Robert Kaferle

Apathetic safety compliance can be deadly

Consider this a warning to all who feel nonchalant about safety: Inaction can be just as damning as wrong action.

Take, for instance, allowing disqualified drivers behind the wheel. You may feel confident in their driving abilities, but consider the consequences if something bad happens. Ignoring red flags can come back to haunt you. 

Let’s say that your “trusted driver” — a buddy of yours — ignores a rolling roadblock in a construction zone and slams into traffic, killing a motorist or fatally...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/apathetic-safety-compliance-can-be-deadly

SMS scores: What are they and how are they calculated?

What’s an SMS score and how am I rated? Is a higher score more desirable?

Reliance Partners Director of Safety Robert Kaferle answers these questions and more as he dives into carrier performance metrics on this episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? 

If you’re unsure what an SMS score is, then this is a good place to start.

SMS, or Safety Measurement System, is a workload prioritization tool that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration uses to identify carriers with potential safety problems for...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/sms-scores-what-are-they-and-how-are-they-calculated

Defensive driving key in squelching distracted driving

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, which means it’s time to have serious discussions with your drivers.

Distracted driving can happen to anyone and at any time — and it happens a lot more than you think. The National Safety Council estimates that eight motorists are killed every day from a distracted driving-related accident. 

Just last month, distraction was cited as the cause of a rollover crash of a lumber truck in Prineville, Oregon, after the driver took his eyes off the road to ret...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/defensive-driving-key-in-squelching-distracted-driving

Proactive safety measures reduce stress and violations

What’s the point of a safety department if risk mitigation isn’t valued? That’s what Reliance Partners Director of Safety Robert Kaferle argues in a recent appearance on FreightWaves’ What the Truck?!? 

Kaferle urges carriers to focus less on their CSA scores but instead aim to reduce violations. He reasons that safety scores only tell you where to look and that they’ll certainly drop if eliminating violations are your top priority.

He also stresses the importance of proactive safety measures. In...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/proactive-safety-measures-reduce-stress-and-violations

Trucking 101: Trip planning makes all the difference

On paper, trucking is pretty simple: Carry a load from one point to another. But reality isn’t so easy. 

For all the obstacles to overcome and hurdles to jump over, the best way to get from point A to point B safely and on time is through proper trip planning.

Reliance Partners Vice President of Safety Brian Runnels and Director of Safety Robert Kaferle have built careers on improving fleet safety and the well-being of drivers. They stress the importance of starting each day with a plan in place.

“...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/trucking-101-trip-planning-makes-all-the-difference

Trucking 101: Reality doesn’t always meet expectations

Commercial trucking, like any job, has its ups and downs. The road is smooth for the most part, but it can become bumpy at times and turn unexpectedly.

That said, the industry is known for its welcoming atmosphere, attracting drivers of diverse backgrounds. What’s more, pay has been increasing along with other benefits, making commercial drivers some of the best-paid individuals outside of the office.

Many have gone on to enjoy fulfilling careers behind the wheel. However, not everyone is cut out...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/trucking-101-reality-doesnt-always-meet-expectations

Trucking 101: Returning to the basics

In a technology-rich and automated industry, it’s easy to take certain aspects of the job for granted. But what if your GPS loses signal? Would you know how to get to your destination on time? Situations like these are merely bumps in the road if you’ve come prepared.

It’s never too late to learn truck driving basics, which is why Reliance Partners’ Safety Team is gearing up a new series of articles to discuss the skills that every trucker should possess but hasn’t been taught. 

“There’s so much...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/trucking-101-returning-to-the-basics

Trucking offers many reasons to be thankful

It is hard to believe that it’s been nearly two years since the onset of the pandemic. Through all of the chaos and fears of the unknown, what’s even harder to believe is how the trucking industry overcame such adversity.

Here we are, nearing the end of 2021, and we’ve collectively found a way to rise to the challenge. The resiliency of this industry has provided us with many things to be thankful for. So with Thanksgiving just around the corner, let’s reflect not on the hardships, but on the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/trucking-offers-many-reasons-to-be-thankful

Tips for boosting driver retention

It’s one thing to recruit quality drivers but keeping them is the real challenge.

The industry has long dealt with a driver shortage that seems to have only worsened since the beginning of the pandemic. Now more than ever, drivers have the upper hand at the bargaining table.

It’s up to motor carriers to earn the loyalty of their fleet but doing so means changes must be considered. Reliance Partners’ director of safety, Robert Kaferle, urges companies to establish driver retention programs among...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/tips-for-boosting-driver-retention

Check and double-check blind spots

One second the car is there, the next it’s out of sight. It’s the highway’s greatest magic trick, the ability to hide a car in plain sight. 

Regardless of how many times you’ve witnessed the act, blind spots can fool even the most cautious of drivers on the road. Brian Runnels, Reliance Partners’ vice president of safety, and Robert Kaferle, the director of safety, remind drivers to double-check — if not triple-check — their mirrors before changing lanes.

“I would always tell my students that...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/check-and-double-check-blind-spots

+ More