Scheig Associates has more than two decades of experience, and their job-specific tools—when implemented correctly—consistently identify an applicant’s future performance at an 88% accuracy rate.  Using methodology that is unique, predictive, legally defensible and proven over time, their Motor Coach Works© Hiring & Performance System is a three-phase system consisting of an online pre-employment assessment, behaviorally based interview questions and a performance evaluation. The premise of the program is to ‘hire for the behaviors and train for the skills’.

UMA partnered with Scheig upon hearing from several UMA members of their satisfaction and success with Scheig’s hiring and employee performance solutions.

“We’re really excited to be able to offer a discount on our hiring and performance system to UMA members,” said Leslie Williams, national accounts manager with Scheig Associates, in a release.  “Through our extensive experience and proven track record with the motorcoach industry, we know we will become a valuable tool and asset for all UMA operators.”

UMA says that members interested in learning more about the program can contact Leslie Williams with Scheig Associates directly at 800.999.8582 or email lwilliams@scheig.com, or by visiting the members-only section of www.uma.org.

East Bay Paratransit is one of the largest fully centralized brokerages in the country, providing ADA compliant paratransit service for 750,000 riders annually. The brokerage was formed by fixed route bus operator Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) and rail operator BART. These are the two largest transit agencies in the east San Francisco Bay Area and share a large densely populated service area. In order to provide efficient and affordable service, the two agencies formed a partnership to provide paratransit services with a prime contractor managing day-to-day operations.

Under the new contract, which is effective July 1, 2013, Veolia will assume additional responsibilities including dispatching duties for a 200 vehicle fleet and employing a Developmental Disability Specialist in its Certification Department, who will bring expertise for eligibility determinations of applicants with cognitive disabilities. Other ongoing responsibilities include managing and operating a customer service and reservations call center, scheduling, accounting and reporting functions.

“We thank both boards for the support they’ve provided to us since our first contract award 18 years ago,” Larsen said. ”We value our partnership with our clients and our riders and we look forward to continuing to provide safe, reliable service to this community.”

“Operators can now feel at ease whenever there is a chance that retractors and belts from both Sure-Lok and Q’Straint are at a property, plus it gives them the flexibility to source from both manufacturers,” said Bob Joseph, Q’Straint vice president of Business Development. “There are thousands of properties that have retractors and manual belts from both Q’Straint and Sure-Lok and by using OMNI anchorages operators no longer have to brand match the track and pockets.”

All OMNI Floor Anchor Systems feature stainless steel or aluminum materials designed for demanding transportation environments. Aluminum L-Track is the most widely used floor anchorage in the transportation industry. Installing L-Track provides maximum flexibility to accommodate many different wheelchair positions. OMNI L-Track is an aluminum alloy (6061-T6) and can be configured in custom lengths and drill patterns.

The OMNI line includes three different profiles of L-Track (Regular, Flanged and Angled) and is offered in standard lengths of 100 inches. The L-Track Pockets that are available include a recessed version with a hinged cover, a flush model that is designed to be recessed in the floor and an oval pocket that minimizes tripping and interference with wheelchair casters. All are single bolt installation and feature  stainless steel construction to prevent corrosion even in the harshest of transit environments.

The Slide ‘N Click anchorage is now an OMNI compatible product. When using a Q’Straint QRT MAX, Deluxe or the Sure-Lok Titan Series, one hand is all that is needed to attach or remove tie-downs thanks to the positive locking plunger.

“It is all about compatibility and liability,” said Tony Matijevich, president with Creative Bus Sales. ”By installing OMNI track, we know that the buses we are providing to our customers can use both Q’Straint and Sure-Lok retractors without worry about safety and potential legal exposure. This is the universal solution we have been looking for.”

One year into AAA Holdings, All Aboard America! and Calco Hotard have no regrets

It has been a year since the stress and strain of keeping a family business together eased from their shoulders, ridding the owners of further risk and worry about the future of their time-honored companies. What to do next for two family-owned motorcoach companies approaching 80 years in age had been a concern for longtime friends Jack Wigley, president of All Aboard America!, Mesa, AZ, and Callen Hotard, president and CEO of Calco Travel and Hotard Coaches, New Orleans, LA.

“All Aboard America! spans three generations,” says Wigley. “The fact remained there would never be a fourth. There simply is no one else in our family with the inclination or desire to lead a transportation company.” Hotard found himself in a similar situation.

