Avoiding Common Parking Lot Crashes

Two-thirds of a fleets collisions happen in a parking lot and involve a fixed or stationary object. Learn to train your drivers to avoid them.
By J. Scott Roberts, CTP, CDS

PRO-TREAD
INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES

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Drive for Show, Park for Dough

If you play golf, you know the expression, drive for show, putt for dough. The idea is that most golfers take half their strokes (or more!) on the putting green, so thats where you should emphasize your practice. A golfer wants to put the ball in the cup, and you want to deliver a load to the shipper. Their mistakes on the green cost them, and your fleets mistakes in a parking lot cost you. In fact, more than half about 60% of all collisions and injuries happen in or around parking lots. So where do you think you should emphasize your safety program? Most safety professionals spend most of their time focused on roadway collisions. And this is for good reason: higher speeds can mean more injuries and higher costs. But the sheer number of incidents and costs of parking-lot types of collisions mean you cannot afford to overlook them.

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Common Safety Problems in Parking Lots

From our research and experience, the most common types of collisions and injuries are:
Hitting fixed or stationary objects Backing and docking collisions Lift gate injuries Entry and exit from the truck injuries Slips, trips and falls Intersection crashes

This paper will discuss hitting fixed objects, and backing and docking. The other issues will be discussed in a forthcoming whitepaper, and will be available at InstructionTech.net. Well look at common causes of these usually avoidable incidents, and how you can get your drivers and employees to avoid them.

Who Should Read This Whitepaper

This paper should be ready by safety directors, risk managers, store managers, distribution center and dock managers. And frankly, you should hand a copy to your CFO and CEO so they understand what youre up against.

Copyright 2013

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Fixed and Stationary Object Collisions

When your driver hits something that is sitting still in plain sight, its frustrating enough to pull your hair out. Mirrors. Brakes. The steering wheel. Its not like the windshield and windows are blacked out! How did they hit something?

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The Root Causes: Rushing and Distraction

Pro-TREAD online driver training deals with driver distractions in several lessons, including Avoiding Fixed Objects.

Whether it is a fixed object, stationary object or backing collision, these types of crashes are often caused by driver inattention or rushing. As you know, the reality is that your drivers often face tremendously tight time schedules and overlapping delivery windows to accommodate 12-18 deliveries per day. Delivery time slots have been narrowed to as little as a two-hour window, with as many as three deliveries sharing the same time window. The medium truck fleet also contends with customer preference time windows and 30 minute call-ahead notifications, further contributing to time pressures on the road. Add in the same pressures every human with a family feels a sick kid, tough financial situations, an annoying neighbor and its easy to understand how they feel rushed and pressured. That leads to distraction and fatigue.

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How do you help your drivers combat the pressure? Constantly remind drivers about focusing, and finishing a task before moving onto the next one. As we heard one wise driver manager say once, I ask you to do a lot, but I demand you do just one thing at a time. For example, dont start thinking about paperwork until the truck is in park. Focus. Pro-TREAD training covers driver distraction in a standalone course, Driver Distraction, as well as chapters on distraction in Backing and Docking, Backing and Docking Enhanced, and Avoiding Fixed Objects.

Personal Experience

Discretion is the Better Part of Valor

We have all seen this: its 7:30am and a local fueling station near a warehouse district is packed with medium trucks getting fuel and grabbing breakfast. It looks like a beehive. I once implemented a policy that prohibited my drivers from using a particular local fueling station because of the hazards and accidents associated with the location. The policy alone reduced my annual parking lot collisions by more than 50%.

Fixed Object Collisions Vs. Backing Collisions

When we talk about fixed object collisions and backing collisions, sometimes the differences can become a little confusing. A fixed object collision most commonly refers to collisions where the truck was in drive and moving forward when it hit with a fixed or stationary object. In contrast, a backing collision refers to any type of collision when the truck was in reverse and backing.

Other Vehicles and Awnings

For medium truck fleets, the two most common types of collisions involve other vehicles or trailers (stationary objects) and low clearance awnings (fixed objects). Despite the slow speeds in a parking lot, the size and weight of medium trucks can cause significant damage to anything they hit. Its estimated that the forward-moving fixed and stationary object accidents can account for 30% or more of a fleets total annual collisions.

Training Tip

Make Cone Drills Impossible

When practicing parking with cones, intentionally make it impossible by just a foot or so. See if your driver will tell you its too small, or will try to force it. They should never assume they can fit into a spot.

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Avoiding Fixed Objects

The best approach to avoiding fixed and stationary object collisions is to:
Approach slowly Scan the area you are approaching, including up Get out and look: Its not just for backing!

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At these low speeds, it is easy to stop, activate the trucks flashers, and hop out for a quick visual scan before making a tight maneuver or pulling under an awning.

Avoid Busy Lots Altogether

Another idea is simply to ban the truck from unusually busy or congested areas. For example, if you can keep your trucks out of busy fueling stations and tight parking lots, youll avoid a lot of incidents. When you know an area will be busy during a time frame, work with the store manager to avoid your delivery windows during that time.

