Video footage of jack-knifed 18-wheelers often lead the local evening news. It’s easy for viewers to understand the dangers that out-of-control tractor-trailers can present to the motoring public. Collisions of smaller commercial vehicles are not so newsworthy; however, they can be just as dangerous to the public and to their companies’ financial well being.
Over-the-road commercial drivers undergo special training and examinations. Like the rest of us, they have to negotiate city traffic. But the majority of their time behind the wheel is spent on Interstate highways.
By contrast, service, local-delivery, and utility vehicles are often driven by employees hired for their skills as technicians, sales people, etc. These employees often drive company vans, straight trucks, and pickups carrying multiple passengers and/or expensive tools or loads. Most receive little or no extra training regarding the vehicles they drive. As opposed to their over-the-road counterparts, they spend more time in congested urban areas environments where their exposure to pedestrians and to snarled traffic is increased. In addition, they often face tight schedules and deadlines in areas where traffic prohibits them from moving easily between scheduled stops.
As a result, these drivers often exhibit risky driving actions or behaviors that cause collisions. It’s these risky actions and behaviors that companies need to know about—and GPS and on-board telematics don’t give them that information. For example, a driver whose vehicle is moving at 45 miles per hour may seem as though he is driving normally—unless he happens to be going through a school zone at the time.
For this type of vehicle monitoring, many companies with service, delivery, and utility fleets are turning to driver-monitoring (How’s my Driving) services to identify their at-risk drivers. To speak with industry experts about these and other related issues, contact us.