“While there is immense satisfaction in running a family business that I have been involved with all my life, it comes with considerable risk,” he says. “There is a lot of liability out there. Jack and I were both looking for a way to keep our companies alive, move forward and still remain in the business.”

Wigley and Hotard had been weighing all possible options together and separately for several years once the topic of succession planning was discussed in their Spader 20 Group.

“I was looking for something to happen fairly soon,” says Wigley. “To be honest, I had been personally guaranteeing notes and loans since I was in my 30s, and once I reached my 50s I started to think more about how much longer I wanted to deal with this degree of risk and responsibility. For me, the next step was just not there. If anything happened to me, I could only look forward to a real mess on my hands.”

Another option would have been to hire on an outside president and CEO. “That would not resolve the future ownership issue, nor necessarily reduce the risk,” he says. “Besides, the process could take a while. I may not find the right person the first time around.”

The notion to turn the company over to longtime employees to operate as a co-op was quickly dismissed. Putting their heads together, the two eventually hit on the idea of merging their companies as a package to market to investors.
“Our aim in marketing our two companies together as one larger entity was to attract a higher quality investor,” says Hotard. “We didn’t believe either of us could achieve that on our own.”

Enter Celerity Partners
With the help of a business broker, their thinking led them to Celerity Partners, a private equity firm based in Los Angeles, CA, dedicated to recapitalizations and proactive acquisitions. This transaction marked the firm’s first foray into the transportation industry. Celerity says it liked what it saw in these particular operators enough to draw their interest in a new area.

“We see All Aboard America! and Calco Hotard as two of the finest assets in the industry,” says Celerity Partners representative Matt Kraus. “They demonstrate dominance in their local markets, and their management teams show terrific depth and expertise. Together, these two companies provide the size and scope to serve as a platform to build a much larger and formidable motorcoach company.”
Celerity Partners felt from day one this transaction was a cultural fit, a quality Kraus says no one should ever underestimate when the plan is to acquire and integrate multiple companies.

Though the motorcoach industry is new for the firm, Wigley and Hotard’s concerns for their family businesses are not a rarity for Celerity Partners.

“The impetus for transactions like these is often owners looking to diversify their net worth,” says Kraus. “More specific to this industry, the transaction has also allowed the Hotards and Wigleys to be freed from daunting possible liabilities.”

Celerity Partners says it now has a greater appreciation for just how challenging it is to build and manage market leaders in this industry. Kraus says the firm certainly realizes the outstanding market opportunity to two best-in-class operators.

“This was the only solution that made complete sense,” says Hotard. “We needed to simply divest ourselves of our majority stake in our companies.”

Through the involvement of Celerity Partners, Wigley and Hotard were able to do just that. Each accepted a minority share of the newly formed parent entity AAA Holdings.

“We had a lot of questions going through the due diligence,” says Wigley. “Having never been through it, I found the process a little nerve racking. Frankly, I didn’t know how I would feel once this deal closed. As it has turned out, this is the difference between me sitting alone in my backyard trying to come up with the right answers, as opposed to now being able to voice my ideas in the boardroom in the company of partners.”

No regrets
Neither partner is expressing any regrets. “We both continue to be in charge of our own operations,” says Hotard. “On the same hand, this also introduces us to a whole other sector of business. It takes us to the next level.” Everyone involved agrees it has turned out to be a win-win solution.

“We might have combined a few back office functions, but we still maintain our own brand identities,” says Wigley. “Plus, we keep our own employees and crews on board, many of who have a vested stake in these older companies.”

As they grow more comfortable in this arrangement, Wigley and Hotard are enjoying the chance to explore new opportunities to grow beyond their boundaries, possibly integrating other companies into the entity.

In the meantime, the merger and acquisition has brought All Aboard America! and Hotard even closer. “When we agreed to join forces, we really didn’t think about doing business together because of the geography,” says Hotard. “However, in that respect, it has really been working to our advantage.” As it turns out, both operators are seeing for the first time where their respective operations actually overlap, and how they benefit as partners.

There have been opportunities for All Aboard America! to relieve Calco Hotard drivers on their way to California. Pinched for time with a new contract, All Aboard was able to call on Calco for five coaches to handle the business in a quick turnaround.

Praises from Prevost
AAA Holdings initialized its acquisition of the two companies with its first purchase of 10 H3-45 Prevost coaches — five for each entity. Prevost, Sainte-Claire, QB, Canada, noted in a statement to BUSRide that it regards the new company for making an important step in the industry.

