they will meet along the way must also be considered. These tips are perfect for those trucking business owners who are preparing for an update and meeting with their drivers.
Thanks to Ken Skaggs! What a great help in preparing for my drivers meetings! As one who also drove (near everything) for most of my adult life, you don’t miss a trick in your topics! Great Info!! Thank you again! Gregory Krabbe Salvation Army Chicago Northside
Transportation and Logistics Manager
Wow. Thanks for the kind words Greg. You made my day. By the way- I love the Salvation Army!
Hi Ken, I did a quick web search for trucking safety topics for an upcoming safety meeting that we are planning and found your “Ten Keys for safe city driving” article. It looks great and I’m wondering if I could ask your permission to use it.
I have a few questions regarding your article and I’m hoping you can take a few minutes to shed some light on a few things.
First of all, can you please elaborate on how to effectively dissolve a traffic wave? Next, can you please go into greater detail on how a driver can effectively prevent traffic jams? Also, can you please explain your easy math to help drivers better understand that fast driving only saves them a few seconds? and Finally, regarding making sure an accident is never the fault of our drivers, can you please share with us the two simple rules that will keep our drivers in the right, every time?
We appreciate any help you have to offer with respect to our safety program.
Thank you very much.
Tom Easter
Hi Tom,
Check out this page, it answers all those questions-
http://bigcitydriver.com/2012/07/ten-keys-to-safe-city-driving-video/
The short version is- by keeping some space in front of your vehicle, you are preventing traffic jams and dissolving traffic waves. And the two things that wiull make sure an accident is never your fault are- 1. Stay in your lane, and 2. Be prepared to stop.
Doing the math in your head is easy when you begin at 60 MPH because it’s also one mile per minute. For example, if you are traveling 58 MPH and you approach a truck going 57, as you slowly gain on him you can do some math in your head. If you stay behind him for a whole hour you know that you will lose exactly one minute. So divide that by 60 and you conclude that if you were to stay behind him for only one minute you will lose exactly one second. The point I make in the video is, it doesn’t make sense to pass someone who is going a little slower than you are. Seconds don’t really count.
You should watch the video (and read the article) at the page above. If you still have any questions I’ll be happy to help. You can email me directly at info@bigcitydriver.com
Thank you!
Ken