Lessons Learned:
Speed Management Guidelines

By Frederick C. Clark, ARM
Vice President, Transportation Services

Speed management should be an element of every fleet safety program. Safety directors and management can use the following guidelines to help monitor and manage driving speed, a primary contributing factor to accidents and injuries.

RECORDS

Maintain and review trip and delivery documents to assure that appropriate speeds are maintained for safety. Records include:

• Driver paperwork, log, bills, and receipts as well as the time and date on van and valve seals
• Governmental databases, DOT check and inspection reports, carrier profiles, safety report
• Location, pick-up, dispatch calling, customer report, telephone log

OBSERVATION

Record visual observations of the driver’s actions by location, client, safety and headquarters personnel as well as during driver training and customer delivery or pick-up.

TACHOGRAPHS/COMPUTERS

Use of tachographs, computers, speedometer chimes, and satellite tracking devices aid in continuously monitoring a driver’s speed.

WRITTEN POLICIES

Develop and utilize clearly written policies. The policies should be included in company operations and safety manuals and communicated verbally and in writing to the drivers and dispatch. The policies should also include lease drivers. Additional means of communicating company policies include decals on the dashboard, the drivers’ and dispatch handbooks, and a company telephone number on the trucks for receiving public input.

ENGINE SPEED SET

Setting a maximum upper speed may be appropriate under certain circumstances.

CONTINUOUS MANAGEMENT INVOLVEMENT

Speed monitoring must be an ongoing activity that safety and operation management follow, encourage and enforce on a regular basis.

SPECIFIC TRAINING TOPIC

Teach speed management during initial orientation at ongoing safety meetings, and for specific refresher topics. Continuously reinforce the message that appropriate speed for conditions is a driver responsibility.

ACCIDENT ANALYSIS

Review every accident for use of proper speed based on the conditions. Comment on “preventability” as it relates to speed management.

All of these techniques may not be in every fleet, but if none of these are in your fleet, speed is not being managed. Rather, it is managing your vehicles!

Frederick Clark has a BS degree in Chemistry and over 30 years of experience in the safety, health and environmental field. He has gained expertise in many aspects of personal and fleet safety and loss control management. He serves the fleet safety needs and distribution-related needs of clients by providing training, assessments, risk analyses, and other loss prevention programs.

XL Environmental • Risk Control Division • 520 Eagleview Boulevard, PO Box 636, Exton, PA 19341 • Phone: 800-327-1414 • Fax: 610-458-7285 • xlenvironmental.com

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