Averitt Focuses on Safety For Drivers, Motoring Public

March 16, 2020 (Cookeville, Tenn.) -  Averitt Express, a Tennessee-based provider of freight transportation and supply chain management, is an industry leader in focusing on safety practices by investing in state-of-the-art technology and continuous education.

According to Jason Bolton, Averitt Express corporate safety manager, the company's corporate stance is to "keep the motoring public at its safest by putting the safest drivers in the safest equipment." The trucks that are coming into the company's fleet include many new features, such as adaptive cruise control, lane-departure protection, and even intelligent high- and low-beam headlights.  

"We have made an enormous investment in advanced safety technology to support our professional drivers in doing their jobs," says Bolton, who has been in transportation for 30 years. "The mechanics of driving haven't changed over time, drivers still need to pay close attention to road conditions and watch other vehicles, but now technology in the truck can give drivers an added advantage to avoid potentially damaging or tragic situations."

Averitt's tractors are equipped with the Detroit Assurance System, an advanced radar technology that maximizes safety. The system features Active Brake Assist, which is always on detecting the distances to objects ahead in its path, calculating speed, and determining if a warning or braking action is necessary. Adaptive Cruise Control automatically adjusts the truck's cruising speed to maintain a continuous safe following distance to other vehicles in its path. This collision mitigation system stops the vehicle if the driver does not have time to react. Other technology includes side-guard mounted radar units to detect objects in the driver's blind spots and the lane keeping system, which uses the truck's forward-facing camera to keep the truck centered within the lane and helps combat fatigue. These technologies and others are either completely implemented or will be by year-end 2020.

In addition to investing in the latest safety technology, Bolton says safety training is a cornerstone of operations at Averitt. 

"We have formal training that begins on day one for every driver to ensure they're ready for the job and the equipment they'll be using," he says. "Then we have ongoing training and communication to keep safety top-of-mind. We've created our own training courses that focus on current trends, such as distracted driving or dealing with bad weather. It's important to offer a variety of ways to learn because people take in material differently. We want to make certain everyone is completely informed and always operating safely. Everything we do depends on it."

About Averitt Express

Averitt Express is a leading transportation employer with more than 100 locations throughout the United States. The company features many amenities to serve its driving force, such as state-of-the-art facilities, driver support centers for its over-the-road drivers, dynamic safety technology on its equipment, finishing schools and other training programs, and much more. It also has a strong benefits package, including health, dental and vision insurance, a company-funded profit sharing retirement plan, an incentive program for referrals, a uniform credit, and paid holidays. These benefits, combined with a team-oriented culture and opportunities for career growth, help Averitt show unity throughout its network and to its customers. For more information about Averitt, as well as a list of job openings, call 1-888-AVERITT or visit AverittCareers.com.