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Lessons from COVID-19 will help brokers get clients through a recession – featured in Canadian Underwriter

Lessons from COVID-19 will help brokers get clients through a recession

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From distracted driving on busy highways to the explosive rise of quick e-commerce deliveries on city streets, the landscape of risk is rapidly shifting for the transportation sector. As part of Sovereign&rsquo;s 2025 Q&amp;A series, Kevin Dutchak, Senior Risk Specialist, Commercial Auto, provides insights into the key loss trends of 2024 and offers practical advice on how businesses can mitigate risks to protect their operations this year and beyond.
<h4>What were the loss trends and key exposures you saw in 2024?</h4>
Distracted driving is still a big issue and it&rsquo;s becoming even more significant with the growing use of technology in the industry. Technology can be great, but it can also be distracting. For example, some drivers try to map out routes on the fly, and in the e-commerce delivery space, drivers are constantly looking at addresses along residential streets. These kinds of distractions may lead to a lot of loss incidents.
Additionally, traffic seems to get busier all the time. During rush hour and with ongoing construction, it&rsquo;s like that old video game, Frogger, with drivers switching lanes back and forth, speeding, suddenly cutting in front of other drivers, and trying to get ahead of everyone. Statistics show that road travel continues to be the riskiest form of transportation, from property loss and minor fender benders to serious injuries and fatalities. When you add distracted driving and traffic congestion into the mix, it can increase the risk significantly.
Driver controls are another ongoing issue. For example, there are cases where drivers took short cuts to try to save time. But that winding two-lane highway with limited passing lanes, for instance, can put you more at risk, especially in winter conditions.
<h4>What emerging risks should businesses be aware of in 2025?</h4>
Climate change and severe weather events are becoming more of an issue for the transportation sector. We&rsquo;re seeing more frequent storms and extreme temperatures, which can cause delays and put drivers in unsafe situations.
While cybercrime is becoming more of a risk in many industries, I don&rsquo;t see much of that in trucking yet. But as more companies integrate artificial intelligence into their operations, they should ask what they&rsquo;re doing to protect themselves so people can&rsquo;t hack into that and use it to their advantage.
<h4>How can organizations effectively mitigate these risks?</h4>
When it comes to distracted driving, the key to mitigation is the constant reminder that driving is your job 100% of the time. You can&rsquo;t afford to compartmentalize your thinking&mdash;you have to concentrate on the road because it&rsquo;s such a fluid situation.
Sound defensive driving practices are also critical. I&rsquo;m surprised at the number of fleets that don&rsquo;t provide that training, assuming that because their drivers have a licence, they don&rsquo;t need it. But despite our best efforts, we can all become complacent, distracted and forgetful. So, companies need to get the focus back on training. It&rsquo;s an investment in your drivers that can pay dividends.
In terms of driver controls, trip management programs can mitigate risks. Managers should have discussions with drivers to outline expectations: Here is when we expect you to be on the road, this is the route we expect you to take, here&rsquo;s when we expect you to stop. When there is an interruption to the plan due to situations such as poor road and weather conditions, traffic delays on route and driver fatigue, protocols should be in place for drivers to communicate with dispatch and operations staff to keep them advised, which in turn can be communicated to their clients. The safety of drivers and other road users is always the top priority. Telematics can also be used to monitor drivers&rsquo; routes and ensure drivers are following the proper procedures, such as speed limits and safety protocols.
If a driver does have a significant loss event, it&rsquo;s critical for companies to take effective corrective action, such as retraining or a driver interview. Often, a lack of corrective action can lead to further and more significant losses.
For weather events, fleet operations should focus on forecasting models, if they aren&rsquo;t doing so already. When severe weather conditions are imminent, companies should consider shutting down operations in the affected areas; all drivers should find the first safe place to park, advise dispatch of their status and stay in place until the shutdown order is lifted.

Loss trends and emerging risks: Transportation 

Managing Risk

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Celebrating community impact and sustainability with Sovereign in 2024!


