The Traveling Cubicle and the Value-Driven Driver At our recent quarterly drivers’ safety meeting, we introduced our drivers to the “Value-Driven Driving” program provided by our insurance company, Great West Casualty Company. It provided great insight into the number of decisions a driver makes every day and what drives those decisions.

What drives the decisions a professional truck driver makes behind the wheel? In today’s environment, a driver’s decisions can be influenced by government regulations, company safety policies, and state laws to name a few. These influencers may be well-intentioned, but ultimately a driver’s decision is based on priorities and/ or values.

Priorities can change in importance based on circumstances. For instance, fuel economy is very important to profitability but may need to be compromised in certain situations. Values, on the other hand, are beyond compromise. They are deeplyheld beliefs or principles that a driver will stick to no matter the circumstances or outside influences. For instance, it is fair to say that no driver wants to be the cause of a crash. This is bad for everyone involved, so if preventing vehicle crashes is valued by a driver, he/she will do everything within his/her control to prevent a crash from happening. This is what Value-Driven™ Driving is all about, making “values-based” decisions behind the wheel and around the truck.

In discussions with professional truck drivers, the following were commonly shared values. Where do you stand on these?
Are you a “Value-Driven” driver?

• Honesty
• Integrity
• Accountability
• Professionalism
• Trust
• Protecting Life
• The Essential 7 Driving Techniques
  1. Maintain proper following distance
  2. Observe proper speed for conditions
  3. Maintain one lane
  4. Be attentive to the road ahead
  5. Avoid distractions
  6. Yield the right of way
  7. React properly to hazards

*Used with permission by Great West Casualty Company

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