How do you climb a mountain? The answer: One step at a time. Whether it’s losing weight, building a successful motor carrier, or any other goal worth pursuing, persistence is key to success.

From a safety standpoint, one performance goal that is put on a pedestal is achieving zero preventable incidents over a given timeframe. This may seem like an unattainable goal due to the high-risk nature of the trucking industry, but it is not. In reality, working a day, week, month, quarter, or calendar year without experiencing any type of preventable incident is achievable depending on the path you choose for your company. That’s right, you, the leader of the organization.

Safety Management: Motor Carriers Should Aim For
Zero Preventable Incidents

Everything runs downhill, especially your company’s culture. Employees follow your lead, mimicking your actions, carrying out your orders, and adopting your values. If zero preventable incidents is your company’s goal, then you have to walk the walk and talk the talk to make that happen. Your employees will adopt whatever culture you create, and if incidents are acceptable—including the behaviors that lead to incidents—then you need to choose a different path for your organization.