Staying future fit in the Transport & Logistics sector

If you’ve been keeping up to date with our content for the transport and logistics sector this quarter, ‘getting future fit’ has been a key theme. A huge part of staying future fit is to proactively and frequently evaluate your risk profile. Here’s our top tips to help you stay future fit. 

Risk management top tips for the transportation sector

1. Review your insurance cover

Look carefully at your policy wording for any specific stipulations including any onerous warranties or exclusions. And follow any recommendations provided by your insurer, for example keeping your vehicle(s) in a securely locked compound.

Struggling to secure competitive premiums to keep your vehicles and cargo protected? Learn why the current insurance market can make for a challenging environment for all involved.

2. Be crime aware

Conduct rigorous employee checks, take steps to reduce lone worker risk, utilise a range of vehicle and load security solutions, and train staff to spot deception and fraudulent techniques. Our recent article on the true scale of freight crime, explores this in more detail.

3. Bring your risk profile under control

Implementing procedures and training around safe loading/unloading and safer driving, vehicle tracking, driver assessments and driver drug/drink spot checks will help boost operational performance and employee safety. But what does good look like and where can you start or improve? We’ve covered it in our keeping the wheels in motion with effective risk management programmes article. 

4. Maintain records

In addition to taking every reasonable effort to ensure that drivers comply with relevant legislation, especially drivers’ hours and tachograph rules, demonstrate you have checked driver references, qualifications and regularly check drivers’ licenses. This is particularly vital if you are utilising independent contract/agency drivers. Keeping a log of all company accident records and near miss reports is also invaluable. These logs can help highlight future potential areas of risk that are becoming more frequent and will need managing, as well as providing future evidence and information

5. Goods in-transit security

Protect your customer relationships by reviewing your contractual terms, and agreeing a cargo prioritisation strategy in the event of future localised/regional lockdowns, or other business interruption scenarios. Initiating sound procedures to minimise the risk of transit losses and vulnerabilities will also help to reduce the risk of claims.

6. Consider further risk management measures

Review your current processes for checking and servicing vehicles, and consider initiating additional safety devices, such as cameras and autonomous emergency breaking. Consider disconnecting or removing vehicle batteries on laid up vehicles to reduce fire risk. And constructing firebreak walls between groups of vehicles. Evaluate your security measures, such as CCTV, to ensure these are working effectively. Today’s insurance companies increasingly expect to see evidence that firms are taking steps to proactively manage risk.

7. Create check lists

Checklists help ensure no area of risk is forgotten, these should cover:

a. vehicle maintenance/checks

b. driver certification/competence/monitoring/assessment

c. manual handling training/loading and unloading procedures.

Are you future fit? Check out the self-assessment tool to find out.

Transport and Logistics sector insights

Keeping up to date on the latest trends and risks confronting the transport and logistics industry, and understanding the issues facing our clients and future partners, is a continued priority for us. That's why we've produced latest eBook for the transport and logistics sector: Staying future fit in uncertain times. Get your free transport and logistics eBook.