Jetco CEO Brian Fielkow moderated a panel discussion at the Truckload Carriers Association conference in Orlando, Florida. The panel topic was “Safety as a Core Value.” He was joined by Wendell Erb, president and CEO of Erb International, Inc. and Greer Woodruff, senior vice president, Safety, Security and Driver Personnel of J. B. Hunt.

Here are a few of Brian’s take-aways from the panel:

1. Operations must be responsible for the execution of safety. Safety cannot be delegated to a department.

2. If you are having safety failures, admit the problem! Be transparent and engage your entire company in creating the solution.

3. Make sure people are emotionally invested. You must get into people’s hearts before their heads. How would you like to visit a family and tell them their loved one is not coming home?

4. The company’s president or member of the executive leadership team should participate in every root-cause analysis.

5. Educate your customers about your particular safety process. Most simply need communication and an understanding of the rationale. For the small handful that might not care – should they be your customer?

Remember – safety is leadership driven and employee owned. No matter what, safety must always be a non-negotiable core value.