“Prevost is honored to be involved with AAA Holdings and proud to deliver the first motorcoaches to this highly regarded union of motorcoach brands”, said Dann Wiltgen, Prevost vice-president of Key Accounts. “We are looking forward to a mutually beneficial relationship we know will have a positive and long lasting influence on our industry.”

CEO Martin Griffiths envisions Megabus sleeper coaches in U.S.

Sir Brian Souter stepped up to chairman of Stagecoach, Perth, Scotland, handing over the position of chief executive officer to Martin Griffiths effective May 1.

Souter co-founded Stagecoach with his sister Ann Gloag, starting with two coaches running express services between Scotland and London. The government of the day broke up the state-owned National Bus Company and the Scottish Bus Group. Stagecoach expanded rapidly, later taking on rail franchises when British Rail was privatized.

Stagecoach has grown to an annual turnover of around $4 billion and is a major player in the North American coach industry, with its the fast expanding megabus.com network. In the United Kingdom, Stagecoach has the largest fleet of buses and operates many train services, including the busiest London commuter network.

Griffiths kindly agreed to an interview with me for BUSRide a few days before he took up his new appointment.

The man has worked for Stagecoach for 15 years. He holds a first class honors degree in law from the University of Glasgow and is a fully qualified chartered accountant. He became a member of the Stagecoach board in 2000 and has always worked very closely with Sir Brian, with responsibility for implementing and controlling its successful strategies.

Before his current appointment, he was the group’s finance director, supporting Sir Brian in all aspects of the management of the group’s operations and new business development. He was responsible for overall financial policy, taxation, treasury, employee benefits, pension management and rail franchise bidding.

We talked about Souter’s move from CEO to chairman. He is now 59 and wanted to step back from day-to-day management. It is unusual in British corporate governance for a person to make the move from CEO to chairman. Griffiths said the board discussed the situation thoroughly.

“We did not want to lose Brian’s experience and enthusiasm,” he says. “We had seen people who had played a major role in establishing other companies. When they walked away, sometimes the companies did not do so well. Gerry Watts, previously the senior independent director, has been appointed deputy chairman and he will be assisting Brian. We will make sure there are no conflicts of interest, because more than 50 percent of Brian’s interests are now outside Stagecoach. Above all, we will still welcome the motivation and challenge from Brian. I am also very pleased that the change has the full support of our shareholders.”

Souter Investments hold Souter’s interests outside Stagecoach in a wide-ranging portfolio that includes Polski Bus, a Megabus type of operation in Poland, along with ferries and coach services in Turkey.

Innovative influence to continue

Souter has a legendary reputation in the industry as an innovator and has a great grasp of the business’s details. I asked Griffiths if he would have a similar style or be different.

“You can only be yourself,” Griffiths says. “We have great people in the company and they know how we want to run the business. Part of my challenge is to bring through the next generation. We have always encouraged our people to be innovative and I will continue with that policy.”

I remember Griffiths telling me a few years ago, in a light hearted way, that he and his fellow directors always went to work on a Monday morning with a little bit of trepidation. They wondered what new scheme Souter had thought about over the weekend.

Megabus.com was a classic example with the fare structure modeled after low cost airlines. Stagecoach started by using older vehicles to minimize costs, but as soon as the concept proved popular with the public, the company invested heavily in new and well-equipped coaches. Many of those now running in the United Kingdom are 65-seat tri-axle coaches built to just over 49 feet. There are even megabus.com services to Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris.

I asked Griffiths whether he envisions further opportunities to grow the business.

“I believe our strategy has been the most consistent of all the major transport companies,” he says. “We have grown our businesses organically, but we also have added companies where we believe they make a good fit, and occasionally we have sold some of them.”

One example was the sale of bus companies in London to an Australian bank in the summer of 2006 for around $400 million and the subsequent re-acquisition in the fall of 2010 for $80 million. Seeing that the company had been under-performing,  Stagecoach saw the opportunity to buy it back and turn it around.

Sleeper coaches in the U.S.
A few days before our interview, Stagecoach launched the first of 10 double deck Van Hool megabusgold.com coaches built to the European maximum length of just over 49 feet. Costing around $750,000 each they feature 53 luxurious leather seats that can convert into 42 beds for overnight express services. The company says they will provide more than 1,700 beds per week on journeys ranging from 400-600 miles between London and Scotland.

