food logistics/supply and demand chain executive podcast
TRANSCRIPT
www.smartdrive.net | 858.225.5550
This is Lara Sowisnksi, Editorial Director of Food Logistics and Supply and Demand Chain Executive. On
today’s podcast, we’re talking with Jason Palmer, COO of SmartDrive, about technology and its impact
in the supply chain. In particular, we’re going to look at how technology is playing a bigger role in fleet
safety, such as improving visibility for drivers, delivering actionable insight around driving behaviors and
preventing costly accidents.
So Jason, this topic really is timely for us and I think that raising awareness around it is even more important right
now. Of course, we’re talking a lot about food supply chain safety — food safety, safety in the warehouse, safety in
the DC. But, driver safety has, if you’ll excuse me, taken a back seat recently. Why do you think fleet safety is so
important right now and how is technology impacting it?
Year
Total
Single Vehicle Multiple Vehicle Total Occupant of Other Vehicle Nonoccupant Total
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Killed
2013 431 11% 264 7% 695 17% 2,845 71% 441 11% 3,286 83% 3,981
2014 405 10% 251 6% 656 17% 2,859 73% 393 10% 3,252 83% 3,908
2015 398 10% 269 7% 667 16% 2,990 74% 410 10% 3,400 84% 4,067
Injured
2013 9,000 8% 15,000 16% 24,000 25% 69,000 72% 2,000 3% 71,000 75% 95,000
2014 10,000 9% 17,000 14% 27,000 23% 82,000 74% 2,000 3% 84,000 77% 111,000
2015 10,000 8% 19,000 15% 30,000 24% 84,000 73% 3,000 4% 86,000 76% 116,000
Note: Injury totals may not equal the sum of components due to independent rounding. Sources: 2006–2014 Fatali ty Analysis Repor ting System (FARS) Final File, 2015 FARS Annual Repor t File (ARF) 2006–2015 National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) General Estimates System (GES)
Food Logistics/Supply and Demand Chain Executive Podcast
Lara Sowisnksi, Editorial Director Food Logistics and Supply and Demand
Chain Executive
Jason Palmer, COO SmartDrive
Jason Palmer: Thank you, Lara. I think one of the things that’s
really starting to drive an increased focus on driving safety has
a lot to do with some of the trends that we are seeing in the
industry. This past year was one of the first years where we’ve
seen an increase in the number of collisions even though
safety technology on the vehicle continues to get better.
Part of the reason we’re seeing that happen is there’s
starting to be a lot more congestion, as well as distracted
driving and other things that are playing into it. It’s not
necessarily our drivers who are distracted. Rather, it’s those
drivers and vehicles around us in these congested areas
that are causing a much more complex driving environment
for our drivers. This is one of those things where instilling
good driving skills can help identify not only how to
improve them, but how to operate in a safer manner; more
defensible driving skills are key to helping to improve the
overall safety of our drivers and our vehicles.
“It’s not necessarily our drivers who are distracted. Rather, it’s those drivers and vehicles around us in these congested areas that are causing a much more complex driving environment for our drivers.”
—Jason Palmer, COO, SmartDrive
Lara Sowinski: You actually raise some really good points.
I’m thinking that not only are we seeing a lot more jammed
roads, but this is an issue that will remain with us. What’s
unique with the food and beverage space is that we’re
seeing a lot more online grocery shopping and a lot more
delivery in urban settings. On this note, what is it about the
food and beverage space that really makes it such a good
candidate for technology regarding fleet safety?
Palmer: Take a look at food and beverage drivers.
Although they’re professionals, they have many aspects
of their job duties, only one of which is driving. They’re
servicing customers, loading trucks, unloading goods and
merchandising within stores. There’s a wide breadth of
things they’re responsible for, and driving is just one of those.
As you referred to in the opening, there’s been a lot of focus
in other areas of food safety and warehouse safety, but
driving safety is certainly one of those areas that’s also
important and can be impactful to the business. I think
equally as important (and as you just mentioned), as we start
to see more home delivery services and other things start
to uptick in the coming years, we’re putting more drivers out
on the road who have some driving training but that’s only
one part of their job. So, one of the things that technology,
like ours, is starting to bring to the table is we’re able to
effectively and cost-effectively test the driving performance
of those drivers without having to have time-consuming
operations, like drive-alongs or auditing out on the road.
We’re able to very methodically assess driving performance
and identify areas of improvement through our video-based
safety program. That’s a lot of what fleets are starting to
see — a full-service solution that’s beneficial to them.
Sowinski: You and I have talked before about the various
ways, and the tools that are out there, to enhance driver
safety and fleet safety. I want to talk about visibility and what
we’re able to do with cameras today. Can you talk to us a bit
about that?
cameras to side cameras to 360-degree cameras around
the vehicle as methods to improve overall safety. Certainly,
as we look at our drivers, they’re operating in residential
areas. They’re also driving into retail parking lots where there
are lots of pedestrians and other vehicles where they’re
www.smartdrive.net | 858.225.5550
FOOD & BEVERAGE PODCAST
trying to maneuver a very large vehicle in very tight spaces.
