More than 1.3 million people are killed in vehicle collisions each year– with many crashes involving vehicles driven for work. Fleet operations rely on your drivers, so it is up to managers to ensure employees remain safe. Doing so not only prevents crashes but can lower business costs and improve your organisation’s reputation. All of this sounds great, but how do you get your fleet to the point of this success?
Vehicle Service & Maintenance
It is no secret staying on top of vehicle service is a great way to avoid issues. When it comes to your personal vehicle, maintenance is manageable, but when it comes to an entire fleet, it is complex without the adoption of the correct tools.
Fleet management software is the perfect option to relieve stress- especially when utilising a mobile solution, such as FleetFocus EDGE. Our mobile application allows supervisors to remain connected. At the click of a button, managers can have a clear view of their shop floor from their office, and technicians can complete work requests and order parts from their tablets. The ability to easily keep up with maintenance means managers can feel confident with their vehicles on the road, and drivers can get to their destinations safely.
Track Driver Behaviour
Monitoring driver behaviour allows you to analyse undesirable activity such as speeding, swerving, hard braking, idling, and unauthorised use of vehicles. Integrating GPS/telematics into your FleetFocus solution allows managers to receive real-time alerts when drivers participate in behaviours outside company policy. Not only will this help catch poor driver behaviour, but the solution also decreases operational costs and maximise your return on investment (ROI).
Vehicle Inspections
A successful strategy for vehicle safety includes completing daily vehicle inspections, including pre-and post-trip inspections.
- Pre-Trip Inspections: The first task drivers should complete once they arrive on duty is to review the inspection report for the vehicle and ensure any defects have been corrected. An efficient pre-trip inspection ensures the vehicle has no existing problems upon leaving your facility.
- Post-Trip Inspection: Completing post-trip inspections can prevent costly delays while ensuring your driver’s safety. After a trip, the driver should report if there are any defects or deficiencies that can impact the vehicle’s performance.
Many fleet managers would say inspection paperwork is not worth the headache, but inspections can be completed electronically with the right solution. AssetWorks FleetFocus offers an inspection checklist on its integrative mobile app, minimising the paper form that comes with vehicle inspections. Making it easier for drivers to complete inspections while on the go and providing managers with the comfort of knowing vehicles are safe on the road.
Incentive Programs
Even if you catch unsafe driving behaviour, if managers do not create an incentive program, unwanted behaviour will likely continue. Offering additional money to drivers’ paychecks and recognition is an easy way to get them to make better decisions on the road, but how do you determine how much to reward drivers?
A weighted scorecard, based on a range of important factors, is a fair way to determine a driver’s payout. Saying they can miss out on a bonus because of one incident does not motivate them to practice safe behaviour for the remainder of the bonus period. If a driver has the chance to still receive a partial payout, even after an adverse incident, they can still choose to do well in other areas: hard braking, idling, or speeding- so they can still receive some amount of reward.