The group is looking at introducing megabusgold.com and sleeper coaches to North America, but first has to ensure that vehicles could be built to comply with Buy America regulations.

“North America is very important to the future of Stagecoach,” says Griffiths. “Our challenge with Megabus.com is to get Americans out of their cars and demonstrate to them that there is high quality alternative transport at really affordable prices. If we can persuade even a fraction of the car users to switch to coaches, we will be very happy.”

He says in North America, there are plenty of journeys in the 400-600 mile range where sleeper coaches could be highly effective. While not as fast as airlines, there is none of the hassle of getting to and from airports, checking in an hour before departure, going through security and facing other restrictions. Furthermore, the coach can save the cost of an overnight hotel stay and the fares are very competitive.

Bearing in mind that Griffiths is 47, I asked him where he saw the future for public transport – bus, coach and rail – in the next 10 to 15 years.

“I am really positive about the future,” he says. “We are living in times of austerity but public transport is remarkably resilient. I hope that the economic situation will pick up here and across the Atlantic. All market research says that public transport is very important and will play a major part in reducing congestion, pollution and emissions.”

With the Best of BUSRide Awards, BUSRide devotes the December issue to the bus and coach industry’s best and brightest. In this annual presentation, BUSRide bestows badges on the safest, greenest, most efficient and innovative transit agencies, coach operators, and bus and equipment manufacturers in transportation.

In the transit, paratransit and motorcoach industries, nominations are open for innovations in the following categories:

Green/Eco-initiatives
Safety
Customer service
Community outreach
Marketing
Technology
Other

A coveted Best of BUSRide Award will recognize both public transit authorities and private bus and coach companies for giving attention above and beyond the norm. An unlimited number of awards go to the companies that have demonstrated concern, commitment, leadership and innovation to make a difference in critical areas.

Of the many initiatives of Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD), our Strategic Leadership Development Program is one of the most important but least known. While RTD is continually in the public eye as we build out the single largest voter-approved transit program in the nation — the multi-billion dollar FasTracks projects — this innovative and comprehensive curriculum designed to train and empower tomorrow’s industry leaders has remained somewhat under the radar.

The Strategic Leadership Development Program integrates a five-step curriculum that develops both salaried and represented qualified employees for senior management positions. The program fosters growth at every step of the career path through classroom instruction, on-the-job training, life-skills assessments mentoring and collaborations with transit agency peers, organizations and policymakers.  Our Multi-Agency Exchange (MAX) is another compelling aspect of this program. Representatives from various transit agencies share ideas, best practices and discuss real-world operational challenges in a cooperative study environment.

Denver RTD is developing its most important asset — our human capital. We are creating an array of possibilities for advancement that will serve our industry well into the future. In short, we are becoming the “farm team” for the industry.

Transit industry fundamentals
Through entry-level internships and a structured workforce development initiative, employees acquire basic vocational skills and foundational transit-related work experience, and receive an introduction to a wide spectrum of potential careers in public transit.

Employee development
Training continues with a series of classes and personal learning paths to provide employees the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in their current positions. These paths also emphasize advanced supervisory, management and leadership abilities to prepare employees for future advancement within our organization.

Mid-level leadership
Once at a supervisory or management level, selected employees benefit from advanced education to further develop the competencies necessary to excel as transit leaders.

Senior-Level Knowledge Exchange
Working collaboratively, representatives of participating transit agencies in Dallas, TX, Los Angeles, CA, and Denver, CO, share ideas, compare best practices, and position themselves as employers of choice within our industry. They also cultivate strategies to attract, foster, and retain exceptional management teams.

Both the MAX Program and Leadership APTA programs prepare participants as the next generation of middle and executive management in the transportation industry through extensive inter-agency networking, cooperative communication efforts, and transit-specific learning paths.

Executive Leadership
Leaders themselves at this stage, nominated executives continue to hone their skills in critical thinking and strategic change by participating in nationally recognized, advanced leadership seminars and conferences.

In addition to these incremental development programs, we are identifying positions that are difficult to fill in each department at RTD due to either ongoing applicant shortages or the highly specialized skills required to fulfill the job. We then identify and outline a training path to “grow our own” for that particular hard-to-fill position.

This enables us to create and then tap into an existing pool of qualified leaders who are already familiar with the organization and ready to step up and meet these new challenges. This helps us maintain crucial institutional knowledge.

