Safety and Risk Management are Key to High Standards at R&R Family of Companies™

2024-05-16 09:40 AM

By The R&R Family of Companies

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According to the most recent statistics from the American Trucking Association, the trucking industry spends $14 billion annually on safety technology and training to improve road safety and comply with government regulations. This proves to be a pointed increase from the $9.8 billion annual spending as collected in their last survey. 

At the R&R Family of Companies™, our fleets of well-maintained equipment on the road paired with healthy and well-trained drivers behind the wheel are critical to customer and company success. Our dedication to safety and risk management doesn’t stop there. We’re committed to being at the forefront of the increased curve in safety. Our key focus is driving continuous improvement and ensuring the highest standards of safety are upheld while propelling our company and customers into the future of safety technology. 

Taking Safety and Risk Management to the Next Level: Introducing Dawn Johnston

As Loretta Payonk, filling the critical role of Safety Director since 2010, transitions into retirement, a new guard is coming to the helm to spearhead advancement and a trusted process in this critical space. Dawn Johnston joins the R&R Family of Companies as Vice President of Risk Management.

A Proven Track Record in Safety, Risk Management and Transportation

Dawn is a results-driven, regulatory and compliance-minded safety executive with a wealth of both safety and trucking industry experience. She found a love for logistics and supply chain at the young age of 17, serving in the United States Air Force and specializing in Logistics Operations. It is there where she first cut her teeth on trucks, process, policy and regulations. Her unique combination of skills subsequently landed her in such key roles as:

• Vice President of Safety and Risk Management for Roadrunner
• Director of Operations for Pfister Bulk Transport
• Director of Transportation for BAR-S Foods
• Onsite Transportation Consultant with WisDOT

Dawn brings this vast expertise to the R&R Family of Companies in order for our customers and drivers to see the true benefit. 

“I’m passionate about working in risk and trucking safety because it’s an area where I can make a tangible difference in people’s lives. By ensuring safety protocols are robust and comprehensive within the trucking industry, I can help prevent accidents, protect drivers and other road users, and ultimately save lives.”

—Dawn Johnston, Vice President of Risk Management
 

New Initiatives and Programs to Accelerate Customer Success

Over recent years, the R&R Family of Companies has expanded and maximized shipping modes and shipping solutions through our expanded network. As we’ve grown our capabilities for the end customer, it has become all the more important to have aligned systems and processes across all modes and solutions to deliver an exceptional, consistent customer experience with each load. 

Safety Management Technology

Dawn Johnston, Vice President of Risk Management, is spearheading the adoption of two critical new technologies. The first initiative is a key investment in a centralized safety management technology geared toward creating a safer fleet, clear communication channels and operational efficiency across all modes and solutions. 

Specific benefits include: 

• Automated training tools that deliver to-the-minute training notifications to drivers on new rules and regulations
• A comprehensive training document library with 200+ interactive courses on the latest in safety 
• In-dashboard compliance monitoring 
• Safety management through a mobile app, available to all drivers
• Centralized storage and comprehensive claims management across all shipping modes and solutions
• And more …

Highway Management Technology

The second initiative focuses on security, transparency and accuracy of the customer load on the highway. This technology provides:

• Antifraud automation with real-time location data
• Certificate of insurance validation
• Never-ending detail with cross-border activity and terminal locations
• And more …

“I’m drawn to the dynamic nature of the industry and the opportunity to innovate and implement new technologies and practices to continually improve safety standards.”

—Dawn Johnston, Vice President of Risk Management
 

A Team Driven by Safety and Customer Success

The safety culture and mindset of the R&R Family of Companies is designed with the goal of achieving an exceptional, repeatable customer experience no matter what shipping mode or solution is required. 

Benefits to the customer include:

• Always reliable on-time delivery
• Elimination of vehicle maintenance issues
• No load stoppages at the scales
• Streamlined and consistent commodity approval
• Accident prevention and safety for the driver and the load
• Saying “yes” more to the customer more by finding new trusted paths to get to the final destination

For over 40 years, the R&R Family of Companies is best-in-class in the logistics industry. Today our goal remains the same — to support and enhance our capabilities with a suite of systems and technologies that provide centralized visibility and control of customer loads. Through continuous improvement and looking ahead to future innovation, we continue to march toward that goal — one load at a time, across hundreds of thousands of shipments per year.