Backing Crashes: More Common Than You Think

Backing accidents with a fixed or stationary object are always considered 100% preventable. Most backing accidents will occur within or in the immediate area of a parking lot. They account for about 30% or more of a fleets total annual collisions. This easily brings the total potential for parking lot collisions up to 60% of the annual Top 3 Backing collisions for medium truck fleets. Collisions 1. Other Vehicles 2. Narrow objects like poles 3. Low awnings and signs

Common Backing Crashes

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While we classify backing accidents separately from fixed/stationary object collisions, they can and often do involve fixed or stationary objects. Medium trucks most often back into other vehicles, especially passenger vehicles. The next most frequent collision is with a narrow objects like poles that can be difficult to see. Finally, low-clearance awnings get torn off buildings when drivers misjudge their height or simply dont look for them.

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How to Avoiding Backing and Docking Crashes

With regards to backing collisions, the best defense is training. The best option is to teach your drivers techniques for avoiding the need to back at all. This may require scouting a delivery area or talking to the manager of the facility Less Common beforehand. Of course, depending on Backing Collisions your cargo or the type of facility, this is not Talking to safety directors, always possible. weve heard a few doozies. When backing is necessary, drivers One driver backed into must be aware of their surroundings and the transformer for a huge know what is behind them. Remember to regional mall, shutting it apply the GOALden rule of backing; Get down for a Saturday during Out And Look! Remind them that the the Christmas shopping company expects them to re-inspect their season. Another driver surroundings as often as needed. It is a caught an awning on the good practice to get out and look several front of a church and it times on a long back or in a very tight lot. pulled down the whole If theyre rushed, theyll finish faster if they brick facade. get it right the first time. Nothing slows a driver down more than hitting a pole.

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Backing with a Spotter

Many medium truck fleets deliver products that require a driver and a helper or team driver. Despite having the addition of a second person, backing accidents still remain one of, if not the most frequent type of accident the fleet experiences each year. Training on how to back with a spotter is a key to reducing these accidents, so make this part of a road test. You should require the driver and helper teams to properly demonstrate backing with a spotter as part of a safety meeting. Ask your experienced teams of drivers and spotters for ideas about close calls and tricky situations. Additionally, this practice needs to be supported by a strong and actionable policy that holds both the driver and spotter accountable for a backing collision. If the truck is backing, the helper or team driver needs to be out of the truck and spotting the driver as he backs. Additionally, its never a bad idea for the driver to also Get Out And Look. Pro-TREAD has a training lesson for medium-duty trucks about avoiding fixed objects. The 30-minute course covers backing, spotters, getting out and looking, distractions, and several other common situations.

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Pro-TREAD has a training lesson for medium-duty trucks about avoiding fixed objects. The 30-minute course covers backing, spotters, G.O.A.L., distractions and several other common situations.

Backing Technology for Trucks

Last but not least is our friend technology. It seems like technology can solve almost anything these days, and technology has been reported to have some positive impact on backing accidents in particular. Back-up cameras in particular have shown success in reducing backing accidents. But like with any new tool, training with the devices is absolutely essential. These items should not be considered or treated as plug and play devices, no matter what the sales person tells you. Even the best back-up cameras distort the image behind the vehicle to some degree. They should only be used in conjunction with good backing techniques. Backing sensors, usually installed in the rear bumper, have also emerged as a technology solution. There is not a reliable amount of data available regarding these devices being used independently because backing sensors are almost always used in conjunction with a back-up camera. Again, as with the back-up camera, it is no replacement for good backing techniques. Anecdotally, safety directors have told us the sensors can have a difficult time detecting thin, cylindrical objects like poles, and may not detect soft objects (people) at all. Talk to your sales rep and ask for multiple demonstrations you will find excellent products on the market.

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The Hidden Costs of Small Collisions

If theyre just scratches and dings, whats the big deal? Fixed/stationary object collisions and backing collisions, while typically occurring at very low speed, can still be costly. The fact is the truck itself usually only sustains the scratches and dings due to the low speeds associated with these collisions. The same cannot be said for whatever got hit.

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Hard Costs of Collisions

The medium duty truck carries an average load of about 15,000 18,000 lbs. It varies of course, but most medium truck fleets maximize cube space before they even come close to 25,999 pounds. That said; 15,000 pounds is still a significant amount of mass when it hits an object. Since other vehicles are most often what is hit in parking lot collisions, it is important to note that other vehicles especially passenger vehicles are expensive to repair. When you consider the body damage, parts and paint even a minor collision can easily cost $2,500. And thats before even getting into other expenses like a rental car. Direct costs most commonly associated with these types of collisions include:
Cost to repair the vehicle or other object Cost to repair the truck Rental vehicles

Figuring out expenses to repair a car is reasonably straightforward, and adds up to a few thousand dollars. But hitting a gas pump can be in the tens of thousands of dollars, and thats just the tip of the iceberg. If fuel is spilled, the EPA can get involved because most parking lots have water drains. The company will certainly receive these bills associate with cleanup, water/ ground testing and follow up testing. And if a significant amount of fuel is spilled before the emergency shut-off activates, the EPA follow up testing can go on for literally years in an expensive bureaucratic nightmare. Copyright 2013