We are accomplishing much throughout the Denver metro area by proudly serving as a model for progress. We feel it is critical that we continue to make a positive impact on current operations and establish a vision for the future with leadership well prepared for the challenge.

As leaders ourselves, we must continue to set the tone for developing our people and our industry in a way that best leverages resources, maximizes benefit, awards innovation and fosters success.

An effective security plan should include development of a comprehensive surveillance strategy.

In the advent of the recent Boston Marathon bombings, surveillance has once again proven to be a critical tool in recognizing suspicious behavior. In the bus transportation industry, surveillance is more typically used to observe facilities, vehicles, and people in and around the vehicles and passenger boarding areas. Surveillance is also a proactive tool to deter individuals from acting unsafely or illegally.

An effective security emergency preparedness plan should include development of a comprehensive surveillance strategy. The first step is to analyze the facility vulnerabilities and try to eradicate any issues that are weakening security.

A perimeter camera system to observe and record all activities around the bus yard is one means of preventing any vulnerability to company property

Advances in technology have reduced the costs of this technology dramatically, making it easier for bus companies to purchase camera surveillance systems.

Installation of cameras throughout the interior of a facility can help reduce fraudulent worker’s compensation activity and illegal behavior such as theft or inappropriate work activity. Interior surveillance also can be incorporated to also monitor employee and customer interactions, as well as package deliveries.

Onboard video surveillance assists in two critical areas. In the area of passenger safety, vehicle event recorders have proven to modify unsafe driving habits and help reduce accidents. These systems also assist a bus company in litigation by determining the actual factors that contributed to the cause of the accident when there is a difference of opinion. Event recording systems provide a safer environment by monitoring passenger behavior and recording unsafe or illegal activity taking place on the vehicle.

Secondly, onboard video surveillance aids in monitoring the efficient performance of buses such as staying on route, idling activity and fuel economy.  As technology has progressed, many surveillance systems now offer electronic onboard recording (EOBR) for hours-of-service compliance. Many of these systems can be integrated to monitor drivetrain systems and assist with maintenance requirements.

Onboard video recording devices are available to assist with monitoring the safety and security of passengers and the driver during stops to load and unload riders. Cameras help because:

• Pedestrians are always near the bus as it approaches or leaves a stop.
• The driver is typically providing multiple services at one time, such as assisting passengers, loading and unloading luggage and monitoring the vehicle.
• Entrances to the bus may be unmonitored.
• The driver’s area is vulnerable.
• Open luggage doors may provide easy access.
• Engine and other access doors may become vulnerable, because the entire bus is likely open and unlocked.

Therefore, a quality surveillance system may help to deter unscrupulous activity or record activity that could compromise the safety and security of passengers.  The onboard recording system can also be used as a teaching tool to mitigate unwanted security events while improving driver customer service.

The two types of vehicle surveillance systems are real-time and event recording.  Real-time onboard surveillance systems provide a critical tool in mitigating and responding to events onboard buses by providing immediate information to first responders and company personnel.  A motion detector that senses extremes in G Force momentum within the vehicle triggers event recorders. The driver can manually trigger both the event recorder and real-time surveillance system.

However, even the most expensive onboard surveillance system is worthless if no one monitors the information. There are countless examples of cases where unscrupulous activity was recorded, but the perpetrator got away because no one was monitoring the system. For surveillance systems to be effective, employees must understand the system and develop an appreciation for the technology.  A cultural change must take place within company. It requires thorough employee education and top-down acceptance at all levels.

First Transit’s down-up culture means employees care about getting it right

Thomas Harris was most struck by the bus industry’s attention to safety and regulation when he stepped into his role as First Transit and First Services’ vice president, safety and human resources, one year ago.

“I was surprised that the industry is as regulated as it is,” Harris says. “I made the assumption that the aviation industry would be more regulated than over-the road transportation. That’s probably a bias – but you stand a higher chance of harming the public, with the millions of miles that you run per year, with a bus operation.”

Harris joined FirstGroup America, Cincinnati, OH, which provides busing and maintenance services to municipalities, school districts and the general public throughout North America, in May 2010 as a senior attorney. He previously worked for Comair where he handled risk management and compliance.

“The FTA and FMCSA are just as strong and necessary as any of the FAA standards, and First Transit follows those to the letter,” Harris says.

