The enforcement of health and safety is paramount at work, and none more so than for businesses who run fleets of commercial vehicles.
According to 2012 data published by the U.S.-based Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), among the 34,000 recorded on-the-road fatalities, 4,000 recorded commercial vehicles to be at fault. The main result was driver fatigue. In 2013, the FMCSA implemented new regulations about how many hours drivers can spend behind the wheel to reduce behind the wheel fatalities. Introducing fleet management software to a company’s fleet can vastly improve driver safety, as well as improve business profits and customer service.
Benefits of Fleet Management Systems
By introducing a fleet management solution system, businesses are able to get ahead of their competitors, by providing a new level of safety, security and customer service. The systems’ software can collect data about speeding, excessive braking, whether the vehicle requires maintenance and the vehicle’s location from a GPS receiver installed in the device.
Certainly, a number of drivers may feel that trackers are an invasion of their privacy and could create a climate of distrust between the employer and the employee, and companies must explain that not only do tracking devices improve employee safety, they can also be used to reward employees for safe driving and by adhering to safety rules.
It is important for employees to emphasise that the point of the trackers is to benefit the business and its employees – not to act as a snooping device. Another part of introducing a fleet management system is to allow the business to analyse sets of data that show whether their drivers are driving dangerously.
What Happens With The Collected Data
The data obtained from the GPS trackers allows businesses to create analysis reports that ensure dangerous driving practices – speeding or over-braking – are quickly fixed. Not only do fleet management solutions provide methods to ensure safer driving, they also provide a better corporate image – if a company’s drivers’ are seen to drive safely, the company will be seen as having a strong culture of corporate responsibility.
By analysing data obtained via fleet management systems and other methods such as “tell me how I am driving” stickers, businesses are able to point out where drivers can improve their efficiency behind the wheel and stem potential accidents. As previously mentioned, not only will this improve the company’s image, it can also bring cost benefits thanks to lower insurance premiums based on safe driving.
Tracking devices can also reduce stress levels for businesses and employees alike. More expensive devices can reduce the number of sleep-deprivation based accidents thanks to warning alerts, and drivers heading in the wrong direction can re-direct their vehicle. From the perspective of the business, this removes stress from them as their employees will be not be over worked, and their deliveries will be made on time. This leads to an improved customer service experience and the likelihood of the client using their services in the future.
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