Safety Specialist

Job Summary
The Safety Specialist plays a vital role in ensuring safety compliance, maximizing the efficiency of trucking and yard assets, and fostering a proactive safety culture within the organization. This role demands a highly ethical individual with a strong sense of responsibility, particularly regarding proactive yard management and the prevention of incidents. This encompasses a range of responsibilities, including overseeing driver safety, ensuring regulatory compliance, and managing truck and equipment maintenance. Expectations for this position involve not only conducting routine safety inspections and implementing/enforcing safety protocols, but also actively identifying and mitigating potential hazards within the yard environment. This includes ensuring proper organization, traffic flow, and adherence to safety procedures within the yard. The specialist will also ensure adherence to industry regulations, coordinate and monitor repairs and maintenance activities, and offer support and training to drivers. Moreover, the specialist is tasked with maintaining precise records, fostering effective communication with both internal and external stakeholders, and driving continuous improvement of safety standards and asset utilization practices. A proactive approach to problem-solving, a commitment to ethical conduct, and a dedication to maintaining a safe and efficient yard environment are essential for success in this role.

Responsibilities
Primary

• Manage the company's fleet of trucks and other transportation assets to ensure they are in good working condition, optimize efficiency, and minimize costs.
• Implement and enforce safety protocols and procedures to ensure the well-being of drivers, equipment, and cargo while insuring that all trucks and transportation activities comply with federal, state, and local regulations, including Hours of Service (HOS) regulations, vehicle maintenance requirements, and driver qualifications.
• Proactively identify potential risks and hazardous behavior, both on the road and within the yard, associated with transportation activities and developing strategies to alleviate risk and hazards by conducting driver monitoring for safety compliance, implementing safety protocols, and holding hearings for corrective actions in an effort to instill better practices. This includes regular yard inspections to identify and address potential hazards such as improper parking, obstructed walkways, and inadequate lighting.
• Provide training and support to drivers on safety procedures, equipment operation, and regulatory compliance.
• Stay informed about industry best practices, regulatory changes, and technological advancements related to trucking safety and asset management.
• Recommend and implement process improvements to enhance safety and efficiency within the organization.
• Conduct driver revalidation regarding accidents, yearly annual certifications and driver audits to ensure compliance with all policies and procedures
• Make site and yard visits to observe employee’s compliance with all driving and road safety policies to ensure all standards are followed and to proactively identify and address potential safety issues within the yard environment.
• Assess training needs for all drivers and ensure that all driver issues are communicated with the training manager.
• Take ownership of yard safety by actively monitoring conditions, enforcing procedures, and promoting a culture of proactive safety awareness among all yard personnel.

Secondary

• Investigate accidents or incidents involving trucks to determine the root cause and develop strategies for prevention in the future. This includes documenting incidents, and making recommendations for improvement while establishing and managing claims in relation to damages in result of incidents.
• Collaborate with other departments or external stakeholders to promote a culture of safety and ensure alignment with organizational goals. Communicating safety initiatives, requirements, and updates to employees and management effectively.
• Maintain accurate records of vehicle inspections, maintenance activities, driver qualifications, and safety compliance documentation.
• Implement emergency response plans and procedures to address accidents, breakdowns, and other unforeseen events, and facilitating contact with roadside repair provider in the instance of emergency.

Tertiary

• Stay current with FMCSA/DOT regulations.
• Develop, coordinate, and deliver quarterly safety sessions covering safety topics in align with company focus points.
• Implement practical exercises and discussions reinforce learning, best practices , and feedback from participating drivers.
• Take appropriate classes to sharpen safety management skills.

Other Duties as assigned.

Education / Experience:

• HS Diploma/G.E.D. Required, Bachelor Degree preferred.
• 2-3 years related experience required, 3 years preferred.
• OSHA Certification preferred.

Skills

• Understand Mechanical terms on trucks trailers
• Knowledge on commercial auto insurance
• Knowledge on fleet operations
• MS Office skills
• Strong communication skills
• Strong organization skills dealing with massive documents with various renewal dates
• Demonstrated proactive approach to problem-solving and risk mitigation.
• Unwavering commitment to ethical conduct and responsible decision-making.
• Strong understanding of yard management principles and best practices.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $45,000.00 - $52,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $45,000 - $52,000