As a result, we’re seeing an adoption of these types of
camera technologies. One of the things we’ve introduced
is SmartDrive 360, which allows us to connect to many of
those cameras and incorporate them into our video-based
safety program. But, one of the things that sets our program
apart is our ability to analyze and trigger video events (and
data and information) when we see an unsafe situation and
do that all around the vehicle. This results in you getting
good insight into the backing skills of the driver and how
they’re operating their vehicle.
Because SmartDrive is a managed video-based safety
service, the videos actually go to one of our driving analysts
who then augments them with additional information
that’s not just, “I triggered a video.” This ensures that the
customers we work with aren’t spending their time reviewing
a lot of video and trying to understand what happened. We
distill that information down by augmenting those videos
with additional information, such as:
• Was the driver on his phone?
• Was he accessing his terminal in his vehicle?
• Was he distracted?
We add that additional information, prioritize and categorize
those driving skills that need attention to those drivers who
need it and then route the recommendations for additional
training within the organization. It’s that kind of closed-loop
program that allows us to identify those challenges, route
them correctly within the company for action and then
measure how that improvement is performing across the
fleet. That’s really what allows us to drive results. It’s not
just the video itself, but rather the comprehensive program
and measurement we put into place that really drives the
success of the program and makes it different from just a
video camera. It’s the program and the analytics that go
around it.
Sowinski: There’s clearly a lot of rich data that results from
this. I can certainly understand the benefits for those who
operate fleets, but there’s always the human component.
How are drivers responding to this and how well received
has it been with them? I think that’s always the question.
Palmer: Initially, at times, there’s some apprehension by
some of the drivers. But overall, for the most part, they
see SmartDrive as a tool that they can leverage. It’s not
just about those driving skills and understanding what’s
happening about the vehicle. The program is also there
for their protection. We know from the FMCSA study that
over 85% of collisions that commercial vehicles get into, are
not the fault (or caused by) the commercial vehicle. That’s
certainly true — even more so — in the food and beverage
industry where we’re trying to maneuver large vehicles
through very congested spaces and we’re impacted by
passenger vehicles. Our system is there as a training tool,
but also to protect the driver, as well.
The other component we see in the food and beverage
industry is when our drivers are doing deliveries very
early in the morning and are by themselves. One of the
other functions we’re able to operate is as a security
device for that driver. If someone approaches them, or
something happens early in the morning, when they’re out
by themselves, they can hit the manual button and that
immediately records audio and video and is offloaded.
Supervisors can set up alerts so they’re notified and can
see that video on their phone and can see exactly what
happened. We’re not just about safety. It’s about security as
well, which is certainly important in this industry.
“One of the other functions we’re able to operate is as a security device for that driver. If someone approaches them, or something happens early in the morning, when they’re out by themselves, they can hit the manual button and that immediately records audio and video and is offloaded.”
—Jason Palmer, COO, SmartDrive
Sowinski: You raise some really good points. I want to
circle back to some of the benefits of this technology,
particularly for the food and beverage space. It goes
www.smartdrive.net | 858.225.5550
chain, supporting time and temperature-sensitive goods
and extending shelf life. It seems to me that if we’re doing
something right at the beginning with transportation
and with the drivers — making that the most efficient
possible — that, in turn, supports the unique challenges of
the food and beverage space. Do you agree with that?
Palmer: it’s important we understand the environment in
which the driver is operating his vehicle. In this space, it’s
the time-sensitive nature of the perishable goods we’re
moving within the industry, To the degree that the driver
is interrupted or impacted during the delivery of those
goods, it can have a significant impact on the quality
of that delivery and the service to their customer. So, a
comprehensive program that allows you to see not just
the video, but other aspects the driver is dealing with in
that environment is critical. We’ve had companies make
changes to how they’re routing the vehicle or the way
drivers are assigned, to help optimize the environment that
they’re operating in to improve their overall on-time delivery.
“We’ve had companies make changes to how they’re routing the vehicle or the way drivers are assigned, to help optimize the environment that they’re operating in to improve their overall on-time delivery.”
—Jason Palmer, COO, SmartDrive
Sowinski: We’ve really covered a lot of good topics today,
Jason. Before we wrap up, any other final thoughts you
want to share with us?
Palmer: This is a really exciting time! As we start to evolve
into much more sophisticated systems that can help
companies optimize their business, we are looking at
ways of not only recording video but how do we take the
information that we are collecting in and around the vehicle,
about the driver and about the operation — and work with
companies to optimize everything from fuel management
to on-time deliveries to safety — all through a driver
performance management system. I think there’s a huge
opportunity as we go into the next several years of taking
that to the next level. We certainly here at SmartDrive are
excited about that.
Sowinski: Thank you. I certainly agree with you. I think,
certainly, a lot of change is under way in the food and
beverage space. I really enjoyed talking with you today,
Jason. about what’s going on with fleet and driver safety
in the food and beverage sector and particularly how
technology is impacting that.
SmartDrive. This is Lara Sowinski, Editorial Director of
Food Logistics and Supply and Demand Chain Executive.
