Which practice is NOT suggested for lowering gross/direct costs?

Increasing insurance premiums is not a suggested practice for lowering gross or direct costs because doing so would actually raise expenses rather than decrease them. The fundamental goal of managing gross or direct costs is to identify ways to reduce spending or improve efficiency.

In contrast, growing the fleet or fleet mix, ensuring that maintenance tasks like LOFRs are completed on time, and optimizing operations (often referred to as "run right") are all strategies aimed at improving cost efficiency. These practices contribute to lowering overall expenses by enhancing fleet performance, minimizing downtime, and ensuring that vehicles are running efficiently and safely.

By increasing insurance premiums, an organization would simply end up paying more out of pocket, which runs counter to the objective of cost reduction. Therefore, it is clear that while other practices listed can lead to reduced financial strain, raising insurance premiums would be counterproductive.