Recognize your drivers for…

1. Employee referrals and participating in new driver mentoring programs. According to the First Research Industry Profile on Trucking, hiring and retaining qualified drivers is a perennial challenge in the trucking industry. The existing workforce is changing and it has been difficult for the industry to attract new employees. Additionally, turnover within the industry is historically high. By showing your commitment to recruiting and retaining top employees, your drivers will know their own value within the organization and will become an
advocate for the organization as a whole.

2. Decreased idle times and adhering to speed limits. The rising cost of gas, maintenance, and violation fines makes it more important than ever to ensure proper protocol and adherence to regulations are being followed. By recognizing your drivers for lowering the expenditures associated with doing business, you are able to positively impact the bottom-line.

3. Participation in training, defensive driving, and continuing education courses. By taking a proactive approach to training and safety, trucking companies are able to lessen the risks associated with inexperienced drivers and constant time pressures. By recognizing drivers for participating in these safe driving programs, it proves your commitment to lowering the risks associated with being over the road, as well as creates a culture of safety throughout the organization.

4. Upholding truck appearance, maintenance inspections, and road logs.
The arrival of new in-cab technologies have taken some of the day-to-day operational
responsibility out of the hands of drivers. By bringing these operational tasks back to top of
mind, trucking companies are able to engage drivers in the process, even though they are no
longer daily responsibilities.

5. Making healthy life choices that increase their well-being
Your drivers are your most valuable asset, and by recognizing them for participating in wellness initiatives and for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, shows your commitment to not only on-thejob safety, but for off-the-job wellness. A healthy driver improves safety,
compliance, and the bottom-line.

According to the First Research Industry Profile on Trucking, the top three major inputs and expenses for the transportation industry are drivers, fuel, and repairs. RCB Awards believes you can control those expenses by using a proactive approach to safety and driver engagement. By crafting positive behavior change through positive reinforcement, it is possible to create an engaged
workforce that works in unison with your business goals.

The Market: The transportation industry is divided into two main segments:

For Hire Carriers, they transport other peoples' goods and their revenue is derived from trucking operations. Examples include UPS, J. B. Hunt, Roadway.

Private Carriers, trucking is a business unit; it is not how they generate revenue. Examples include Frito Lay, Coca-Cola, Nabisco. Private fleets are the largest segment of the trucking industry (82% of medium to heavy trucks registered).

- million plus Intra and Interstate Drivers

- 3 million Interstate Drivers

- Trucking Services Industry -- ranks #5 in Injury & lost work time

- Truck Driver occupation -- ranks #1 in Injury & lost work time

- 400,000 large truck accidents per year/5300 deaths

Driver Profile:
Average income: Private Carriers -$40,000
For Hire - $35,000
Gender: primarily male
Median age: 35
Married: 64% Children: 51%
WorkWeek: 50%-60-70 hrs, 25% -70+hrs

Contacts: Depts - Safety Dept, Risk Mgmt, Logistics

Titles Vice-President of Safety, Safety Mgr.,
Safety Specialist, National Group Manager-Fleet,
DOT (Department of Transportation) Manager,
Regional Safety Manager
Budgeting: Generally, 5-8 percent of anticipated accident reduction. The budget is allocated as follows: 70-75% Awards/ Incentives, 20% Communication, and 5-15% Administration

Program Objectives:
Reduce accident expenses
Reduce Insurance Premiums
Reduce lost productivity
Improve customer/public perception

Program Tax Advantage:
In 1986, the government recognized the importance of positive reinforcement by exempting the value of Service and Safety awards from the incomes of individual employees and making the company investment in these programs tax deductible under specific guidelines.

To be free of taxes as described these programs must:
-Fall into a qualified plan that does not discriminate in favor of highly compensated employees.
-Be items of tangible personal property awarded as part of a meaningful presentation.
-Fall under an average award cost of $400 with an upper limit of $1,600. Awards over $1,600 are taxable to the recipient for the amount above $1,600.
-Service awards may be given every five years beginning at five years of service.

-Safety awards must be given to fewer than 10% of eligible employees. Management, administrative, clerical and professional employees do not qualify.

Safe Driver Program Overview
Rationale: Safe Driver Programs are generally a part of a larger Safety Program, which may, itself, be part of an organizational Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) initiative.
The catalyst for Safe Driver Programs is Dollars & Cents and the objective is Prevention through behavior change. Fatalities may cost an organization upward of $2,000,000/incident, Injuries $100,000/incident and Property Damage $7000/incident. Less measurable is the public and employee perception of the organization following a major incident.

Program Design: A well-designed Safe Driver Program encompasses both a recognition and reward/incentive component. Both the recognition and the reward/incentive components are centered on events. The recognition component is most often Milestone driven with Miles Driven (1 million, 2 million etc) and/or Time Passed (1 year, 3 year, 5 year, 10 year etc) the primary events.
Supplementing and supporting these recognition events are reward/incentive opportunities such as Champion Driver, Good Samaritan, Summer Campaign (highest accident season) and National Truck Driver Appreciation Week which occurs each August.

