Episode 121: Operation Safe Driver Week: Stay Focused, Stay Safe, Make It Home

Operation Safe Driver Week is here, and Tyler Kivi shares a timely reminder that safety is about much more than avoiding a ticket. During this episode of the Keep Trucking Personal podcast, Tyler talks about what drivers can expect during this year's enforcement campaign and why it can be viewed as an opportunity to sharpen good habits behind the wheel.

From managing speed and eliminating distractions to creating space, staying patient with four-wheelers, and taking pre-trip inspections seriously, Tyler walks through the small decisions that make a big difference every day. He also explains why Kivi Bros Trucking is doubling clean inspection payouts during Operation Safe Driver Week and encourages drivers to take pride in the professionalism they bring to the road.

Whether you're preparing for an inspection or simply looking for a reminder of why safe driving matters, this episode is a positive message about protecting yourself, your family, and everyone else sharing the highway. Stay focused, stay professional, and make it home safely.

Learn more about Operation Safe Driver Week here: https://cvsa.org/programs/operation-safe-driver/operation-safe-driver-week/

Transcript

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Welcome to Keith Trucking Personal. I'm Tyler TV, a third generation trucker. My purpose is simple. Make sure the definition of trucking doesn't get lost in the culture this industry is driven toward. This podcast is about real stories, the hard lessons, and the standards that built this business long before apps and algorithms. If you believe trucking is more than freight and it's responsibility, you're in the right place. Let's get into it. And so on this episode, we're right on the toes here of Safe Driver Week. And it's important that this airs now because next week on Sunday, the 12th through the 18th, Operation Safe Driver Week is being enforced by the DOT and any state patrol, really, anyone involved in this throughout the country. And so it's important that we talk about it. And every week or every year during this week, law enforcement across the United States and Canada focus on unsafe driving behaviors. So we're going to talk a little bit about that and just what you can do to set yourself up for success so we don't have to be worried. And so you're going to see a lot more patrol cars out, right? They up enforcement. There's going to be more traffic stops. So you can assume more police sitting in the middle of the median with, you know, whether it's speed, radar guns, or just even binoculars looking for seatbelts and distracted driving. And some of you are dreading this week, right? Because it's maybe you're not, you just don't enjoy when there's these types of challenges. That's how I look at it. Um, and you think that everybody's just out there to try write tickets, but I'd challenge you to look at it differently and look at it as a focus week. And so it isn't designed to just write citations, it's designed to change your behavior. That's why they have these enforcement weeks. And the behaviors that are being watched are the same behaviors that lead to crashes every single day, and those are the following: speeding, following too closely, distracted driving, seatbelt violations, impaired driving. And they're not just violations, these are choices you make. And sometimes these choices change people's lives forever. And so, as truck drivers, we carry an incredible amount of responsibility when this week comes forward. And every time we pull out onto the highway, we're sharing the road with families, and it could be even your own family. And you have parents that are heading to work, and teenagers that are learning to drive, school buses, kids riding in the back seat, and people who trust that we're going to operate our trucks safely and professionally. And that's a responsibility that all of us as professional truck drivers should never take lightly. And so, if there's one message coming into Safe Driver Week, it's this let's lock in. Like literally laser focus. This is something for you to own. This is your week to own and take off with. And one thing I want to add during these type of inspection weeks, we double our payouts for clean inspections. We do that because we know it's important. We know you're already doing a great job, but we want you to take the extra minute and step up as well. It's important for all of us. So a clean level three will get you 200 bucks, a clean level two will get you 300 bucks, and a clean level one will get you $400. And so, what a great way for extra opportunity. Do take this time and be intentional and slow down, right? Stay present with your every mile. I know sometimes you can distill it down, but it's important. Every mile, focus on it. And don't let your routine, you know, this is your chance to say, hey, instead of a New Year's resolution, hey, I'm gonna change a habit that I don't like right now. And if you want to be the safest driver, you're not lucky. They're always focused and they're checking their mirrors and they're creating space and they're using defensive driving. They know when someone's merging on. There's things that you could do, right? How many times have you heard a truck driver that's like, I'm tired of these four-wheelers? They'll figure it out. It doesn't work in the long game. You need to be focused and anticipate the problem that could happen before it actually does happen. So when that person's coming up the on-ramp, instead of just holding your ground and forcing unfit situations, figure out the best way to make the situation work. And understand that every mile deserves that level of attention. And so let's talk about speeding. Speeding is always a challenge, and it's not just on the interstate, right? We know you're not out there doing 80 miles an hour on the interstate, it's when you're on two-lane roads and you're coming up to school zones and you're trying to just make up a few minutes. Here's the reality: those few minutes, they rarely change your day. Usually and typically, I do not see people running their clock right up to the wire. So why push it, right? One speeding ticket can change everything, and one crash can change everything. And no load has ever been important enough to risk not making it home for anyone. And that's a true statement. And sometimes the fastest way to get somewhere isn't speeding, it's simply just driving the speed limit and being safe and focused. You understand that when you're coming up to stoplights, when you're not speeding, you're not slamming on the brakes, and you're not always risking your cargo or always up against the limit. There are opportunities here to do things safe and slowly. And another distraction point is phones and GPS and eating and looking for paperwork. I know there are many things hitting you throughout the week, but you have to be focused and you have to make sure you're not doing that while you're driving. And I know a quick glimpse here, a quick glimpse there is necessary to do things, but come on, focus as much as you can during this week. Try to change your habits. When you're behind the 80,000-pound rig, a couple seconds can change everything. So let's give the road our full attention this week for the safe driver. Let's let that text sit still. Let's let that call wait. You don't have to be on group calls or calls. Like, focus. This is a week to just push it to the side and get everyone home safely and wear your seatbelt. I know a lot of the technology we have in the trucks helps this, but there's still instances where people may unbuckle here to do this to reach over the passenger seat. Don't do it. Focus. Let's be patient with all the four-wheelers out there. Let's double check our mirrors. Take the extra minute during your pre-trip. Make sure you're stopping before scales and checking your tires. Those are the most common. If you typically get inspected, it usually starts from speeding. Okay, so speeding is going to get you inspected. Or low tires. When your tires are low, they can tell it a scale and you get prompted for an inspection. So do inner pre-trips, do well first pre-trips of the day. Stop often, take the extra minute. Think about the big safety overall picture here. And a hundred small decisions have to be made correctly to make this week successful. So pat yourself on the back when you make it through every single day, and you guys set the example. And we can't control how everyone else drives. That's the challenge as a professional driver. But we can control how we drive this week, and we can be the calm driver, we can be the collective driver, we can be the patient driver, and we can be the predictable driver because you never know who's watching. And during this week, there's going to be extra enforcement sitting out there just looking. And so a young person might not know how to handle traffic the way you do. And somebody maybe elderly isn't as fluent or as smooth as you are as a professional driver. But remember, you set the tone. And so here's my challenge this week. Don't just survive safe driver week. It's very important that you win it and you own it. But don't just let it be one week. Use this as an opportunity to continually sharpen your habits and treat every day like somebody is watching you. Treat every day like you come over the top of that hill or you're coming to the bottom. There's somebody there watching you. This week isn't about avoiding a ticket. It's about protecting lives, your life, your family's future, the families traveling beside you. Slow down, stay focused, stay locked in because the goal isn't just to finish this trip, friends. The goal is to make it home. Thank you for listening to Keep Trucking Personal and stay safe. Have a safe week. And remember, those clean inspections are worth double. So let's get it. Appreciate you tuning in. If you got value out of this, subscribe and send it to someone who takes pride in the job. We're not just moving freight, we're shaping the culture. Catch you on the next one.