{"id":7434,"date":"2020-09-09T17:02:52","date_gmt":"2020-09-09T15:02:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=7434"},"modified":"2020-09-09T17:04:23","modified_gmt":"2020-09-09T15:04:23","slug":"driver-behavior","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2020\/09\/09\/driver-behavior\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Steps to Get Started Monitoring and Modifying Driver Behavior"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><b><em>Photo: Jim Park<\/em><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Right now, we are globally reliant on strained food supplies and logistics providers to deliver them. There has been a temporary change to driving hours regulations in order to accommodate these unprecedented times. But these temporary changes should not equate to a relaxation in a fleet operators\u2019 driver safety management. In fact, driver safety should be managed more robustly than ever.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">A substantial number of drivers are being asked to work longer hours, leading to an increased likelihood of suffering with fatigue and sleep issues. We have also seen an increase in speeding incidents that must be carefully managed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Even in normal times, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, in 2017 (latest figures available), 4,889 large trucks and buses were involved in fatal crashes, a 9% increase from 2016. The critical pre-crash event for 73% of the large trucks in fatal crashes was another vehicle, person, animal, or object in the large truck\u2019s lane or encroaching into it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">While truck drivers were not always at fault in these crashes, driver behavior certainly plays a role. Behaviors such as speeding and tailgating often contribute to crashes, or to a driver\u2019s ability to avoid a crash even when he\/she isn\u2019t responsible for the pre-crash event.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">To help reduce the odds for crashes, many fleets are monitoring and modifying driver behavior through telematics.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Thanks to the electronic logging device mandate, most U.S. heavy-duty fleets already have the ability to collect the data they need to monitor and modify driver behavior. At a minimum, fleets should collect data on:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Speeding incidents<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Harsh acceleration and braking incidents<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Corner handling incidents<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Crashes<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">We recommend collecting baseline data for at least 30 days while managers formulate a driver monitoring strategy. Once you have the baseline data, here are seven steps in how to proceed using telematics to help improve driver safety.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Step 1: Create and publish safe driving policy and procedures.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">You must let drivers know what your expectations are. This message should come straight from the top, to demonstrate the fleet\u2019s commitment to protecting the safety of drivers and those with whom they share the roads. Key elements of the policy should include mobile phone usage, seatbelt requirements, speeding, rest breaks, drug and alcohol policies, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Step 2: Implement defensive driver training.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">As noted above, most of the time, truck drivers, while not being directly responsible for a crash, may well have been able to avoid being involved. Defensive driver training programs, provided by a certified third-party provider, can help. Training frequency should be dictated by need (e.g., driving behaviour, frequency of crashes), but at minimum be provided to drivers once every three years. It should also be part of the onboarding process for new hires.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Step 3: Conduct an initial assessment of all drivers.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">This can be conducted by a certified driver trainer in one of two ways: a ride-along with the driver by a qualified trainer, or in-cab video (or a combination of the two). The most safety-conscious fleets do this upon initial employment and when a driver transfers locations, with an annual refresher for all. Trainers can provide on-the-spot feedback and may also recommend remedial training in certain areas.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Step 4: Leverage telematics data<\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Fleets should already be collecting safety data from their telematics\/ELD systems. Many such systems also can be used as in-cab driving coaches. Alerting drivers to unsafe behavior allows them to recognize and change that behavior. Many ELDs can provide visual and audible prompts to drivers \u2013 for instance, a buzzer or alarm when a driver exceeds the local speed limit. Fleets that use in-cab video can also use ELDs to prompt or warn drivers about unsafe behaviour such as mobile phone usage.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Step 5: Regularly review driving behavior and share data with drivers.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Most telematics systems now provide fleet managers with safety reports or driver scorecards that rate and rank drivers based on their safety profile. These reports help managers identify drivers who may need additional training. They also can act as powerful incentives to drivers to improve on their own. Initially, fleet managers can make comparisons to baseline data. Over time, most fleets look at week-over-week, quarter-over-quarter, or year-over-year data. Large companies may break their analysis down into regions or teams.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Many fleets add a competitive or gamification aspect \u2013 for instance, rewarding drivers with the highest safety ratings. Rewards can range from cash to days off to gifts. We worked with one fleet that gave out a coveted belt buckle to one driver with the best safety record each year. Drivers competed fiercely for that belt buckle, and overall fleet safety improved markedly as a result.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Step 6: Provide pulse learning opportunities.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Supplement training with pulse learning opportunities \u2013 e-learning or app-based training, where learning is &#8220;pulsed&#8221; to a participant at regular small intervals, as opposed to traditional once-off training. It helps keep safe driving top of mind for drivers and keep their skills fresh.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Step 7: Make sure your company culture makes safe driving a top priority.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">If you want drivers to change their behavior, they need to see visible and ongoing evidence of an organizational commitment to safe driving. That means regular communication and campaigns, including publishing goals and statistics. Drivers need to see a top-down commitment, with family and community involvement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">For example, some companies do a president\u2019s message with a video-recorded interview emphasizing the importance of safe driving and getting home safe. Even if your fleet is taking advantage of relaxed hours-of-service rules for relief loads during the COVID-19 crisis, it\u2019s essential to continue to track safety data. Some fleets have opted not to take advantage of the HOS exemption because of safety concerns. There cannot be a shift toward less-safe driving; fleets need to make sure they are putting safe drivers on the road, and should consider more drivers instead of more hours per driver.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">The most successful fleets demonstrate an ongoing commitment to safe driving. This can\u2019t be a one-off push or campaign. It requires a long-term commitment and regular review to be successful. Organizations should be mindful of complacency. A successful program requires regular review to evaluate its effectiveness and allow for adjustment as required.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"article-img float-margin\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wrapImageCMS alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/fleetimages.bobitstudios.com\/upload\/trucking-info\/content\/article\/2020-05\/wayne-mix-telematics-__-720x516-s.jpg\" alt=\" - \" width=\"173\" height=\"215\" \/><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>Wayne Fee is the head of global sales for MiX Telematics, which provides transportation safety solutions to minimize the risks associated with driving, including telematics, consultancy, and training. Fee has been involved in transport-related investigation and safety consultancy since 1986, having previously worked for the Australian Army, Victoria Police Force, and the United Nations. This article was authored and edited according to HDT editorial standards and style to provide useful information to our readers.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p-16-gray\" style=\"text-align: justify;\">by Wayne Fee, Mix Telematics<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"posted-by\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.truckinginfo.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/www.truckinginfo.com<\/a><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/consultancy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>CUT COTS OF THE FLEET WITH OUR AUDIT PROGRAM<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/consultancy\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5377\" src=\"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/04\/nueva-ley-auditoria.jpg\" sizes=\"(max-width: 858px) 100vw, 858px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/04\/nueva-ley-auditoria.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/04\/nueva-ley-auditoria-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/04\/nueva-ley-auditoria-1024x682.jpg 1024w\" alt=\"\" width=\"858\" height=\"572\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The audit is a key tool to know the overall status and provide the analysis, the assessment, the advice, the suggestions and the actions to take in order to cut costs and increase the efficiency and efficacy of the fleet. We propose the following fleet management audit.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/consultancy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>FLEET MANAGEMENT AUDIT<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Photo: Jim Park Right now, we are globally reliant on strained food supplies and logistics providers to deliver them. There has been a temporary change to driving hours regulations in order to accommodate these unprecedented times. But these temporary changes should not equate to a relaxation in a fleet operators\u2019 driver safety management. In fact,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":7435,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[17,133],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7434"}],"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=7434"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7434\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7437,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7434\/revisions\/7437"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7435"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}