According to Harris, engaging employees is the best practice for improving a company’s safety record. To that end, FirstGroup holds safety-based leadership conferences. This year, executives gathered in London and then in Baltimore a week later. Both sessions, Harris says, were focused on safety goals and the support that frontline leadership will receive from executives.

“Many have fear about following safety protocols at the lower levels because they’re worried about two things,” he says. “Operationally, they’re worried about upsetting a customer if they don’t get their bus out on time. Financially, they may send a bus that’s not appropriate to be out on the road, for fear of some CFO or their regional finance person having something to say about that.”

Harris says they haven’t had these problems at First Transit, but they want to make sure local leadership teams know that they’ll be supported in any decision they make. They’ll never be challenged over operational needs or financial assurance.

“We’re going to make sure they think about safety first and worry later about those other two issues that may come about,” he says. “We haven’t had a problem, but we do want to make sure people aren’t afraid of making those good, strong safety decisions every day.”

In the long run, he says, a bad safety record is disastrous for a company’s bottom line.

“You’ll get hit with lawsuits, you’ll have a bad reputation, you’ll lose contracts,” Harris says. “Safety should be second nature, but you have to continually press it on lower-level locations and leadership.”

Wellness Warriors
Harris says First Transit is pushing a driver wellness initiative this year.

“We took a look at our drivers and recognized that a lot of them have unhealthy lifestyles because of the fact that they’re driving eight hours a day and don’t really have a lot of time to spend on their own personal health,” he says. “We’re promoting better eating and exercising, because I think that will reduce passenger injuries and improve the drivers’ well-being.”

The initiative was first pushed by FirstGroup’s rail operation in the U.K. Harris says they quickly adopted a similar campaign for their North American operations. All First Transit locations have hung up wellness boards which promote both safety and wellness tips.

“The wellness tip might say, ‘Watch your blood pressure,’ and then we’ll add a safety topic along the lines of ‘Also, make sure to keep your cool when you’re on the road.’” Harris says. “It goes hand in hand.”

First Transit recognizes a Wellness Warrior, someone who’s had a great success with their personal wellness, at the end of each month. Harris says the Wellness Warrior space can also recognize someone who’s had a failure in their wellness plan.

“I feel cautionary tales are sometimes just as good as those who’ve done really well, because they can inform other people that you don’t have to be a superhero to be a Wellness Warrior,” he says. “We all fail at times and people can learn from that failure. If you fell off the wagon, for lack of a better phrase, but then you got back on, we want to highlight that.”

Engaging the families
Harris says a First Transit location in Louisville, KY, has added a unique twist to safety training by engaging drivers’ families. The location has hung signs designed by the drivers’ children, reminding staff of crucial safety tips. This practice, Harris says, encourages drivers to internalize safety principles by teaching them at home.

“If you go home and ask kids to do it, you have to explain a topic like ‘Watch for Pedestrians,’” he says. “It’s a good idea because it really gets the drivers involved and engaged in the process. The drivers have taken great pride in the artwork that their children make. It’s one of the best practices that the other groups, including Greyhound, should think about doing.”

Looking forward
Harris says that this has been one of First Transit’s best years in terms of collisions, passenger injuries and employee injuries. He credits the company’s culture and initiatives for reducing those injuries and claims.

“Our campaigns have been good, take lower- and upper-back safety, for example,” he says. “We have a lot of shuttle operations, and we deal with push, pull and twist injuries when people pull luggage off of a bus. We spent time making sure drivers knew to properly lift luggage, put it on the ground, and continue that practice every time they lift a bag. Hopefully it carries over to their home life as well.”

Harris says that his organization’s commitment to safety, from top to bottom, is second to none.

“I’d like to believe that all bus carriers hold safety as highly as First Transit,” he says. “I’ve been in aviation where safety is of paramount importance, but these guys seem to have a deeper focus on safety than any place I’ve been. I can’t say it’s bizarre, but it’s unusual to have that strong sense of passion about safety.”

Chances are I have never been to your facility, stepped foot onto one of your vehicles, or know anything about your overall safety program. Despite this, I’d be willing to place two wagers about your passenger transportation operation:

1. You focus more on passenger safety and DOT compliance than worker safety and workplace safety compliance.
2. Your most frequent employee injuries are due to overexertion or slips, trips and falls.

I can’t predict the winning Powerball numbers, but if my bets about your operation ever paid off, you may take solace in the fact that you are not alone. My above assessment comes from many years of visiting with hundreds of transportation operations, reviewing their safety practices and looking at collision and injury issues and costs.

