Lisa Lamons is an expert in construction driver trainer and has served since 2016 as the Safety Training and DOT Director at Concrete Strategies, a St. Louis-based contractor that operates nationwide. She also has 15 years of experience working with the Missouri Dept. of Transportation. ENR Correspondent Elaine Silver talked to Lamons about the training system she uses, when she has to take a truck away from a driver and whether she believes driver-facing cameras are a good idea. The conversation has been edited for clarity.

Why were you brought in to Concrete Strategies?

I literally developed our program here from ground up. When I started nine years ago, we had a very minimal program. Our DOT record really needed improvement. We've really grown a lot since then. Our scores are now phenomenal.

Tell me about your different trucks.

We have about 156 vehicles and growing. We have concrete mixer trucks, a water truck, semi-tractor trailers, pump trucks, roll off trucks, mechanic trucks, volumetric trucks, dump trucks, one-ton trucks and three-quarter ton trucks. We also have a variety of trailers to haul equipment. 

And what about your drivers?

We have about 50 approved CDL drivers and 77 approved non-CDL drivers. They all don’t drive daily nor are they all assigned a specific vehicles. Some have assigned vehicles and they drive for us based on need. However, our mixer drivers at our batch plant do daily driving.

What is the maximum distance that they are allowed to drive? 

Our concrete mixer drivers are considered short-haul drivers and they exclusively drive within their 150 air-mile radius of their normal work reporting location and are released from duty at that location no later than 14 hours after they start work. With that said, our batch plants are typically located in very close proximity to our projects.  

Do you have trouble finding and hiring drivers? 

As with everyone in our construction industry or driving industry, finding qualified drivers can be challenging. Several factors play a part in this, but the biggest is that there is a nationwide shortage of qualified CDL drivers, especially in the construction industry, where experience with heavy equipment and specific construction safety training is often required. This is why our driver training system is so important. 

How much of your training is in the classroom and how much on the road? 

All new employee drivers go through orientation and driver training. It consists of computer-based training followed by hands-on skills evaluations or computer-based skills evaluation, on-the-job training and a driver qualifications file review before they are approved to drive for our company. Yearly we conduct refresher training.

And what does that involve?

Pre- and post-trips, distracted driving, fatigued driving and our company Safety and Fitness Electronic Records with the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration. The scores in these areas are the driver and company scores based on the drivers' roadside inspections by DOT enforcement officers.

And that includes...?

Scores for vehicle maintenance, crash indicators, drugs and alcohol, unsafe driving, hours of service, driver fitness and hazmat compliance.  

Whew. Do you share those scores with your drivers?

Yes. Our drivers ultimately control these outcomes with their driving and roadside inspections and they need to be involved and see our yearly numbers. We have discussions on what new policy or procedure is being put in place or reviewing current policies and procedures that determine the outcome of these numbers. 

What are your ride-alongs like?

I conduct periodic ride-alongs with drivers and we implement the Smith System, where as they are driving, they need to call out driving distraction or other issues while driving safe. This tells me they are aware of their surroundings and are also driving as we expect them to. 

Do you train also in non-driving aspects like maintaining and using the equipment?

Yes. Our drivers are not only drivers, but they typically are field employees as well. They are required to understand and be certified in the equipment they operate. 

I've never driven a truck, so I want to know what the training is like to make turns with a multi-ton spinning barrel? 

Operating a concrete mixer involves various risks due to the size, weight, shifting of the load, and environment they are driving in. Most of our jobsites have uneven terrain. Their onsite trainer will review with them that unbalanced or improperly mixed concrete can cause instability and that uneven terrain, curves or inclines can cause issues. The loads are heavy and stopping distance can play a part. The onsite trainer will also ride with them or watch them closely before they sign off on their skills evaluation.

Loads are heavy and stopping distances can play a part in operating a ready mix delivery truck.
Photo: Vera Tikhonova/Getty Images

What telematics are you using?

We use Verizon connect and SureCam Cameras and that is actually what will track speed and harsh breaking. 

What punishments or disincentives do drivers get when they don't follow protocol?

Usually it’s a couple of reminders, and then it’s written coaching. In the whole time I’ve been here, I’ve probably had to take away a vehicle twice. When I say take away a vehicle, it could be one month or three months. If I’m writing you up, it’s because we’ve had some conversations, and you’re not taking it seriously.

If someone does something wrong, then I retrain them. Say I write somebody up because they had a bad roadside inspection, and they didn’t do their pre-trip correctly. It’s not just reprimand/coaching. They have to come in, have a discussion with me and complete a retraining online module with a written skills test.

How do you know if the driver is onboard with the safety protocols?

The biggest compliment is, a driver calls me and says, ‘Hey! I caught myself speeding. I'm going to be on your report.' Or, they called in to say they almost passed up their accident and slammed on their brakes. This tells me one of two things: they recognized they were not driving safely and caught themselves speeding or distracted, and our coaching and training them to be safer drivers is working. I thank them for being aware of their driving and for calling in to let me know and taking our driver safety program seriously. 

How else do you get them to buy in?

I also want them to see that their driving has a direct effect on them because of the kind of vehicle they are in. I let them know, if they are in an accident, let’s say in a five-car pileup and they didn’t even cause the accident, but because there is a name on the side of the truck, some lawyer is going to try to figure out how they were the cause of a problem. I tell them, 'Don’t get yourself caught up in that, even if it’s not your fault.' 

You’ve told us about the stick, what about the carrot?

Every week we have driver of the week. We'll look through all the drivers, pre-trips and post-trips, and we find those that are consistently doing it right. That week they get put in a pool for a gift card. If you get a clean roadside inspection, you get a gift card. If you go six months with not hitting my speed report, you're acknowledged, and you get a gift card. Then at the end of the year, all these people that won things throughout the year are all acknowledged in the driver meetings. We look for ways to reward our safe drivers and reinforce good driving behavior.

What is your opinion of driver-facing cameras?  

Driver-facing cameras, often referred to as in-cab systems, can offer valuable safety and training benefits but they also raise valid concerns where the driver feels like they’re under constant surveillance, which causes distraction to the driver behind the wheel when their main task is focusing on being aware of their surroundings while driving safely.

So, you don’t use driver facing cameras?

We have forward-facing cameras and telematics that monitor the key safety metrics—speed, rapid acceleration, sharp turns and swerving and harsh braking. Those cameras get turned on when triggered events occur. Do I need that camera to really pinpoint what they're doing inside the cab? No, because I'm using other tools to make them aware of their driving. 

What’s next for your program? 

We’re looking at expanding our fatigue management program, which we want to fine-tune. 

What’s your advice to a company building a program like yours?

Be transparent. Involve your drivers in the process. Educate your drivers with good training and refresher training. Use the data you capture with your cameras and telematics as educational tools to make better drivers. Make it about their safety, not just compliance.