Home is where the heart is. But home is also a breeding ground for disaster. Think about it, more than half of all non-vehicular accidents and injuries occur in the home. And behind the wheel, according to several insurance stats, 23 percent of all vehicle accidents happen one mile or less from homebase and 52 percent of overall accidents happen between one and five miles away, while 77 percent occur up to 15 miles from the front door.

For trucking it’s even closer. Simply substitute miles for feet. Canadian Freightways safety and training guru John Sengl in Lethbridge, Alta., says large fleets, his included, suffer single vehicle collision frequency rates of up to 80 percent on private property — mostly their own. “Almost all are preventable,” he says.

He should know. Sengl’s safety resume is beyond impressive. He’s a behavioral and peak-performance coach; a trainer of driver trainers; graduate assistant instructor at Dale Carnegie Training; transportation safety director at Red Deer College; certified ergonomics technician; and a member of the Canadian Association of Technical Accident Investigators and Reconstructionists, among other titles.

The reason most truck-related incidents occur steps away from the dock is because drivers simply let their guard down when they’re close to home, says Sengl. When in a high-risk environment, like out on the road, most drivers are acutely aware of driving distances, checking for traffic before entering intersections — what Sengl calls “your collision avoidance radar.”

“We need to improve on this record in what are traditionally low-risk areas — shipper’s yards, terminal areas, backing into and around loading docks,” he says. “The idea is that you’re in secure, fenced quarters, where some drunk isn’t going to run into you or somebody isn’t going to cut you off and do a silly left-turn in front of you,” Sengl continues. But consequently when you let your guard down is when these incidents happen.”

So what sort of “low-dollar, high frequency” incidents makes up the bulk of the paperwork? Sengl pulls out a rap sheet and reads aloud in no particular order: Trailer hits another trailer; clips mirror, hit wall while backing; fifth wheel released, dropped unit in yard; accident hooking up doubles; caught gate while turning in yard — “I can go on and on,” he says.

Although most such cases involve only minor monetary losses, movement closer to the dock gates increase the risk for more severe accidents where, as Sengl puts it, “the cost can be irreplaceable.”

Drivers not using their mirrors or a spotter during backing could easily crush someone between the trailer and the dock, or hit someone on the staircases which are usually inches away from the dock.

In response to many of these incidents, CF has created a “Keep Your Radar On! Program” to further bring down the rate of yard accidents. Sengl stresses the program isn’t meant to re-teach backing techniques or coupling. The drivers it hires don’t need refreshers in the basics. However, all drivers could use a reminder to continue being aware of their environment at all times — everything from measuring distances to taking into consideration trailer creep while docking.

Here’s some more advice from one of Canada’s foremost safety experts.

Ice With That?

Winter isn’t exactly wonderland in Winnipeg during the month of February. And moving around doesn’t get any easier inside the yard either. “Some customers don’t help matters,” says Sengl. “They’re trying to keep costs low and don’t often shovel or clear snow and ice from their facilities. Industrial areas generally are the last places to get plowed from the city too. First are transit routes then right in front of the mayor’s house.”

Therefore, drivers should be extra vigilant in being aware of winter-hazards — things like snow build-up in loading docks, which reduces overhead clearances. “Fine drivers with exemplary safety records have suffered collisions with overhead lights, because the extra three inches of snow in the loading dock means their semi-trailer no longer clears,” Sengl explains. “Furthermore, icy dock ramps and ruts can mean a trailer or P&D truck sliding sideways to contact a staircase or other obstacle right next to the loading dock. Junk that’s not visible on the ramp can result in flat or cut tires.”

Schooling in Schematics

“An architect may design the most beautiful building for the public, and whatever room they have left over becomes the loading dock,” Sengl says dryly.

Obviously, drivers don’t have control over the design of the facility they’re loading or unloading in, but it’s critical they mind their surroundings — especially low-hanging power lines and heaps of junk or old equipment in pockets of the yard. As for owners about to move into new digs, consider facilities where visitor and office staff parking is as far away from the dock or truck drive-through areas. “You don’t want your entire office staff to have to walk in between trucks and trailers to get to their cars when they go home at 5:00 o’clock.”

For bosses that have some control in the design of any new facility, create a designated spot for couriers close to the front door. “Couriers can be anywhere,” says Sengl. “They move in and out very fast and park wherever they see openings. Have them go to a dedicated spot so they don’t have to venture near moving trucks.”

Patience isn’t a virtue. It’s critical.

For an industry where drivers can be forced to sit and wait an hour or three to drop freight, patience can sometimes be in short supply around docks. That’s no excuse, says Sengl. “Many times patience is absolutely nothing more than realizing that trying to save five seconds is going to cost you five hours of paperwork — if you’re lucky.

“Think. Could a collision have been prevented by the driver simply going around the block instead of trying to back in from the blind side?”

And keep others’ impatience in mind too. “What about the automobile driver who thinks he can squeeze between a slowly backing semi and the dock,” asks Sengl. “Did your Collision Avoidance radar spot him?”

Risks & Rewards

Contrary to popular opinion, Sengl is adamantly against safety bonuses. For one thing, he explains, it creates a disincentive for drivers to report minor accidents or equipment damage. But more importantly, monetary bonuses, according to Sengl, bring with them a negative connotation towards safety, implying that you expect a driver to go above and beyond the call of duty to achieve admirable safety and preventable accident records. “It assumes that safety isn’t automatic. But it should be,” he says. “We prefer to hire good drivers and pay them top dollar and then hold them accountable. That’s what a pro does.”