I would hope that you to aspire to better your operations and separate yourself from the rest of the pack. You can get started by accepting my challenge to complete at least three tasks that will positively affect employee safety within three weeks of reading this article.

If you’re still reading, I assume you’ve decided to accept the challenge — or at least entertain the idea to alleviate some of the risk lurking within your company.

If you’re on the fence with this, let me sweeten the deal. Being keenly aware that the probability of success relates directly to the amount of effort expended to meet the challenge, I am offering eight options from which you have to select only three to accomplish. This allows the best chance of success and ensures that everyone participating can choose the tasks that are most applicable to their operations. Overachievers, feel free to take on more than three. Here we go.

TASK 1: Find three tripping hazards. Yes, you have them. Tripping hazards can be anywhere from the front office and maintenance shop to the parking lot. If you can’t eradicate them, do something to call attention to them and make them more visible using visual cues like fluorescent paint, cones, etc.

TASK 2: Find three oversized items, or those that weigh more than 75 pounds that employees are expected to move, lift or carry. Determine if you have equipment such as hoists and wheel dollies available or have a policy in place that requires workers to get assistance for handling these items. If not, do something about it.

Bonus points: If you do have such equipment or policy, ask an employee to actually relocate one of the items to see if the process meets all expectations — if not, conduct an on-the-spot safety talk with all the workers.

TASK 3: Wait until dark. Go out to the employee parking lot. Is there sufficient lighting to illuminate the path between that lot and the area where the revenue vehicles are parked? Is there a danger of a trip hazard? If so, replace all burnt out bulbs or make lighting improvement a top-five capital expenditure item.

Remember, everyone wants more vehicles, but worker compensation injuries can chew a big chunk of out of the bottom line through lost productivity, partial salary payments and insurance costs.

A word to renters: If you rent or lease your operational facilities, suggest to your landlord about your performing improvements for a percentage reduction in rent, i.e., $2,000 in capital investment for a $1,000 rent deduction.

By the way, additional lighting doubles as a deterrent for other break-ins and crime.

TASK 4: Check every set of stairs for hazards. Look for and fix absent or worn friction material, frayed carpeting, missing or loose handrails, or items stacked on edges of stairs.

TASK 5. Inspect and address shop working surfaces. Instruct the shop crew to inspect for oil and grease areas that have not been cleaned up, or maybe oil-dry that has not been swept up. Asking the staff to stop what they are doing and clean up their areas on the spot will emphasize expectations and responsibility.

Repeat this every three days until they understand the policy to immediately handle such hazards.

TASK 6. Stage Operation Sure-Step. During this operation, scout for employees getting on and off the vehicle without taking necessary precautions. Most injuries occur when employees are stepping off the vehicle. Watch for this either during pre-trips where they should they should have to get on and off during the process.  Better yet, watch when they return from a trip. They are more likely to be exiting with their hands full — and without three points of contact to help prevent falls.

TASK 7. Beware of walking zombies. Humans are becoming increasingly tied socially to their smartphones, while the industry is asking drivers to not use their personal cell phones while driving the company vehicle.

As a result, smartphone timeouts are creating a nation of walking zombies when the timeout is over. I see it weekly when planes land and passengers empty into the terminal staring at their small screens. The same thing could be happening in your facilities.

With restrictions in place — and hopefully followed — drivers are turning on the personal phone once they park the vehicle and while catching up on the walk back to the building — making them oblivious to potential hazards. Watch for walking zombies in the lot, and talk about this at your next safety meeting.

TASK 8. Require chocks and jack stands. This task requires trips through the garage on three separate days during peak operating hours. If a vehicle in for service has any wheels on the ground, at least one should be chocked. Any vehicle on a lift in the area, either partially or entirely, should have jack stands in use for emergency support. If you don’t have enough chocks or jack stands, get more. If they are not being used, have a toolbox meeting and make it mandatory.

While the injuries that result from mishaps that that these practices can prevent may seem few and far between, they are usually very serious and very costly when they do occur.

A caveat

It doesn’t count if you choose one of these tasks and find nothing wrong or anyone to counsel. Choose another. Somehow I’m guessing you know exactly which of these tasks will be fruitful before you even start.

On a last note, do me a favor. For those of you who accept my challenge, drop me an email at matt@safetyteam.com and let me know which three or more tasks you chose and what you discovered.