Drivers: the Key to Fleet Safety

Results

August 22, 2007

CTAV EXPO

Roanoke, VA

Overview

• The presentation examines ways that fleet managers can: screen, monitor, and coach/motivate drivers to minimize the potential for crashes and passenger injuries. 

Overview

• The presentation also raises the question of "how does your fleet get drivers directly involved in the safety process?" -- we believe that their involvement can make a big difference.

Why do we have crashes?

• There are three possible options:– Equipment Failure

– Extreme Conditions, or

– Driver Action or Inaction

Improper Driving

• Improper driving was the primary “cause” of 66% (two-thirds) of all police reported crashes during 2004

• This statistic excludes DUI related cases since DUI affects the physical condition of the driver – does not represent a driving error.

-National Safety Council’s Injury Facts 2006

Improper Driving

• The most recent “Large Truck Crash Causation Study” confirms that at least 87% of all crashes due to driver error

-Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Preventing Driver Error

RecruitingQualification

Training

MonitoringDismissal or

Non-Driving Job

Improvement

Recruiting

• Who handles recruiting?

• Do they know the minimum, expected and ideal qualifications of potential drivers?

• Do you use safety issues to recruit?

• What is your turnover rate (and why)?

Recruiting

• If recruiting fails to produce drivers, then there’s no one to dispatch!

• However, if recruiting fails to provide “qualified” drivers, then:– Increased operational costs (training,

insurance, administration)

– Increased risk of crash

– Increased turnover

Qualification

• A process, not a task to be “completed”

• What’s required?– DOT / Non-DOT

– CDL + Endorsements

– Insurance requirements

– Risk management / Legal issues (Negligent Hiring, Negligent Entrustment)

Qualification

• Qualification costs $$$:– MVR Evaluation (risk profiling)

–Verified experience

– Background checks

– Substance Abuse Testing

– DOT Physical

• Does your process eliminate drivers before costs are accrued?

Qualification

• Since rural operations place drivers “far away” from their dispatchers, are they able to handle themselves

• What is the extent of their authority and responsibility beyond “just driving”?

Training

• Training makes new drivers familiar with:– Specific job requirements including

passenger relations

– Safety expectations and policies

– Routes and general procedures

– Emergency procedures

– Performance monitoring

Training

• Can you “prove” that all drivers received all training needed to complete their job safely?– Documentation of attendance

– Receipts for driver handbook

– Computer records of online courses

• Organizational recordkeeping may be tedious, but valuable

Training

• What does it cost to train one new driver?– Supervisory time

– Driver handouts

– Driver’s time (paid)

– Documentation time

• It is a substantial investment

Performance Monitoring

• Performance monitoring safeguards the wellness of passengers & drivers (and your organization’s investment in qualification & training dollars)

Performance Monitoring

• Monitor for quality & safety in the performance of job duties

• Feedback leads to either:– Corrective Coaching or

– Praise / Recognition

Performance Monitoring

• How do you monitor driver performance?– Safety Hotline Comments

– Customer Surveys

– “Mystery Riders”

– Supervisory Evaluation

– Annual Review

Performance Monitoring

• Formalized programs enable:– Recognition of patterns among drivers

– Comparison to other fleets (benchmarking)

– Leading indicator of crash risks

– Documentation of corrective actions by management (policy change) or drivers (coaching or retraining)

Dismissal or Reassignment

• Drivers who repeatedly fail to perform to minimum standards, or endanger themselves or their passengers need:– Coaching

– Retraining

– Warnings / Discipline

– Dismissal or Reassignment

Dismissal or Reassignment

• Hopefully, this will not happen often

• If it does, check other processes (recruiting, qualification, training and performance monitoring) to look for “system breakdowns”

Driver Improvement

• Driver accountability leads to driver improvement programs:– Advanced training & certification

– Expansion of optional job duties

– Create “bench strength” for later promotion to greater responsibility

– Peer leadership

– Professionalism in daily job

Driver Improvement

• Driver improvement activities are an investment in your human resource “capital”

• Designed to increase employment tenure among strongest performers

• Could include incentives if tied to performance, not just “showing up”

Driver Improvement

• Your drivers, once held to standard accountability measures will be quick to suggest ways to increase job satisfaction and pride in their job:– Uniforms (or no uniforms)

– Recognition (patch, name on bus, etc.)

– Driver Trainer

– Profile in newsletter, etc.

Qualification (again)

• Periodically, all drivers should re-qualify for their job (some may qualify for promotion)– People change over time and due to

external influences

– Technology, equipment, policies change and qualification assures that drivers can handle the “new stuff”

Driver Involvement

• Drivers are key to keeping vehicles on the road

• They have a lot at stake:– Consistent income

– Wellness (freedom from injury)

Driver Involvement

• If they are directly involved in safety and performance monitoring, then:– Greater and faster “buy in” to program

changes – More participation in training– Peer leadership in promoting proper

performance– “Step up” in emergencies

Driver Involvement

• How can we get drivers involved?– Surveys with management response (we

read the surveys and will do the following)

– Performance reviews that are “two-way” communications

Wrap Up

• How do we measure performance?– MVR’s

– Supervisory Ride Along

– Road Observation Programs (safety hotline)

Wrap Up

• Safety Hotline Provides…– Motorist Observation Reports

– Collision Countermeasures

– Coaching and Counseling

– Proactive Training Support

Questions?

• Dan Lessnau– SafetyFirst Systems, LLC

– 1-888-603-6987

– danl@safetyfirst.com

– www.safetyfirst.com

Copy of slides available at:

http://my.safetyfirst.com/Presentations.asp