Purpose And Impact

Team-building exercises in the workplace can help build trust among employees, improve camaraderie, and increase collaboration, innovation, and morale. These are many of the same goals that DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs aim to achieve, so it&rsquo;s well worth integrating DEI into your next team-building event.
In fact, when organizations incorporate DEI into team-building events, they can help to foster a greater understanding of the diverse backgrounds and experiences of employees, which in turn can cultivate greater empathy and respect.1
DEI team-building ideas
There are many ways to not only celebrate diversity at your organization, but also cultivate a better appreciation for and understanding of DEI within your organization. Here are some DEI themed ideas to consider incorporating into your next teambuilding event:
Guest speakers: Bring in guest speakers who specialize in DEI topics, such as cultural awareness, understanding stereotypes, and unconscious bias. Events can be held in person or online but be sure to leave time afterward for questions and discussion among employees.2
DEI book club: A fun way to explore different viewpoints is through a book club, where books are chosen based on DEI themes such as race, gender, disability, etc. Make sure the books selected are engaging (you don&rsquo;t want it to feel like homework) and give employees plenty of time to read the book (at least a month). Then hold an in-person or virtual meeting to discuss.3
Team-building games: Games aren&rsquo;t just fun; they can be educational. A trivia session, for example, can be done either in-person or with remote teams. By divvying employees up into teams and encouraging friendly competition, the event will be more engaging&mdash;helping employees retain what they learn. The idea is to highlight lesser-known facts about DEI to encourage discussion and learning.4
Celebrations: Year-round, organizations can honour observances such as Black History Month (February), Mental Health Awareness Month (May), Pride Month (June) and Women&rsquo;s History Month (October), as well as a diverse range of religious and cultural holidays.5 These could be ideal times to share educational resources, demonstrate allyship, and amplify the voice of non-profits or charitable organizations working in this space.
Volunteer: Another option is to offer volunteer opportunities for employees&mdash;as a team&mdash;in the community, such as serving food to the unhoused or helping at a charity event, which can create camaraderie while fostering greater understanding and empathy for others.
<h4>Sovereign: DEI in action</h4>
Sovereign Insurance put DEI into action during a team-building event at its 2023 Claims Conference in Calgary, which brought together 52 team members from across Canada. The conference&rsquo;s theme, &lsquo;The power of connection,&rsquo; emphasized the importance of building strong relationships with peers and with the community.
One of the highlights of the conference was a team-building activity that included participants simulating accessibility challenges. By experiencing first-hand the limitations of loss of sight, hearing, or touch, the team gained a better understanding of the widespread need for differently abled and disability accommodations.
The team also built wheelchairs for the Calgary Drop-in Centre, to create a meaningful and tangible impact for the community. As a result, nine wheelchairs were donated to those in need, and the team was proud to show their commitment to diversity and inclusion.
&ldquo;For our Claims Conference, we wanted to select an activity that allowed us to both collaborate as a team and reflect upon our commitment to making a positive impact in our communities,&rdquo; says Larissa Maclean, Assistant Vice-President of Claims at Sovereign Insurance.
&ldquo;The challenge activities supported our ongoing commitment to DEI, allowing us to gain insight into the challenges faced by those who are differently-abled, and resulted in the donation of nine wheelchairs to a local organization&mdash;a win-win!&rdquo;
These activities were organized through <a href="https://www.outbackteambuilding.com/">Outback Team Building &amp; Training</a>, a team building and employee training provider in North America that offers more than 60 team-building and training solutions endorsed by thousands of corporate groups across North America.6
&nbsp;
Sources:
1 &ldquo;15 Fun Diversity Team Building Activities&rdquo; (Teamland, accessed Jan. 16, 2024). <a href="https://www.teamland.com/post/fun-diversity-team-building-activities">15 Fun Diversity Team Building Activities (teamland.com)</a>
2 Angela Robinson; &ldquo;18 Virtual Diversity And Inclusion Activities For Workplaces&rdquo; (teambuilding.com, Oct. 24, 2022). <a href="https://www.teamland.com/post/fun-diversity-team-building-activities">15 Fun Diversity Team Building Activities (teamland.com)</a>
3 Collin Waldoch; &ldquo;Diversity and inclusion Team Building Activities (10 Options), (Water Cooler Trivia, Apr. 1, 2022). <a href="https://www.watercoolertrivia.com/blog/diversity-and-inclusion-team-building-activities">Diversity And Inclusion Team Building Activities (10 Options) (watercoolertrivia.com)</a>
4 &ldquo;15 Fun Diversity Team Building Activities&rdquo; (Teamland, accessed Jan. 16, 2024). <a href="https://www.teamland.com/post/fun-diversity-team-building-activities">15 Fun Diversity Team Building Activities (teamland.com)</a>
5 Grace He; &ldquo;Diversity and Inclusion Activities &amp; Ideas for the Office in 2024&rdquo; (teambuilding.com, Dec. 12, 2023). <a href="https://teambuilding.com/blog/diversity-and-inclusion-activities">Diversity and Inclusion Activities &amp; Ideas for the Office in 2024 (teambuilding.com)</a>
6 Outback Team Building, accessed Jan. 16, 2024. <a href="https://www.outbackteambuilding.com/">The #1 Corporate Team Building Company | Outback Team Building</a>

Lessons from COVID-19 will help brokers get clients through a recession – featured in Canadian Underwriter

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