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Discrimination Protection For Trucking Employees
INFORMATION DATE 198910..., and others involved in interstate trucking who believe they have been discha...

... can use their personal vehicles for company business, they are required to provide proof that they own the vehicle or have authorization from the registered owner to drive the vehicle for their work. A copy of the vehicle registration or a letter or other document must be supplied to the employee's supervisor and will be kept on file. Before employees can use their personal vehicles for company business, they are required to provide proof that they have auto insurance as required by law in their state. A copy of the employees current policy must be given to the employee's supervisor and will be kept in the personnel files. A new copy must be provided at the time the current policy expires to show that the insurance has been renewed. Transporting Employees When several employees are transported in a van, bus, or truck, the operator must have a license appropriate to the class of vehicle being driven. The transporting vehicles must be equipped with adequate seats. Vehicles must be equipped with lamps, brakes, horns, windshields, mirrors, and turn signals in good repair. Vehicles must be provided with handrails, steps, stirrups or similar devices for mounting or dismounting. Employees are prohibited from riding on top of any load which can shift, topple, or otherwise become unstable. When tools with sharp edges are carried in passenger compartments they must be placed in closed boxes or containers which cannot shift, topple or become unstable. Employee transport vehicles must carry at least two reflective type flares. A fully charged fire extinguisher in good condition must be kept in each transport vehicle. General Safety Rules for Trucks, ...

... to adopt a driver safety program. Use of Personal Vehicles Before employees can use their personal vehicles for company business, they should provide proof that they own the vehicle or have authorization from the registered owner to drive it for their work. Make sure a copy of the vehicle's registration, a letter, or similar document has been supplied to the employee's supervisor and kept on file. When using their own personal vehicles for company business, employees must show proof that they have Auto insurance as required by law in their state. A copy of the employee's current policy must be given to his or her supervisor and kept in the personnel files. When an insurance policy expires, a copy of the renewal must be supplied. Transporting Employees When several employees are transported in a van, bus, or truck, the operator must have a license appropriate for the class of vehicle being driven, and the vehicle must be equipped with adequate seats. Lamps, brakes, horns, windshields, mirrors, and turn signals should be in good repair. The vehicles must also be provided with handrails, steps, stirrups, or similar devices for mounting or dismounting. Employees are prohibited from riding on top of any load that can shift, topple, or otherwise become unstable. When tools with sharp edges are carried in passenger compartments, they must be placed in closed boxes or containers that cannot shift or topple. Employee-transport vehicles must carry at least two reflective-type flares. A fully charged fire extinguisher in good condition should also be kept. Vehicle Safety Rules 1. Only authorized individuals are allowed to operate company ...

... oxygen with flammable gases, except at a burner or in a standard torch? [ ] Are only approved apparatuses (torches, regulators, pressure-reducing valves, acetylene generators, manifolds) used? [ ] Are cylinders kept away from sources of heat? [ ] Are the cylinders kept away from elevators, stairs, or gangways? [ ] Is it prohibited to use cylinders as rollers or supports? [ ] Are empty cylinders appropriately marked and their valves closed? [ ] Are signs reading: DANGER-NO SMOKING, MATCHES, OR OPEN LIGHTS, or the equivalent, posted? [ ] Are cylinders, cylinder valves, couplings, regulators, hoses, and apparatus kept free of oily or greasy substances? [ ] Is care taken not to drop or strike cylinders? [ ] Unless secured on special trucks, are regulators removed and valve-protection caps put in place before moving cylinders? [ ] Do cylinders without fixed devices and wheels have keys, handles, or non-adjustable wrenches on stem valves when in service? [ ] Are liquefied gases stored and shipped valve-end up with valve covers in place? [ ] Are provisions made to never crack a fuel-gas cylinder valve near sources of ignition? [ ] Before a regulator is removed, is the valve closed and gas released from the regulator? [ ] Is red used to identify the acetylene (and other fuel-gas) hose, green for oxygen hose, and black for inert gas and air hose? [ ] Are pressure-reducing regulators used only for the gas and pressures for which they are intended? [ ] Is open circuit (No Load) voltage of ...

...s you can see in this story: A trucking firm brought a suit against an agent...d been provided as requested by the trucking firm, which never raised an issue...

... you've done all these things, and the situation still doesn't change, it's time to "liberate" them. The fact is that a continued relationship will do both parties harm. There's an easy test of when it is time to "liberate" someone: If they quit, would you be relieved or upset? If the former, why are they still there? When counseling employers I often find that there are three reasons why we have a fear of liberating people. First, we're afraid that the "system" will walk out the door. When I recently spoke to a group of CEOs, one of them stated that she delayed firing her CFO for that very reason. At my office, we have Standard Operating Procedures for everything that everybody does. I call it the Mack Truck Rule. If a Mack Truck hit any one of us, somebody would be able to step in and do their job. For example, I own five Web sites. There's a ton of technology that went into them. If my IT person got hit by the Mack Truck or decided to get up and leave my company, I'd be in dire straits if I hadn't reduced everything that she knows and does to writing. I then had a third party review this summary and asked if they could step in and do her job, if needed. Until they said, "yes," we continued to refine the SOP. This is one way not to be handcuffed by an employee. You should be system dependent, not people dependent. Second, the fear of being sued ...

