Things don’t change much up here at
the Old Place. The fish bite in the same
places on the lake, and the quiet honking of the big Canada geese is heard year
round. While the seasons do change, here
in the South, that doesn’t mean much. The
great winter of 2017 will be remembered; after all it lasted what, three
days? That’s part of what we love about
life at the Old Place. In the outside
world though, change is inevitable. I
grew up with change watching “Superman” on the old black and white Magnavox.
George Reeve would dash into the store room wearing his street clothes and leap
out the window a moment later, changed, transformed from the mild manner
reporter into the invincible Man of Steel. My grandmother, Nora taught me
about change with stories of the mysterious east where the cunning horseman
Rewagunga changed into the beautiful Afghan jihadist, Yasmini. And who
can forget how the leopard changed his spots with a little help from his
Ethiopian friend who had, “just a little color left over on the fingertips of
his fine new black skin.” Yes, change is inevitable my brothers and
sisters and just like the leopard and the Ethiopian, it is time for some of you
to change as well. Change is never easy. Remember what the country just went
through to get some change in Washington D.C.? Sometime change is brought on by necessity, other
times it is forced on us, at bayonet point!
Since the start of the New Year, I have noticed a change. Every morning on the local news there are
four or five ads for trial lawyers, some of them with jingles no less! These
ads include lots of satisfied customers gleefully sharing stories of the
hundreds of thousands of dollars they received from big truck wrecks and other
targets of opportunity.
So what’s it got to do with safety?
Well you may ask, those employers who do not have proactive, preemptive and
effective safety programs may soon be out of business. It may say, “Joes
Landscape Service” on the side of your truck, but what it really says is, “Please
Sue Me.” Transportation is your greatest
potential liability. Some thieves, that
is what they are, will sometimes pull in front of your truck and hit the brakes,
causing a crash! I know a fella who has proudly
and successfully sued and collected on no less than four wrecks with some
company’s truck! It has gotten so bad
that companies like Walmart, Home Depot and others use independent trucking
companies. Can you remember the last time you saw an Exxon or Shell tank truck? Gone. . . Change!
First off, train your drivers what to
do after a crash: call in immediately, if trained, give first aid, take detailed
pictures of vehicles involved, take pictures of other drivers’ license and
insurance card, but speak only to the investigating officer. And never, ever apologize or admit guilt
"But I’m not a big company,” you
say. “Sure I have a fleet of pickup trucks I need to do business.” Okay, then ask yourself, do my drivers know
how to maneuver a long trailer? Have I
checked their driving record and run a credit check? Are they drug and alcohol free on the
job? Have I ridden with them on their
rounds? If not, maybe it is time for a
change. Training such as annual Defensive
Driving classes, parking lot practice sessions, even operator rodeos build confidence
and a sense of pride in driving skills.
Annual awards: best driving record, cleanest, best maintained truck and
tool trailer can also improve driver safety and performance. Good, Safe, Change! You can do it.
Sitting in a rocker at the Old
Place, I am, Col. Jim
