{"id":12675,"date":"2021-11-07T11:04:10","date_gmt":"2021-11-07T10:04:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=12675"},"modified":"2021-11-07T11:04:44","modified_gmt":"2021-11-07T10:04:44","slug":"driver-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2021\/11\/07\/driver-11\/","title":{"rendered":"Driver Strain, Damage & Downtime"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photo: Gettyimages.com\/Buntiam<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Understanding the needs of a less experienced driver pool will help reduce stress and mistakes.\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Supply chains have been struggling. While COVID-19 forced an increase in online purchases and last-mile deliveries, the trucking industry as a whole is facing an ongoing (and seemingly never ending) driver shortage. Add to that supply chain strains caused by COVID shutdowns, trade disputes, and equipment shortages, and it\u2019s clear that supply chains have seen better days.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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All of this has increased accidents for last-mile delivery fleets<\/a>. Here\u2019s how \u2014 and what fleets can do about it:<\/span><\/p>\n

Challenge #1:\u00a0The Driver Shortage<\/span><\/h2>\n

The driver shortage isn\u2019t new, but it is being heightened by the increase in online buying. According to reports, the industry will need to hire 110,000 drivers<\/a> a year for the next 10 years \u2014 a total of 1.1 million drivers \u2014 to keep up with the increase in e-commerce.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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As companies scramble to hire drivers to keep up with the demand, they\u2019re often forced to bring on inexperienced drivers who simply aren\u2019t used to operating large vehicles, and often in unfamiliar territory.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen drivers are new to the industry, there is a larger margin for error,\u201d said Adam May, VP of product implementation\u00a0at Property Damage Appraisers, which provides independent insurance appraisals for insurance companies and the self-insured. \u201cTransit vans and cargo vans don\u2019t require CDLs \u2014 so if they\u2019re operating a vehicle like that, it\u2019s larger than what they\u2019re used to, and drivers are put in situations where they\u2019re operating in compact areas or aren\u2019t used to the environment they\u2019re driving in.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Because inexperienced drivers aren\u2019t used to operating bulky vehicles, accidents, though minor, are happening more frequently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the physical damage we\u2019re seeing is minor, like damage from backing into loading docks, not being able to judge the size of the unit they\u2019re in, and running into mailboxes or light poles when backing out of a driveway,\u201d May said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Challenge #2:\u00a0Rushed & Overwhelmed\u00a0Drivers<\/span><\/h2>\n

Amid hiring challenges is a significant increase in orders. Online spending rose 42% in 2020<\/a> compared to 2019, for a total increase of $183 billion. In 2020, last-mile drivers serviced 20% more stops than in 2019. That\u2019s a lot more deliveries, and a lot more pressure on drivers.<\/span><\/p>\n

This trend is likely to continue. In the first two months of 2021, online spending was up 34%<\/a> compared to the same period in 2020. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe number of deliveries drivers need to perform on a daily basis is amplified,\u201d May said. \u201cWith the increased demand for deliveries combined with the shortage of drivers, there are only so many hours they can put in \u2014 and they are trying to expedite as much as they can. Being in a rush is going to have an impact on careless situations.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Because<\/span>
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Because inexperienced drivers aren\u2019t used to operating bulky vehicles, accidents, though minor, are happening more frequently. <\/span>Photo: Gettyimages.com\/welcomia<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4 Tips to Mitigate Driver Strain, Prevent Damage & Reduce Downtime<\/span><\/h2>\n

Supply chain crunches and the driver shortage may take a while to sort out, but fleets can still take actions to mitigate driver strain, prevent damage, and reduce the associated downtime in the meantime.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip #1:\u00a0Accept a slower pace.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

\u201cThe demand is strong and the expectations are high to hit certain metrics, but the best thing to do is slow down and be patient \u2014 even though that\u2019s not really the goal of the industry,\u201d May said. \u201cIt\u2019s a tough dynamic and a \u2018Catch 22,\u2019 but slowing down and being vigilant about safety can help reduce accidents.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip #2:\u00a0Encourage drivers to assess their environment.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

When drivers are inexperienced at operating larger trucks and vans, encourage them to simply assess their surroundings before they begin to drive. It only takes a moment, and it can prevent those \u201clittle\u201d mistakes that damage vehicles, disrupt routes, and can increase repair and insurance costs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip #3:\u00a0Perform Damage Assessment by Interval, not Incident.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

\u201cSometimes drivers and third-party partners have such a high collision rate, it makes sense to assess vehicles each quarter for damage,\u201d May said. \u201cWhen companies bring the fleet in to be assessed, we can document whether there are or aren\u2019t damages \u2014 then they know if units can go out for dispatch into the field. They know from our inspections that vehicles are in full operating order so there aren\u2019t issues in their supply chain management and they aren\u2019t operating damaged vehicles that put a black eye on their brand. At the same time, some fleets can\u2019t afford to take trucks off the road because of a six-inch scratch. We rate the damage so they can make the best decision for their company.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip #4:\u00a0Mitigate Repair Time.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

May said appraisals can yield data that helps reduce repair time. For instance, if data show damage to the right mirror or left headlight are the most common incidents, Property Damage Appraisers informs client so their selected repair shops have those parts on hand, allowing trucks and vans to be repaired as soon as possible.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u201cWe focus on expeditiously assessing the damages and accurately providing that data from our appraisals to give companies a percentage of what part or side of the vehicle is damaged the most so they can recover from damage quickly,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s all data, cycle time, and efficiency.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Originally posted on <\/span>Work Truck Online<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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by Shelley Mika<\/a><\/p>\n

Source: https:\/\/www.truckinginfo.com\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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KNOW WHO WE ARE<\/strong><\/a><\/h1>\n

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Photo: Gettyimages.com\/Buntiam Understanding the needs of a less experienced driver pool will help reduce stress and mistakes.\u00a0 Supply chains have been struggling. While COVID-19 forced an increase in online purchases and last-mile deliveries, the trucking industry as a whole is facing an ongoing (and seemingly never ending) driver shortage. Add to that supply chain strains…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12676,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[133],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12675"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12675"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12675\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12678,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12675\/revisions\/12678"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}