Improve Driver Safety and Compliance With GPS Fleet Management by Duane McIntyre You ve explained federal safety regulations. You ve stressed the need to reduce speed, map out routes and report hours of service accurately. You ve implemented safety and compliance policies. But, when your drivers get behind the wheel, how confident are you that they re following the rules of the road? If the answer is not confident then consider implementing a GPS fleet management solution. GPS fleet management can help managers monitor their trucks in real-time to help gain visibility into driver behavior, vehicle activity and many other valuable insights. Fleet management also helps to automate state and federal compliance reporting for further peace of mind.
Here are some of the safety and compliance benefits of GPS fleet management software. Avoid Accidents Every fleet manager understands the importance of driver safety. A lack of proper safety measures for vehicle fleets can cause significant out-of-pocket expenses, increase liability and most important, put lives in jeopardy. By improving the safety of drivers and vehicles, businesses can significantly reduce payouts for accidents and violations. GPS fleet tracking solutions can help identify and address accident-prone behaviors and activities, including: EXCESSIVE SPEEDING According to the Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS) conducted by the U.S Department of Transportation s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and National Highway Safety Administration, 87.2 percent truck crashes are driver related. Speeding is a factor in nearly 23 percent of large truck crashes. GPS fleet tracking solutions provide several methods to help fleet managers identify and put a stop to dangerous driving behaviors, including speeding. Managers can be notified of excessive speed via real-time alerts, email or text alerts that can then be used to take corrective action. FAULTY NAVIGATION AND ROUTING According to the LTCCS, driver unfamiliarity with the roadway is a factor in 22 percent of all at-fault large truck crashes. GPS vehicle tracking solutions that include exceptional mapping functionality can help improve driver preparedness and reduce confusion in unfamiliar areas. Integration with mapping and traffic tools that provide real-time data on traffic can also help drivers avoid accidents and other road hazards. IMPROPER VEHICLE MAINTENANCE According to the LTCCS, just over 10 percent truck crashes can be attributed specifically to vehicle factors. Improper vehicle maintenance can lead to accidents in several areas including brakes, tires, engine breakdowns and more. High-quality GPS tracking solutions include maintenance scheduling that alerts you when vehicles are due for maintenance. Many times, alerts can be set by calendar time, engine on-time or mileage, depending on the type of service needed. 87.2% truck crashes are driver related speeding is the factor in nearly 23% of large truck crashes driver unfamiliarity with the road is the factor in 22% truck crashes just over 10% truck crashes can be attributed specifically to vehicle factors With a proactive vehicle maintenance program, you can reduce the risk of vehicles malfunctioning on the roadways and causing serious accidents.
Improve Safety Ratings and Reduce Risk Consider the potential impact of neglecting to install GPS fleet management, should one of your drivers cause an accident. It s your employee and your vehicle, which means your company is liable for damages. While most businesses have insurance riders that cover this eventuality, there are numerous hidden costs associated with accidents that go far beyond the insurance claim. In fact, the true cost of an accident can be as much as 10 times greater than the direct cost of the accident due to out-of-work drivers, damaged vehicles, worker s compensation claims and more. And let s not overlook insurance premiums that will likely increase as a result of an accident. In highly regulated industries, a company s safety rating can dictate their insurance rates, as well as their ability to sell their services. By reducing the number of accidents and claims, a company can also realize better safety ratings, which often translate to reduced premiums, more satisfied customers and a greater competitive edge. Consider the example of a Pennsylvania-based high-volume supply transportation and waste disposal company for the oil drilling industry. Safety records are a primary buying criterion for oil drilling companies and whether or not a company has a good rating with the DOT can mean the difference between winning and losing a bid. When the company won a bid from a major oil company they knew it was based largely on their industryleading safety rating, an achievement they earned with the help of their GPS fleet monitoring solution. Improve and Prove Compliance with Ease Trucking businesses are no stranger to federal and state regulations, and are accustomed to jumping through the proverbial hoop to provide accurate reporting of their compliance. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has recently strengthened driver safety regulations when updating the Compliance, Safety and Accountability Program. Established and regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the program consists of enforcement and compliance procedures that allow FMCSA and state partners to systematically review the safety practices of business fleets, issue penalties including Hours of Service (HOS) and Operations Out-of-Service Orders (OOS), which requires continually noncompliant carriers to cease all motor vehicle operations due to poor safety. GPS fleet management software can help your operation eliminate driver violations, and easily manage and accurately report HOS and OOS compliance requirements, including: 14-Hours Rule Violation & 10-Hour Rule Violation Fleet tracking automatically and remotely tracks when a vehicle is started, how far it travels and how long it travels. This data allows you to easily rectify violators and comply with reporting requirements. Driver Failing to Retain Previous 7 Days Logs Good GPS tracking solutions provide archival systems that allow you to automatically retain log information for as many six months. Eliminate form and matter violations Reliable GPS data can be reported easily through an automated service or other electronic means. Tracking and reporting Hours of Service, particularly regulation 395.15, is a challenge for most businesses. By leveraging GPS fleet management tools specifically designed to track and report on HOS, trucking businesses can gain immediate visibility into daily status across the team while putting real-time HOS status tools in drivers hands.
Establish Goals and Reinforce Safe Driving Habits Safety and compliance is an ongoing challenge for trucking businesses and their drivers. While there will likely always be at least one chronic risk-taker, most drivers are well-intentioned and want to do what s best for themselves and the business. For those drivers, GPS fleet management tools can track their consistent safe driving habits and help them earn the recognition they deserve. Consider establishing a safe driving achievement award to recognize those drivers that go above and beyond established safety policies. If you don t have specific safe driving policies in place, GPS fleet tracking solution data can provide a good starting point. For instance, once your solution is in place for at least 30 days, view historic reports for each driver and benchmark activities such as speeding, hard braking, accident reports, HOS violations and the like. From this data you can then identify company and individual goals such as 10 percent reduction in speeding, five fewer accident claims per year, or even a zero tolerance policy for specific compliance violations. Be sure to clearly communicate new policies as you set them, as well as the repercussions for those who violate them and the rewards for those who embrace and comply with them. SAFETY IS GOOD BUSINESS By creating a culture where safety and compliance are paramount, you re creating a more competitive and successful business. A quality GPS fleet management solution that monitors driver activities and automates important compliance reporting not only removes the administrative burden, it allows trucking business owners peace of mind while focusing their time and energy on running a better operation. Contact Duane McIntyre 1-847-378-4404 duane.mcintyre@fleetmatics.com 2013 Fleetmatics. All rights reserved.
ABOUT FLEETMATICS GROUP Fleetmatics Group PLC is a leading global provider of fleet management solutions for small and mid-sized businesses delivered as software-as-a-service (SaaS). Our solutions enable businesses to meet the challenges associated with managing local fleets, and improve the productivity of their mobile workforces, by extracting actionable business intelligence from real-time and historical vehicle and driver behavioral data. Fleetmatics Group s intuitive, cost-effective web-based solutions provide fleet operators with visibility into vehicle location, fuel usage, speed and mileage, and other insights into their mobile workforce, enabling them to reduce operating and capital costs, as well as increase revenue. Fleetmatics serves more than 19,000 customers, tracking more than 356,000 vehicles worldwide. Fleetmatics Group s solutions are marketed both under the Fleetmatics and SageQuest brands. Contact Duane McIntyre 1-847-378-4404 duane.mcintyre@fleetmatics.com www.fleetmatics.com 2013 Fleetmatics. All rights reserved.