Automotive Fleet, October 2018

one of the weekly meetings to refresh with everybody Were not waiting for an annual meeting to talk about this stuff Jessop said Youre able to nip it in the bud right away so that its still fresh in everybodys head If somebody injures themselves we talk about what we need to do to fix the problem In addition to the initial training ATS conducts ride alongs after 80 days Drivers are monitored via telematics and GPS so fleet managers can address certain behaviors such as speeding and hard braking and plan the most direct routes Drivers are equipped with handheld devices so they can communicate SAFETY AUTOMOTIVE FLEET I OCTOBER 2018 54 with management through email text message or phone While use of technology to monitor safety has grown successful fleets use it to resolve issues proactively Murrell said When there is an incident Murrell suggests using it as a learning opportunity across the whole fleet Without placing blame debrief it as a group to keep it fresh so its at the top of their minds Supplement that with a quick reference guide or checklist of everything drivers need to do in the event of an accident so they have quick access to it instead of having to remember everything Involve Drivers Fleet operators should also foster engagement in safety education by asking drivers for their feedback In many cases drivers will come up with stricter solutions than management Murrell recounts a company that wanted to implement a speed limit policy After hearing the plan the drivers wanted the policy to be stricter so the company ended up lowering the speed limit even further which increased safety and miles per gallon Murrell suggests that fleets come up with the types of data they want to track and share this information on a scorecard with their drivers to understand additional data to measure This way drivers are providing feedback on how they want to be measured and what they think is reasonable Murrell said As a result drivers feel that theyre more engaged and are being listened to Ask them what they think Youre going to get simple ideas that are not that expensive to implement AF body after five or six hours At that point youre just talking to the wall Recognize Star Performers Companies can manage driver performance by recognizing star performers through driver of the month programs but Murrell advises against basing the program solely on whos the best driver or who has the fewest incidents Instead focus on who provided the best customer service for the month or who achieved the best fuel efficiency Recognizing and rewarding a variety of behaviors provides incentive for drivers to start consciously thinking about their performance he said Fleets can also identify bad habits such as following too closely and put together an incentive program that rewards the better habits According to Murrell smarter fleets are taking advantage of social media and recognizing their drivers online which helps build the team and allows drivers to commend their peers At ATS driver key performance indicators are measured and celebrated annually Awards are presented during meetings so drivers are recognized in front of their peers Jessop says theres even a friendly competition for bragging rights between terminals regarding who is the safest based on the last accident injury or high risk event Coach Immediately ATS conducts spot audits on drivers to ensure they are following company protocol For instance if drivers are caught with an unlocked door it will be brought up at EFFECTIVE DOCUMENTATION K eeping accurate records of both training and incidents is essential from an insurance and litigation standpoint Mark Murrell said In the classroom requiring drivers to sign in is only the first step to documentation At the end of the session conduct a written test or exercise to demonstrate that each driver grasped the sessions concepts Have them sign off on the lesson and file the records as proof the driver completed training Some fleets use online programs that offer automatic time stamping on all of the data Have drivers take the extra step to sign off on online training as well When it comes to resolving safety incidences proper documentation requires consistency and acknowledgement of participation by both parties even under different protocols for different types of situations The most effective accident management protocol involves engaging the entire company Work together as a team because oftentimes management will create a set of policies and issue them to the company or hand them to the driver rather than take the opportunity to collect feedback and collaboratively formulate a plan Drivers can contribute best practices from their own experiences and collecting them can help create a more efficient process Murrell said Effective accident management entails regularly retraining drivers he adds Chances are drivers are going to forget what theyve learned from their initial training program because when its part of the onboarding process they have so many things hitting them at once theyre often going to miss certain things The process needs to be refreshed because presumably theyre not having accidents on a regular basis Murrell said Accident management protocol is like fire safety or anything you dont deal with often Keep renewing and refreshing the program Todays successful fleet safety training looks beyond classroom lectures to online interactive exercises video driving simulators and exiting the classroom altogether Fleet operators should keep these tenets in mind mix it up recognize and incentivize coach immediately and involve your drivers