What is a perfect trip?

Trips are the primary value creators of transportation operations and consist of profitably moving customer freight from one point to another, within a committed timeframe and in a manner which complies with regulations and customer expectations.

A “perfect trip” consists of performing this service at the minimum cost possible without driver injury, vehicle or cargo damage or harm to other persons or property, while overcoming the challenges (i.e. traffic, weather, regulations, inspections) and surprises (i.e. road closures, mistakes of other drivers, equipment breakdowns) encountered in an imperfect world.

Perfect trip tools

Perfect trips don’t just happen. They are created by combining planning, training, procedures, open communication, experience, flexibility and good management. The following are examples of tools that make perfect trips possible:

1. Trip plan: Includes defining the start and end points of the trip, the vehicle(s) and driver(s) assigned, the route and planned stops, fueling and rest breaks occurring during the trip, plus the method to track and communicate progress and address problems encountered on the way. The plan assumes a specific trip route, selected from available roadways with appropriate roadway and bridge weight-bearing and overpass height characteristics for the equipment and cargo. A practical average travel speed, such as 50 mph, is planned for each trip segment, allowing a time budget to be created that includes pre- and post-trip inspections each work day and that is adjusted for time zones. The travel speed should also be adjusted for traffic, construction, weather or road conditions. Drivers creating their own trip plans may be able to move their start time to avoid rush hour traffic around urban areas or select routes that avoid road construction or forecasted weather problems.
    
2. Proper paperwork: Before setting out, each driver needs to have a full complement of documents including CDL and certificates, registration and insurance, special permits, hazardous material or agricultural shipping papers (if required), fuel tax permit, hours-of-service and vehicle inspection log and sales tax payment (if required). Providing the driver a checklist and an indexed packet or binder helps the driver ensure all necessary documents are on-board and available to support pickup, delivery and inspections.
    
3. Pre-trip inspection: Inspections are required by law, but are also important to avoid breakdowns and trip disruptions, such as out-of-service placement, but they provide safety benefits as well. The first hour of driving is the most dangerous for most drivers because they are often not fully alert or focused on their driving responsibilities. Conducting a thorough pre-trip inspection requires the driver to get in and out of the cab several times and walk around the vehicle. This provides time and physical activity essential to increase alertness and focus. 
   
   Additionally, the walk-around may identify a malfunction, equipment damage or fluid leak or a blind spot hazard not visible from the driver’s seat, which must be avoided when the vehicle begins to move. Good inspections involve dozens of potential problem items and are best accomplished with a written or computerized procedural checklist that methodically guides the driver through the inspection process and highlights inspection zones and criteria. Drivers need to ensure they have a reasonable supply of repair tools and materials, as well as required items such as spare fuses and fire extinguishers. A comprehensive inspection will take approximately 15 minutes and requires the vehicle engine to be on to check lights, instruments and other electrical and mechanical systems, and off to check air brakes.
    
4. Freight pick-up: Drivers hauling freight may have additional inspection requirements relating to a customer trailer and cargo weight and type, including load securement, placarding, paperwork and trailer hook up. The appropriate time required to conduct these activities should be budgeted into the trip plan and made part of the driver inspection and paperwork management procedures.
    
5. Driving and planned trip stops: Most trip time is usually spent driving, but most crashes occur when drivers are traveling off primary highways to refuel, pass through inspection stations, take breaks or make deliveries. Drivers need to be aware of the increased risk of travel in any confined or high-traffic areas, even at slower speeds, and be encouraged to drive patiently and cautiously when in these high risk areas. 
   
   Whenever possible, vehicles should be parked to drive forward when the trip is resumed to minimize the need for backing. If backing is required, drivers should be trained to get out and look behind their vehicles to clearly determine how much clearance is available, before they begin to move the vehicle. If strong winds are forecast, vehicles should be parked to face into the wind. When possible, fuel stops should also be planned where rest areas are available so required rest breaks can be conducted after fueling is completed and before the trip is resumed. Each stop that can be eliminated saves time, fuel to stop and restart the trip and reduces risk of travel in high-density traffic.
    
6. Freight delivery: Drivers hauling freight have an additional challenge of delivering the freight at customer locations or transit yards. Freight drop off areas may be located in confined areas and drivers unfamiliar with these locations are more likely to make errors leading to vehicle or property damage. Drivers should be given diagrams of delivery locations or detailed delivery instructions. Drivers should also have customer contact information to enable them to ask questions and receive instructions when they near customer locations to minimize problems.
    
7. Communication: Good communication and trust between drivers and their managers is essential to define and maintain service expectations with customers and address problems that arise during trips. Drivers need to be trained to properly use company-provided communication systems. And a backup system to get other help or information needs to be provided to every driver in case the trip doesn’t work as planned. Drivers should be encouraged to contact their managers any time they are uncertain of what they should do or if they encounter a problem they are not sure they can handle. The free flow of information between drivers and managers is also important so the manager has the information needed to keep the customer informed about the trip progress. Even if the fleet has GPS tracking, the driver can identify a new problem at any time and needs the ability to quickly and efficiently get information to execute the trip plan, report problems to the manager or change plans to avoid potential problems. 
    
8. Post-trip inspection: When the drivers stop work for the day, they need to conduct a post-trip inspection to determine if the vehicle incurred damage, wear or failures during the work day that will preclude the vehicle being used the following work day without maintenance. Again, the driver should be provided an inspection procedure and checklist. Catching emerging problems early and making repairs while problems are small can save time in the future and increase equipment up-time, particularly for fleets where drivers slip-seat and may use multiple vehicles within a work week. It is best to identify and repair problems during off-duty hours than to conduct maintenance at a time when a trip is scheduled.

The bottom line

Good trip plans create the basis for perfect trips when they are executed by trained drivers who openly communicate with their managers whenever they need information or encounter problems. Commercial vehicles face many challenges on the road. Some challenges can be absorbed through conservative plans or early detection, but others may disrupt the best operations.