{"id":13957,"date":"2022-06-26T10:45:45","date_gmt":"2022-06-26T08:45:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=13957"},"modified":"2022-06-26T10:45:45","modified_gmt":"2022-06-26T08:45:45","slug":"driver-17","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2022\/06\/26\/driver-17\/","title":{"rendered":"Adding new technology requires driver buy-in, communication"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fleet leaders share best practices to retain drivers and improve performance through data-driven training and by opening channels of communication, during Endeavor’s Commercial Vehicle Technology conference.<\/p>\n

For drivers to accept and benefit from new technologies, they need to understand how and why they’re there. Communication about solutions is propelling performance and retention for three fleet leaders who joined this year’s\u00a0Commercial Vehicle Technology Conference<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all have the same goal, and that\u2019s to get home safe, on time, every time,\u201d Brad Aimone, director of driver safety and services at Central Oregon Truck Co<\/a>., said during the second-annual virtual gathering.<\/p>\n

To counteract any skepticism drivers have about new technology, panelists advised fleets to allow them to test the technology before the investment is made.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore I invest in anything, I want them to test it, break it, tell me what\u2019s good about it, tell me what\u2019s bad about it,\u201d said Sherri Garner Brumbaugh, president and CEO of Garner Trucking<\/a>. \u201dAnd they talk to their peers. I don\u2019t do anything without talking to my drivers because whatever equipment I put in the truck is going to affect them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why driver buy-in is essential<\/h3>\n

On driver buy-in, Brumbaugh said it\u2019s essential to explain how technologies will aid individual drivers, not just the fleets. When Garner Trucking began installing cameras on its trucks, drivers were accepting of forward-facing cameras, \u201cbut inward-facing in-cab cameras,\u201d she said, \u201cit was mutiny on the bounty.\u201d<\/p>\n

The company countered that apprehension by explaining that in-cab cameras also protected drivers from litigation. \u201cIn the environment that we\u2019re in with drivers,\u201d Brumbaugh said, referring to the driver shortage, \u201cyou don\u2019t want to lose one driver.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t lose one driver over it because we were very clear in our communication,” she added. “We were very clear not only that we wanted to protect the company, but that we wanted to protect them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aimone said managers will be surprised at operators\u2019 willingness to adapt to new technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we went to cameras back in 2013, I was looking to run a pilot program with 25 drivers. I sent a message to the fleet. I figured I\u2019m really going to have to pick to find these 25 drivers. Within 20 minutes, I had 50 drivers that volunteered.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael Lasko, director of EHS and quality at Boyle Transportation<\/a>, recommends having a driver advisory committee composed of both operators and department leads not only to give feedback on new tech to management but also to offer any ideas or initiatives that might interest them.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going to identify some areas that you can improve that maybe you didn\u2019t know,\u201d Lasko said. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen wild success with some of the things we\u2019ve been able to implement, whether it\u2019s technologies that drivers want to try out, facility improvements, any number of things.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Boyle Transportation<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Part<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
Part of Boyle Transportation\u2019s success as a Best Fleet to Drive For is the company\u2019s commitment to driver feedback and inclusion.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Using data to personalize driver training<\/h3>\n

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While data from telematics and safety systems is necessary to identify and correct behavior after driver error, properly schooling operators in the purpose and use of new technologies can prevent mistakes and decrease the number of reported false positives.<\/p>\n

With data, \u201cyou can give everybody specific, individualized training that relates to an issue they have,\u201d Lasko said. \u201cYou get much higher acceptance from the drivers when they know, \u2018This is something that works for me\u2019 rather than training them on a problem that they might not have.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Certain solutions can even offer instruction from within the cab. \u201cWith every step\u00a0 we do through automated and replicated behaviors such as real-time coaching alerts and in-cab notifications, we\u2019re able to coach drivers on what those positive behaviors are that directly impact the fleet\u2019s overall performance,\u201d said Danny Korrs, director of product marketing for Netradyne<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Central Oregon Truck Co. has a deli where truckers and staff can meet and exchange ideas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Investing in driver incentives and amenities<\/h3>\n

Offering incentives for drivers that meet or exceed safety standards can improve driver performance and retention. Garner Trucking pays drivers up to 4 more cents per mile depending on the behavior of their truck. Boyle Transportation gives its drivers an annual safety and performance bonus, as well as quarterly bonuses for completing training and bonuses related to clean roadside inspections. Netradyne\u2019s driver profiles record drivers\u2019 positive behaviors.<\/p>\n

All panelists emphasized having proper facilities that offer amenities drivers need. \u201cWe try to make sure we\u2019re rewarding the entire workforce with good-quality facilities,\u201d Lasko said. Boyle Transportation\u2019s facilities include a weight room and a sitting area with massage chairs.<\/p>\n

Central Oregon Truck Co. has a deli where truckers and staff can meet and exchange ideas. \u201cWhen I meet with the drivers,\u201d Aimone said, \u201cwith orientation, I always have breakfast with them Monday morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to safety,\u201d Brumbaugh said, \u201cyou have to measure the investment and the return on the investment. And saving a life, there\u2019s no putting a dollar sign on that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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CV Tech is a virtual commercial vehicle technology conference that discusses real-world technology solutions and provides a forum for fleet executives to better understand the benefits and impact of these solutions within businesses. View the recorded sessions of CV Tech 2022 here<\/a>. The 2022 Commercial Electric Vehicle Adoption Report <\/a>is also available.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

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By Scott Keith<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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

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Fleet leaders share best practices to retain drivers and improve performance through data-driven training and by opening channels of communication, during Endeavor’s Commercial Vehicle Technology conference. For drivers to accept and benefit from new technologies, they need to understand how and why they’re there. Communication about solutions is propelling performance and retention for three fleet…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":13958,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[28],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13957"}],"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=13957"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13957\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13959,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13957\/revisions\/13959"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}