A local container service company is once again taking a proactive approach to truck safety.
For the third straight year, Tilbury-based Harbour Link Container Services Inc. invited Delta police's commercial vehicle inspection unit to have a look at its trucks.
Three days of random inspections this week were aimed at ensuring trucks are operating at the highest mechanical standards possible.
Harbour Link has around 100 trucks accessing its site -about 30 owned by the company and the rest by owner-operators. The company
deals with an average of 300 containers per day over a six-day workweek.
Noting it is the only company in the province that invites such inspections, general manager Tim McGee said Harbour Link holds its drivers to a higher standard.
"It helps them to realize that they need to make sure they do it because they don't know when the company is going to pull their truck in. A lot of these guys live in North Delta and they understand too that having a commercial vehicle in good condition is important," he said.
Saying he's also a Delta resident who is concerned about the safety of his community's roads, McGee
noted the company undertakes its own programs year-round to ensure trucks are safe, including driver education.
As well, drivers must show what work they've
had done on their vehicles on a monthly basis. From time to time, they are also watched to see if they conduct pre-trip checks. The company also has decals placed on trucks indicating how long it's been since it was involved in an accident or safety infraction.
"The issues in the three years that I've been here have dramatically changed," said McGee. "We're not looking at serious infractions now. We're looking at maybe smaller issues."
As far as most common mechanical problems, McGee noted brakes are the biggest safety issue, but they can include anything from cracked windshields to low tire pressure.
