Running a successful transportation company requires not only a dedication to safety but also the careful cultivation of an expert staff roster. You need to have the best talent available to drive your loads or commercial vehicles to maximize your company’s safety and reduce your liability and operating expenses. A driver with a bad record will cost a lot more to insure than a historically safe driver.
Unfortunately, even the best drivers can sometimes make mistakes that have implications for their driving privileges. A serious infraction, even off the clock, could impact your best driver’s eligibility for commercial licensing. Those infractions could also increase your insurance costs and cause friction with your clients or customers. How can your company reduce the impact of an individual driver’s mistake?
Consider helping your employee beat the ticket they face
It is possible for drivers facing moving violation citations to defend themselves against that citation in court. Although many simply pay the ticket because going to court is inconvenient, fighting against a ticket as a commercial driver is about more than convenience. It is about protecting their career.
At first, the thought of retaining or helping pay an attorney to defend your driver might seem unnecessary. After all, you could always hire someone new. However, retaining the staff you already have is almost always cheaper than recruiting and training new staff members.
Additionally, supporting a driver at a time when their very livelihood is under attack can instill deep-seated loyalty in that worker. Knowing that your company will help during difficult times can also lead to better recommendations from your staff and greater ease in recruiting the best drivers in the future.
How does your company currently address off-the-clock driving infractions?
Your company probably has thorough employment contracts with individual drivers. It may be time to review these contracts to determine whether or not they include language about how both your company and the driver should handle traffic citations that might affect commercial driving eligibility.
Discussing costs, liability and other concerns with an attorney familiar with business and transportation law can help you balance the protection of your company with the retention of workers in your contract and your approach to issues as they arise.
