Real Talk, Real Roads: How an APD Team Tackles Safety Every Week
One way APD keeps safety front and center all year long.
At APD, safety isn’t something we talk about once a year, but part of how we operate every single day. We’re shining a light on one of the many ways our teams keep safety front and center, even when the roads (and mud) are doing their best to throw us off course.
In Fairbanks, that means a weekly rhythm of road checks, weather scans, and precautionary meetings led by Operations Manager Eric Wardlaw, who takes safety seriously (and moose sightings slightly less so). Because it’s all fun and games until the highway tries to eat your truck.
Step One: Check the Roads Before the Coffee Kicks In
Before any driver hits the road, Eric’s already looked at the weather, reviewed what the roads were like on his own commute, and even checked a local Facebook post or two.
He’s serious about being prepared. Especially when it comes to sending his team out on the Dalton Highway, one of the most dangerous routes in the state. “Every year, people die on that road,” he shared. “I don’t want to send someone out who’s not prepared. I don’t want to be making that phone call.”
The Dalton, also known as the haul road, is 500 miles of rough, remote, and often unforgiving terrain. Drivers face steep grades, blind corners, zero cell service (except for the occasional Starlink boost), and year-round hazards like frost heaves, ice, and springtime mud pits.
Weekly Safety Meetings, Driver-Led and Road-Tested
You can’t plan for everything, but you can plan smarter. That’s why each week, Eric kicks off a safety meeting with his crew. These huddles cover highway conditions, upcoming jobs, and anything weird that happened last week that might happen again.
He’ll start with a topic, but then it’s over to the team to lead. This is intentional on Eric’s part. “They’re the ones out there,” Eric pointed out. “They're your first line of defense.”
By handing over the mic, Eric reinforces something important: that safety isn’t just his job, but it belongs to everyone in the room. The crew doesn’t just attend the briefings. They help shape them. And that sense of ownership? It’s what keeps people alert, invested, and looking out for each other.
Because in Fairbanks, you don’t just look out for your own crew. You look out for everyone.
“Here, if you’ve got a problem, it doesn’t matter what company you work for or who you are,” Eric explained. “Any driver will stop and help you.”
We’re tipping our hard hats to the kind of leadership that keeps things running smoothly, even when the roads are doing their best impression of a slush pit. From early morning due diligence to calling off a run when conditions cross the line, Eric’s focus is clear: keep the crew informed, prepared, and always one step ahead of whatever curveball Alaska throws next.
It’s all part of the plan: fuel Fairbanks, dodge the moose, and make it home in one piece.