Program Content: The make-up of a Safe Driver Program is necessarily based on the most effective motivation for a unique, and often diverse, population. There are three key elements of program content; the Awards/Rewards themselves , the Category of the awards/incentives and the Need being satisfied.
The Awards/Reward options range from Buckles /Pins/Rings, Plaques & Certificates, Patches, Merchandise, Clothing to Cash/Cash equivalents.

The Category of the prize may be Compensation (bonus) Incentive (to focus activity and behavior) and Recognition, (to sustain and enhance appropriate behaviors and results). Safe Driver Programs almost always include some of both.

Program Rationale: All safety initiatives, including Safe Worker, whether at the site or corporate level, all share one basic goal: reducing the amount of injury & accident exposure at the place where people interact with equipment, facilities and procedures. Comprehensive safety improvement relies on the right mix of enabling systems (e.g. hazard recognition, training, procedures) and sustaining systems (e.g. organizational structure, management systems, employee engagement).

Program Objectives
-Reduce accident expenses

-Reduce insurance premiums

-Reduce lost productivity

-Improve customer/public perception

Program Tax Advantage
In 1986, the government recognized the importance of positive reinforcement by exempting the value of Service and Safety awards from the incomes of individual employees and making the company investment in these programs tax deductible under specific guidelines.
To be free of taxes as described these programs must:
1. Fall into a qualified plan that does not discriminate in favor of highly compensated employees
2. Be items of tangible personal property awarded as part of a meaningful presentation
3. Fall under an average award cost of $400 with an upper limit of $1,600. Awards over $1,600 are taxable to the recipient for the amount above $1,600.
4. Service awards may be given every five years beginning at five years of service.
5. Safety awards must be given to fewer than 10% of eligible employees. Management, administrative, clerical and professional employees do not qualify.

Safe Worker Program Overview

Program Design: A well-designed Safe Worker Program encompasses both a recognition and reward/incentive component. Both the recognition and the reward/incentive components are centered on events. The events are time-based (e.g. hours, days, weeks, months etc. accident and injury free). The individual recognition is very often tied to effective Team recognition practices.
Supplementing and supporting these recognition events are interim reward/incentive opportunities such as completion of training units, certifications, and safety employee of the month as well as special recognition for unique situations such as Heroism.

Program content: The make-up of a Safe Worker Program is necessarily based on the most effective motivation for a unique, and often diverse, population. There are three key elements of program content; the Awards/Rewards themselves, the Category of the awards/incentives and the Need being satisfied.
The Awards/Reward options range from Buckles /Pins/Rings, Plaques & Certificates, Patches, Merchandise, Clothing to Cash/Cash equivalents.

The Category of the prize may be Compensation (bonus) Incentive (something to focus activity and behavior) and Recognition, (something to sustain and enhance appropriate behaviors and results).
Need refers to the personal/intrinsic requirements of those for whom the program was established. Money, Status, Security and Respect are the "Needs" most often considered in Safe Driver Programs.
Program Measurement: The ability to effectively measure a Safe Driver Program is one of the most attractive features of this type of recognition and reward. The most common Output measure is Injury & Accident Free Time.

Finally, measurements may be by Segment: Occupation (Type), Industry, Position (management, administrative etc.) and/or work shift are common segmentations. These forms of measurement are not mutually exclusive.

The Importance of Workplace Safety Incentives

At RCB Awards, our mission is to provide organizations, like yours, a balanced and results-driven blueprint to implement a strategic, OSHA-compliant employee safety incentives program. So, why is safety of utmost importance?

A comprehensive Safety Program is a pie with many pieces. Eliminate any one piece and the pie is incomplete. The Safety Incentive Program piece completes the pie.

3 Reasons to Increase Safety Awareness in the Workplace

Reduce Accidents - The financial burden of workplace injuries is costing U.S. business nearly $1 BILLION per week and rising*. Workplace safety unites the interests of employees and employers. Preventing work-related injuries saves employees from real pain and hardship.

Reinforce Positive Behavior - A properly structured, pro-active safety incentive program reinforces positive behavior, protects against preventable injuries (accidents), decreases days away (lost-time), and expects to be rewarded with lower disability costs, more satisfied workers, and ultimately, higher productivity and an increased bottom-line – all without encouraging non-reporting! 

Increase Bottom-Line - It also keeps skilled workers on the job, helping to ensure quality and production levels. Finally, improving safety increases a company’s BOTTOM LINE by avoiding the significant costs associated with on-the-job injuries.

*Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index

"The results of the new safety incentive program speak for themselves. Within the first year, the company’s accident rate decreased by 19%, meaning less lost time and fewer claims for workers compensation and disability insurance."