The commercial motor vehicle operations safety literature generally recognizes that a very important element in achieving motor carrier safety is motor carrier management (Moses and Savage, 1994). Whether the motor carrier is a one-person ownera."operator or a fleet of thousands of tractors and trailers, management determines whether the carrier operates safely or not. Management selects, trains, supervises, motivates, disciplines, and compensates drivers. Management makes the equipment purchase and maintenance decisions. Management sets the entire safety tone of the enterprise both explicitly through formal policies and implicitly in the way that it treats potential rule breaking and other unsafe practices. In keeping with the general thrust of circular E-C117, the focus in this section is on management practices that affect highway safety. Carrier safety fitness is addressed. Both mandatory and voluntary approaches to safety management are examined, and the characteristics of a safe motor carrier are reviewed. Additional research needs are also described.
Abstract