Improving fleet safety is a top priority for fleet managers. When a fleet imbues itself with a culture of safety, drivers are less prone to taking risks and accident rates decrease. A fleet’s overall safety also affects its Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) score, so it behooves drivers and managers alike to adhere to best safety practices. The following are several ways to improve fleet safety, from incentives and communication to fleet telematics and more. Here are a few critical components:

  1. Enroll truckers in defensive driving courses. More often than not, accidents involving a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) are not the fault of the CMV driver. However, truck drivers that don’t know how to avoid incidents with unsafe motorists can’t avoid accidents as well as those who can recognize risky behaviors can. CMV drivers who know defensive driving techniques can extract themselves from a sticky situation before it becomes an incident. Fleet managers can use this approach as part of onboarding for new drivers or as an on-going safety initiative.
  2. Create Safety Incentives. Once drivers complete safety courses, a great way to ensure they keep up with what they learned is to provide incentives. Incentives can be as simple as a gift card or free company products (i.e. travel mugs, t-shirts, water bottles, etc.). If a fleet really wants to grab their drivers’ attention, they could create a safety bonus for the driver with the best safety score each quarter.
  3. Make safety an ongoing priority. Sporadic enforcement of safety rules sends a mixed message to drivers. Safety isn’t a topic that should come in and out of vogue at the workplace. It should always be a top priority and part of regular communications. For example, if a fleet has a weekly email, it should include a safety tip of the week to keep drivers engaged. The goal is that drivers have safety on their mind every time they get behind the wheel.
  4. Monitor driver behavior. Part of the safety challenge for fleet managers is that they can’t always know if their drivers are being safe or not. While GPS tracking can help fleet managers determine if their drivers are speeding, it’s hard to stay abreast of other potential problems. Investing in a platform like DriverCheck’s How’s My Driving? Program allows other motorists to be a fleet manager’s eyes and ears on the road. This program helps identify at-risk drivers and provides them with tools and training materials they need to eliminate their risky behaviors. Additionally, fleet telematics can help to better understand the specific adjustments and driving styles of each team member, as well as potentially avoiding surprise vehicle repairs due to unrecognized maintenance needs.

Improving safety is a challenge for many fleet managers. Thankfully, DriverCheck can help. Contact us to learn more about how we can enhance your fleet’s safety.