Have you ever met the guy who says “I’m not worried, that would never happen to me,” and then it comes back to bite him? At Paradiso Insurance, we’ve heard this a number of times, and in too many scenarios, trucking company owners are not adequately prepared for claims, resulting in bigger problems for you to deal with.

The simple solution to handling claims as an FXG or AMZ Independent Contractor is to have a clear set of guidelines in place for your drivers that will help you avoid claims altogether. That’s why we believe in proper education and safety training to help protect your drivers, reduce claims, and keep your premiums low. Here are a few of our tips that we feel can help you accomplish just that!

Common Causes of Claims

There are a variety of different types of claims that we encounter from truck drivers, but let’s go over those that we see more often than others.  Before we get into this, however, it’s important to understand that accidents do happen, and there are a number of causes for trucking accidents. 

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Large Truck Crash Causation Study, 44% of trucking accidents involved a driver that was on some form of drug or prescription medication, 23% of accidents involved traveling at speeds too fast for the given road conditions, and the last 18% involved fatigued drivers. 

There are other risks associated with accidents though, including falls, musculoskeletal disorders, or even injuries from being struck by or against objects. Thousands of truck drivers are injured every year, so what exactly should we do to resolve this problem?

Claim Prevention

This is where proper claim prevention comes into play. Truck driver claims are serious, because not only will your premium potentially go up for a three year period from a claim, but serious injuries can be the end of a truck driver’s career, meaning you could lose one of your best drivers in the process. 

It’s best to avoid claims and injuries altogether, and the first step is to have a safety training course or program implemented for your staff. Make sure your drivers aren’t speeding, stay cautious of the road conditions on a daily basis, and of course, always use seat belts. We also recommend training your drivers to always look further down the road, to continuously be checking and double-checking their blind spots, and to not drive drowsy under any conditions. 

The Takeaway

As an FXG or AMZ Independent Contractor, you know how important it is to keep your drivers safe and at Paradiso Insurance we want to work with you to do just that. Together we can help train your drivers on safety best practices to reduce workers’ comp claims and keep premiums low. For more in-depth safety tips and resources for your truck drivers, or for questions on your workers’ comp coverage, give our team a call at 860-453-0116 or send us a message here and we’d be happy to help!