<\/p>\n
From trucking and waste to construction and distribution, costs are rising across the transportation industry. Bloomberg reported earlier this year that increased shipping expenses and rising transportation demand<\/a> are cutting into trucking fleets\u2019 bottom line by at least 10 percent. The driver shortage is still stressing the industry, and fleets are again raising wages<\/a> as a means of retaining drivers.<\/p>\n Since trucking often shares a driver pool with driver-dependent industries like waste and construction, the whole supply chain is facing a surge in costs and tighter margins<\/a>, Bloomberg stated.<\/p>\n The good news is, there\u2019s a way fleets can save money and enhance driver safety all at once\u2014with the help of a driver safety program. Here, Lytx VP of Safety Services Del Lisk spells out his top five ways a driver safety program can cut costs. Some of them may surprise you.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a saying called retrain to retain, and there\u2019s a lot of truth in it,\u201d Lisk said. \u201cBy coaching, or retraining, your drivers within a few days of their displaying an unsafe behavior, such as speeding or following too closely, you\u2019ll help them develop professionally and reduce their chances of being in a traffic accident,\u201d Lisk said. \u201cToo many fleets under-invest in training their drivers. A driver improved and retained will save you the effort and costs associated with onboarding new drivers.\u201d<\/li>\n For better fleet fuel management<\/a>, commercial fleets can rely on telematics technology to pinpoint inefficient vehicles, and inefficient drivers. By helping drivers slow down and be more aware of gas-guzzling behaviors, telematics can help conserve fuel and money\u2014between 29 cents and $1.17 per gallon, according to the Dept. of Energy.<\/li>\n If a commercial driver is falsely blamed for running a red light and causing a collision, for example, a video telematics program can show who\u2019s at fault, exonerate your driver, and turn the tables on the case.<\/p>\n \u201cWith fraudulent claims, any injuries the victim may be claiming can be contested with the assistance of video,\u201d Lisk said. \u201cA driver safety program with a video telematics component lets you see how significant the collision was or wasn\u2019t. The DriveCam safety program, for example, displays the speed at impact and the G-force of the collision. So, with the help of an expert, fleets can demonstrate that a person\u2019s claimed injury or damage to their vehicle is inconsistent with the collision\u2019s impact.\u201d<\/li>\n Many commercial fleets throughout the transportation industry opt for compliance-based annual training, requiring drivers to come off the road for a day to be trained, Lisk said. But a one-size-fits-all approach like that doesn\u2019t account for individual driver needs. One driver may need a deep dive on many safe driving habits, Lisk said, while another may only need a brief reminder on seat belt use.<\/p>\n For more targeted, impactful driver safety training, Lisk suggests commercial fleets integrate a video telematics program into their driver training programs. \u201cIt\u2019s important to take the lessons learned from a program like the DriveCam safety program and address each driver\u2019s individual needs when they become apparent,\u201d Lisk said.<\/p>\n \u201cFor example, if a video clip shows a driver following too closely, you can coach the driver on that behavior within a couple days and fix the issue right away, versus waiting for the next training cycle to arrive.\u201d And since a typical coaching session can be completed in a few minutes, it means your driver can be back on the road quickly, producing profits for the business.<\/li>\n A driver safety program can reduce wear and tear.<\/strong> \u201cAggressive driving techniques such as hard accelerating or braking put more stress on the vehicle overall, whether it\u2019s the chassis, the transmission or other parts of the truck,\u201d Lisk said. \u201cThe bottom line is that safer drivers drive at more moderate speeds, with fewer sudden stops and starts.\u201d As a result, they don\u2019t wear out brakes as quickly, preserving the life of the vehicle. \u201cNot only will the vehicle last longer, but repairs won\u2019t need to be made as frequently,\u201d Lisk said.<\/p>\n Safe driving also reduces freight breakage and protects transit passengers from injury, Lisk said. \u201cSo, if a smooth delivery driver has fewer instances of freight being broken in route, that means the organization will have to pay out less in reimbursements to the manufacturer.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
![\"JMF\"](\"http:\/\/en.advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/JMF-150x150.jpg\")
I\u00b4m\u00a0a Fleet Management expert, and the manager of\u00a0![\"\"](\"http:\/\/en.advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Cartel-Valencia-2019-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"