Safety meetings can serve to inform drivers of company and regulatory rules and policies that affect them, and can keep safety awareness high among drivers.
It is a good idea to have a written agenda, and keep a roster of the drivers in attendance. Involving other departments in presentations can also help eliminate problems or potential problems. A common problem with safety meetings is that they tend to drift or turn into a complaint session. To avoid this, include time limits with your written agenda and stick to them. If the discussion gets off topic, guide it back to the subject at hand and explain to the person(s) that you would be happy to discuss the matter with them after the meeting. If you say the safety meeting will last an hour, it should last an hour. Remember that drivers have other commitments, too; if drivers know that you will stick to the schedule and not keep them indefinitely, attendance will probably improve.
There is no limit to the topics that could be covered. Suggested topics would include hours of service (common violations, changes to the regulations), accidents (common types, review of proper countermeasures), and any other items that are affecting your safety program. Safety meetings are also an excellent time to provide continuing education/training for in-service drivers.