Soft Costs of Collisions

Indirect or soft costs add up quickly as well, but can become more difficult to account for. Safety directors often talk about the iceberg of safety costs. They are hidden beneath the waterline, but very real. It has been proven

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many times; soft costs can easily eclipse the hard costs by four times the amount. And what if the accident is serious enough to justify follow-up training or even termination of the driver involved? Driver training has a cost in lost time, and it can cost $5,000 to find and onboard a new driver. There could be possible injuries, medical bills and a lawsuit. When theres a rolling billboard parked on top of a passenger car, plaintiff lawyers get mighty greedy. You get the picture: a collision that happened at less than 2 mph could rack up thousands upon thousands of dollars in soft costs.

Examples of Hidden Costs of Crashes

After a collision, the scheduled deliveries and pickups will be delayed, impacting customer service. Your team may even have to provide additional, uncompensated service to keep customers happy. Network efficiency can be hurt as other resources are re-deployed to offset any potential operational impact. Over-time, additional fuel, mileage, additional risk, lost product, etc.

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Incentivizing Safety
Beyond training, there are other policies and practices that can have a positive impact on reducing backing accidents as well. As a manager, you can reinforce safety in a positive way, and enforce rules in a negative way. Many fleets have safety bonuses for going a certain period without an incident, or for completing all vehicle inspection reports on time. But what happens to that drivers attitude if they get a ding for a lamp out? You can keep their chins up with incentives for driving compliments (Like those hows my driving? phone numbers) or for every clean DOT inspection. On the flip side, negative reinforcement such as termination can be used for things like a second backing accident or for failing to report a Unintended Incentives collision. The most effective way to Make sure you dont manage your drivers is to use both accidentally create a culture of the carrot and the stick. Using both silence with your incentives. positive and negative reinforcement No driver wants to be the keeps drivers both accountable and person who kept the team encouraged. from getting its bonus.

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About J. Scott Roberts, CTP, CDS

J. Scott Roberts served as a police officer in Virginia until he entered the transportation industry in 1998. Scott has held positions with both private fleets and for-hire/dedicated carriers. As Division Operations Manager, Scott managed a highly specialized private fleet, transporting 10s of millions in US currency daily, without a single vehicle or cargo loss. As a Facility Operations Manager and a Regional Operations Manager, Scott has overseen For-Hire/Dedicated fleets transporting goods for a number of major retailers before aligning his focus to safety and regulatory compliance. As a Director of Safety, Scott developed and administered a safety program for approximately 50 locations and 500 drivers resulting in large improvements in D.O.T. scores, accident costs and accident rates. He has been recognized by transportation professionals within the industry as a subject matter expert for medium truck sized fleets and continues to develop safety and training materials for an organization specializing in safety/compliance training and education. Scott is a member of the National Private Truck Council (NPTC), where he earned the Certified Transportation Professional (CTP) designation in 2009. He is a member of the NPTC Safety Committee, serves on the CTP exam grading team and Driver Hall of Fame candidate selection team. Additionally, Scott attended the North American Transportation Management Institute (NATMI) where he earned the Certified Director of Safety (CDS) designation in 2010. Scott graduated Magna Cum-Laude from the NVCC/George Mason University Criminal Justice Program and as the runner-up from the nationally accredited, Prince William Criminal Justice Training Academy in 1995. Scott has presented as an industry expert for the NPTC, AHFA (American Home Furnishings Alliance), Furniture Today and for Marsh USA regarding CSA and accident management.

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Pro-TREAD: Reach Everyone with Better Training

Great fleets look for proven ways to get better and work smarter. Safety and training are no different. Online training with Pro-TREAD is the best way to reach the most drivers with the most effective training with the smallest investment of both time and money.

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Why Leading Fleets Choose Pro-TREAD

Leading fleets such as Schneider National, Ryder, US Xpress, Covenant, Marten, Ruan, Frito-Lay, CVS Pharmacy and FedEx Supply Chain Systems use Pro-TREAD training. Why? What sets Pro-TREAD apart?
Training is available to any PC with an internet connection. Pro-TREAD is available on the leading on-board devices. 95+ different lessons. Integrated with RAIR, Compli and ebe. Mastery-based and skip-proof. Fast: Lessons are about 25 minutes in 3-4 minute chapters. Specialized topics like OSHA, hazmat, workers comp, and CSA.

Safety Training Improves MPG

The many safety benefits of training are obvious fewer crashes and lawsuits. However, theres also correlation between safety and MPG. Schneider National trained a number of drivers in fuel management and road rage, and improved their miles per gallon by 2.9 percent. Separately, the company studied their 100 most fuel efficient drivers and found they had a nearly 40% lower crash-risk rating compared to the bottom 100. The top 1,000 a bigger sample size had a 21% lower crash risk rating.

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