Safety Meeting

Saturday we had our end of the year safety meeting for "the transportation department". We drive the big trucks as opposed to the "wholesale department" that drives the small milk trucks you see delivering to stores. These are 2 different departments entirely.

Our department has about 13 trucks and 17 drivers (some trucks are used by 2 different drivers). We do not drive the large number of miles that OTR drivers (over the road) drive but we still drive a large number of miles.

We had "zero" accidents this year while collectively driving between 600,000 and 700,00- miles. When most people think of accidents they think of "fender-benders" or worse. These are the most common for OTR drivers but in our case that is a small part of the "at risk" we find ourselves in every day. OTR drivers mostly travel interstate and major highways. We do the same plus city streets and in parking lots with lots of cars. We also "backup" (the most "at risk" driving one can do) more in a month than OTR drivers do in a year.

Contact with a building, parked car, pole, dumpster or any other object is considered an "accident". So "zero" accidents in a year is quite an accomplishment.

If one has an accident in the previous 12 months (ending in October every year), then he is not given an award for that year. All years worked without an accident are added together for your total.

The first accident free year you receive a jacket, five years and ten years you receive a plaque. Every year you receive a "safety hat-pin". A small monetary award is also given. Wal-Mart gift cards, starting at $10 and increases $5 a year until a maximum of $60 is reached.

We have our meeting at different restaurants where a nice meal is provided by the company.
This year is my 11th year with the company and this is a picture ( sorry for the quality) of my pin.