Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/147562
INNOVATORS PAUL'S HAULING LTD. Winnipeg, Manitoba Paul's Hauling uses an integrated approach to drive route compliance JOURNEY BY AARON HUFF S everal years ago on a clear Sunday evening in July, a driver for Paul's Hauling stopped for coffee after a delivery. After resuming the route, he came to an intersection. He turned right. That lone decision proved fatal for a bicyclist standing too far out in the intersection. As the trailer rounded the corner, it pulled the bicyclist underneath. The driver was not at fault, yet John Erik Albrechtsen firmly believes the accident could have been prevented because the driver should have turned left according to his route. Instead, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. "You never want to be in that situation," says Albrechtsen, operations manager for the Winnipeg, Manitoba-based fleet. "You never want to have to go talk to the family and see the devastation in their lives. That's one thing we never want to do again." This event would not have happened today, he says, with the processes and technology Paul's Hauling has put in place. The changes improved the work environment for drivers and have given the 300-truck company a new level of confidence that drivers are following its designated routes. Accidents are complex events, but many of them result from a lack of driver awareness. A number of factors – including stress, complacency and distraction – cause drivers to lose sight of risks in their environment. Paul's Hauling has been able to raise awareness and enhance safety by providing drivers the information they need when they need it. The company now has virtually 100 percent route compliance from shipping point to destination – and all points in between. These goals have been met with an integrated process to reduce risk and streamline operations – a process Albrechtsen calls "journey management." Step by step Paul's Hauling transports petroleum products and specialized commodities throughout Canada from Ontario to the West Coast and into 21 northwestern U.S. states. In Canada, the fleet can gross up to 137,000 pounds using double trailers. Its average payload is 91,000 pounds. As a hazardous materials transporter, Paul's Hauling pays close attention to its route designs. The company has to meet high global performance standards for customers such as Exxon and Shell, and it also has a vested interest in the safety of its employees and the public. These commitments are reflected in the company's tagline – "People. Service. Safety." "To continually improve, we want to be more effective for our customers and do it in a safe manner that enhances things for our drivers," Albrechtsen says. "We want everybody, whether they are going home in their car or on a work task, to arrive safely." For years, Paul's Hauling printed its routes and operational procedures for drivers. These instructions were put in binders that drivers carried in the cab. All of its routes were – and continue to be – vetted carefully prior to being assigned. Its detailed route guides since have been converted from paper binders to a turn-by-turn onboard navigation The petroleum hauler improves the work environment for its drivers and gives the company a new level of confidence in their compliance. COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | AUGUST 2013 CCJ_0813_Innovators.indd 57 57 7/24/13 3:47 PM