... x No Thanks Loading.. 25 Marketing Ideas You've (Probably) Never Considered Using Before 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Tom Baker This content has not been rated yet. Do you ever come up blank when trying to think of creative ways to grow your agency? Believe it or not, there are still a lot of fresh ideas out there. Here are 25 of the best. Idea #1 : Use shaped CDs to deliver a message that will make a lasting impression. CDs are available in a variety of "shapes," such as business cards, cars, trucks and other specialty themes. Use shaped CDs to deliver memorable moments to customers and prospects. Business cards that are also CDs with information about your agency Proposals Scanned policies An internet search will show you a number of different vendors that offer shaped CDs. Idea #2 : Publicize your agency's commitment to social responsibility. Advertising your commitment to going "Green" can also result in some very green profits for your agency. Such carriers as Esurance are effectively reaching the Gen Y market with a message of social responsibility. News Media such as MSNBC report that social responsibility is becoming an important part of doing business. For example, Subaru has built a zero-landfill assembly plant. For example, is anyone in your agency driving a hybrid yet? Idea #3 : Brand your agency based on compliance with privacy legislation. Compliance with federal privacy legislation such as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Privacy Act (GLBA) is not only the law — it's an excellent way to demonstrate your agency's professionalism. Create a consistent ...

... agents represent more than one company, carriers face competition within each agency. Insurers compete with underwriting criteria, pricing, automation, service, and product design. Competition in the Surplus Lines market has stiffened in recent years as standard market capacity increased and prices decreased. Specialty niche insurance programs are equally competitive. When putting together your business plan, be aware of what the competition is doing. Admitted carriers file their programs with the department of insurance. These filings are then made public, but be warned: Merely duplicating another carrier's product by no means guarantees a profitable program. Q. What is the program's main point of differentiation? A. You need to outline how your product differs from others on the market. For example, when I was working on a purchasing group for owner-operator delivery trucks, we established that truck owners are more conscientious than non-owners when driving their vehicles, so this type of risk deserves a lower rate than that in the rating manuals. On this simple basis, the purchasing group had successful underwriting results. What sets your niche program apart? Perhaps you want to write the General Liability for start-up artisan contractors, whereas other companies avoid start-ups altogether. Another important feature of a specialty program could be the billing plan or the amount of the down payment. Knowledge of other niche insurance products is essential. If you can't find something that makes your product special, go back to the drawing board before you approach an insurance company. Q. How will you access the niche market? A. A great deal has been written about distribution channels. You, ...

... ] Is vacuuming used, rather than blowing or sweeping dusts, whenever possible for clean-up? [ ] Are materials which give off toxic asphyxiant, suffocating or anesthetic fumes, stored in remote or isolated locations? [ ] Is there safe clearance for equipment through aisles and doorways? [ ] Are aisle ways designated, permanently marked, and kept clear to allow unhindered passage? [ ] Are motorized vehicles and mechanized equipment inspected daily or prior to use? [ ] Are vehicles shut off and brakes set prior to loading or unloading? [ ] Are containers of combustibles or flammables, when stacked while being moved, always separated by dunnage sufficient to provide stability? [ ] Are dock boards (bridge plates) used when loading or unloading operations are taking place between vehicles and docks? [ ] Are trucks and trailers secured from movement during loading and unloading operations? [ ] Are dock plates and loading ramps constructed and maintained with sufficient strength to support imposed loading? [ ] Are hand trucks maintained in safe operating condition? [ ] Are chutes equipped with sideboards of sufficient height to prevent the materials being handled from falling off? [ ] Are chutes and gravity roller sections firmly placed or secured to prevent displacement? [ ] At the delivery end of rollers or chutes, are provisions made to brake the movement of the handled materials? [ ] Are pallets inspected before they are loaded or moved? [ ] Are hooks with safety latches or other arrangements used when hoisting materials, so that slings or load attachments won't accidentally slip off the hoist hooks? [ ] Are securing chains, ropes, ...

... to failure. Management must also ensure 100% employee involvement or the program will not be effective. Safety and accident prevention have to be an integral part of what I call the magic triangle' of any enterprise: production, quality, and safety. I believe that they're interrelated. Without a strong safety component, productivity, quality, and certainly profitability will suffer. Therefore, we must integrate safety into the hiring, orientation, and training processes. In today's environment, safety can no longer be considered a staff function with only safety professionals responsible for results. In smaller enterprises, the agent can become a major influence in molding these elements together. The effort should be made not just for the sake of safety, but to improve morale. For instance, a sanitary district had special trucks to pick up heavy items, such as refrigerators and washing machines, but did not supply its workers with hand trucks. The workers had to move heavy items manually from the curb to the truck-not a safe environment. The employees thought I was a miracle man' when the district's commissioners followed the recommendation of the safety committee and purchased hand trucks. When safety is employee-driven and the results are evident, all employees see the improved conditions and realize that management is committed to providing a safe workplace for them. How can we spread the word that safety affects a business' bottom line? I'd like to try an experimental seminar program, geared toward the smaller employer. It could be an after-work program, in which many agents would bring their clients to a central location. We could have ...