Landscape crews are constantly on the road traveling to the next job site. Efficient routing is important for production, but maintaining safety during a route may be even more vital. Not only could crew members be at risk, but downtime on the road will result in a loss in production.

David J. Frank Landscape Contracting, based in Germantown, Wis., celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. With nearly 300 team members, President David R. Frank, says safety has always been an intentional company goal. With 10 locations, the company has a 2019 projected revenue of $26.5 million.

In July, the company set a four-year record for no lost-time accidents. At press time, the company was at more than 1,500 days and counting.

“We’re very proud of our safety record,” Frank says. “We challenge each team member to keep safety top of mind.”

Every day at all 10 locations, crew leaders will walk around their vehicle and trailer to make sure everything is safe. This process includes making sure all material is properly tied down and license plate stickers are up to date.

“We’re striving to be as safe as possible,” Frank says. “We don’t want a vehicle to leave the yard with any issues.”

Alongside daily checks, management performs a monthly pretrip inspection with a mock checklist based on violations that the Department of Transportation would flag.

Here is a version of the checklist David J. Frank Landscape uses to inspect company vehicles:

Vehicle Inspection Checklist

✓ Current insurance card and registration for truck and trailer
✓ DOT sticker and matching paperwork
✓ Fire extinguisher securely mounted and charged
✓ Caution triangles
✓ First-aid kit
✓ Spare fuses
✓ Working horn
✓ Crack-free windows
✓ Proper truck and trailer hookup
✓ All lights on truck and trailer work
✓ Truck and trailer cargo properly secured and tarped
✓ Truck and trailer properly loaded and not over capacity
✓ Correct gas card
✓ Overall cleanliness meets company standards