Proactively Addressing Driver Performance to Mitigate Fleet Risk

Driver safety is a top priority for fleet operators but effectively managing and mitigating risk remains a significant challenge for many. Your drivers and their performance behind the wheel are among the biggest x-factors in your fleet equation. If you aren’t proactively addressing high-risk behaviors – speeding, aggressive driving, harsh braking, etc. – you’re not only increasing operating costs throughout the entire vehicle lifecycle due to increased wear and tear, but also exposing your organization to ramifications that go well beyond simply repairing a vehicle.

Recently, Holman’s Tony Smith spoke with Work Truck to explore the latest vocational accident trends and offer his insight on how fleet operators can foster a culture of driver safety that improves performance and effectively mitigates risk. In the series of articles, Tony highlighted the key elements of a successful driver safety program including a well-defined fleet safety policy, consistent monitoring of driver behavior, and ongoing, personalized training.

He also discussed the challenge that comes with relatively inexperienced drivers getting behind the wheel of fleet vehicles. Tony noted that this younger demographic tends to respond differently to traditional training strategies and some fleets are pivoting to shorter training content in an effort to keep drivers engaged.

Tony also spoke to the ongoing trend of accident-related repair costs continuing to increase, sharing that overall inflation, higher labor rates, and in-car technology (cameras, LIDAR, etc.) are all contributing to higher repair bills. To close out the series of articles, Tony touched on the benefits of leveraging telematics as part of a comprehensive safety program and he shared how artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly larger role in analyzing telematics data.

To read the entire series of articles, be sure to visit WorkTruckOnline.com. To learn more about strategies for keeping your drivers safe and mitigating corporate risk, be sure to check out Holman’s comprehensive fleet driver services.