Recent changes to the Policy for Evaluating the Behavior of Heavy Vehicle Owners and Operators highlight the importance of continuously managing a company’s PEVL file.
Analyzing the PEVL file on a regular basis is certainly a good first step toward improving the behavior of a heavy vehicle owner or operator. However, this exercise alone is not sufficient to ensure the best possible PEVL file.
It is therefore advisable for the owner or operator to take additional actions that can lead to meaningful improvements. This article outlines a few such actions, though it is far from an exhaustive list.
1.1 Appointing a Compliance Officer
As with all aspects of business operations, it is important to have a clearly identified compliance officer.
This person may be responsible for tasks such as:
- Developing and managing the hiring process
- Managing driver and vehicle files
- Managing the PEVL file
- Developing and managing procedures for tracking driving and working hours, and safety inspections
- Developing and managing vehicle maintenance processes
- Developing and managing follow-ups in case of infractions or accidents, including disciplinary procedures
Naturally, the larger the company, the more compliance managers may be needed. Each person’s responsibilities must be clearly defined to avoid the pitfalls mentioned earlier.
1.2 Developing Clear Policies
The best way for a heavy vehicle owner or operator to express expectations is to prepare clear policies and procedures for each aspect of compliance.
A policy and procedure guide could include:
- Hiring policies for heavy vehicle drivers
- Driver behavior policies while operating heavy vehicles
- Company policies on incidents, infractions, and accidents
- Policies on driving and working hours
- Policies on load and dimension standards
- Policies on cargo securement standards
- Policies on disciplinary escalation
- Policies related to heavy vehicle maintenance
1.3 Implementing Relevant and Consistent Disciplinary Follow-Up
A well-applied policy and procedure guide can help owners and operators move closer to full compliance.
However, a guide that is not enforced may have the opposite effect, potentially signaling to drivers that the company is not serious about compliance.
Enforcing the guide necessarily involves sanctioning actions that violate its principles. The most important aspect of disciplinary follow-up is consistency.
Repeat offenders should be subject to a disciplinary escalation process.
While sanctioning a driver may be disruptive to operations, only strict, uniform, and ongoing disciplinary follow-up will lead to improved driver behavior.
Even worse, inconsistent disciplinary action can demotivate high-performing drivers who receive the same compensation as non-compliant ones.
The goal of disciplinary follow-up is to ensure that misconduct does not recur. At the stage of written reprimands or suspensions, relevant training can be added to these measures.
Moreover, the policies and procedures of a heavy vehicle owner or operator must be dynamic and updated regularly.
Conclusion
Managing the PEVL file requires effort. By taking the steps described above, a company’s overall behavior can only improve.
This publication was featured in Transport Magazine.
