Marvin Keller is in the business of hauling freight. In order to be profitable, freight must make it to the correct location, intact, while following industry regulations. Everything you need to make sure your load is in order before heading out can be checked during your pre-trip inspection. The safest drivers follow these pre-trip checks:
- Scale your load. Overweight loads can cost a lot of money. Besides the cost of having to go back and get reworked, if you get pulled over and fined and/or put out of service, the costs add up. It also increases our CSA scores, making you more likely to get pulled in for inspections.
- Visually inspect your loads. Ensure they are loaded and secured properly for transport. Just as all hazmat loads should have at least two straps on the back, every load should be checked to make sure it’s loaded and secured to prevent load shifting. Load shifts can cause product damage, or even worse, a trailer rollover. Safety is the utmost priority and must be considered before everything.
- Check your bills before leaving the shipper. This is the simplest of activities that can prevent many problems. Make sure your bills have the correct destination, that the PO numbers, seal number, and trailer number match, and that the product on the bill is what you’re supposed to have. If your load is hazmat, ensure the bills are marked and you have the correct placards on the trailer.
- If you’re hooking a preload, always check to make sure you have the correct trailer number. Hauling a trailer 800 miles only to find out you’ve hooked the wrong trailer because the bill wasn’t checked before leaving is a complete loss of revenue on the load.
Customers expect us to deliver freight timely and in good condition. Following the simple steps above will go a long way to making sure we deliver on those expectations. If you have issues with your load or are concerned that it isn’t loaded properly or can’t be hauled safely, reach out to your Driver Manager. Safety is a value at Marvin Keller.
