New CSA (Controlled Substances Act) regulations put a premium on safety. Trucking companies will be held accountable for their actions and performance. As we progress, shippers will be accountable for their selection processes as to who they select and why they selected them.

The decision making that shippers will need in the near future will require greater consideration of the safety component in the assessment of why they use certain providers. This might change the dynamics of this business, which has typically been based on a transactions where the lowest cost bidder wins. Safety records will become a much bigger part of this decision making. There will be a tool in the CSA scores that can be used as a resource for shippers to be held accountable.

At Dupre’, our mission statement is “Safe service is profitable” and “safe” is there for a reason. If we can’t be safe, we hit the red button and stop the assembly line. We don’t move without knowing safety exists. Good companies promise safety first and then excellent service. If both of these requirements exist, there is an opportunity for profit. Safety should be an inherent value that is a quality enhancer in a company. This value must be reinforced by ownership, senior management, executive leadership, local management and the drivers – throughout the entire company.