Thanks for listening in. Listen to the Podcast.
www.smartdrive.net | 858.225.5550
© 2017 SmartDrive Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. SmartDrive, the SmartDrive logo, SmartDrive SmartIQ, and Measured Safety Program are registered trademarks of SmartDrive Systems, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respected owners. SD17-083-05252017
Food and beverage delivery fleets are critically important to the supply chain, with companies focused on making deliveries on time and in a safe manner. By incorporating a video-based safety program, like SmartDrive, fleets demonstrate commitment to their staff, their customers and the safety of everyone on the roads. Contact SmartDrive to learn more.
FOOD & BEVERAGE PODCAST
This is Lara Sowisnksi, Editorial Director of Food Logistics and Supply and Demand Chain Executive. On
today’s podcast, we’re talking with Jason Palmer, COO of SmartDrive, about technology and its impact
in the supply chain. In particular, we’re going to look at how technology is playing a bigger role in fleet
safety, such as improving visibility for drivers, delivering actionable insight around driving behaviors and
preventing costly accidents.
So Jason, this topic really is timely for us and I think that raising awareness around it is even more important right
now. Of course, we’re talking a lot about food supply chain safety — food safety, safety in the warehouse, safety in
the DC. But, driver safety has, if you’ll excuse me, taken a back seat recently. Why do you think fleet safety is so
important right now and how is technology impacting it?
Year
Total
Single Vehicle Multiple Vehicle Total Occupant of Other Vehicle Nonoccupant Total
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Killed
2013 431 11% 264 7% 695 17% 2,845 71% 441 11% 3,286 83% 3,981
2014 405 10% 251 6% 656 17% 2,859 73% 393 10% 3,252 83% 3,908
2015 398 10% 269 7% 667 16% 2,990 74% 410 10% 3,400 84% 4,067
Injured
2013 9,000 8% 15,000 16% 24,000 25% 69,000 72% 2,000 3% 71,000 75% 95,000
2014 10,000 9% 17,000 14% 27,000 23% 82,000 74% 2,000 3% 84,000 77% 111,000
2015 10,000 8% 19,000 15% 30,000 24% 84,000 73% 3,000 4% 86,000 76% 116,000
Note: Injury totals may not equal the sum of components due to independent rounding. Sources: 2006–2014 Fatali ty Analysis Repor ting System (FARS) Final File, 2015 FARS Annual Repor t File (ARF) 2006–2015 National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) General Estimates System (GES)
Food Logistics/Supply and Demand Chain Executive Podcast
Lara Sowisnksi, Editorial Director Food Logistics and Supply and Demand
Chain Executive
Jason Palmer, COO SmartDrive
Jason Palmer: Thank you, Lara. I think one of the things that’s
really starting to drive an increased focus on driving safety has
a lot to do with some of the trends that we are seeing in the
industry. This past year was one of the first years where we’ve
seen an increase in the number of collisions even though
safety technology on the vehicle continues to get better.
Part of the reason we’re seeing that happen is there’s
starting to be a lot more congestion, as well as distracted
driving and other things that are playing into it. It’s not
necessarily our drivers who are distracted. Rather, it’s those
drivers and vehicles around us in these congested areas
that are causing a much more complex driving environment
for our drivers. This is one of those things where instilling
good driving skills can help identify not only how to
improve them, but how to operate in a safer manner; more
defensible driving skills are key to helping to improve the
overall safety of our drivers and our vehicles.
“It’s not necessarily our drivers who are distracted. Rather, it’s those drivers and vehicles around us in these congested areas that are causing a much more complex driving environment for our drivers.”
—Jason Palmer, COO, SmartDrive
Lara Sowinski: You actually raise some really good points.
I’m thinking that not only are we seeing a lot more jammed
roads, but this is an issue that will remain with us. What’s
unique with the food and beverage space is that we’re
seeing a lot more online grocery shopping and a lot more
delivery in urban settings. On this note, what is it about the
food and beverage space that really makes it such a good
candidate for technology regarding fleet safety?
Palmer: Take a look at food and beverage drivers.
Although they’re professionals, they have many aspects
of their job duties, only one of which is driving. They’re
servicing customers, loading trucks, unloading goods and
merchandising within stores. There’s a wide breadth of
things they’re responsible for, and driving is just one of those.
As you referred to in the opening, there’s been a lot of focus
in other areas of food safety and warehouse safety, but
driving safety is certainly one of those areas that’s also
important and can be impactful to the business. I think
equally as important (and as you just mentioned), as we start
to see more home delivery services and other things start
to uptick in the coming years, we’re putting more drivers out
on the road who have some driving training but that’s only
one part of their job. So, one of the things that technology,
like ours, is starting to bring to the table is we’re able to
effectively and cost-effectively test the driving performance
of those drivers without having to have time-consuming
operations, like drive-alongs or auditing out on the road.
We’re able to very methodically assess driving performance
and identify areas of improvement through our video-based
safety program. That’s a lot of what fleets are starting to
see — a full-service solution that’s beneficial to them.
Sowinski: You and I have talked before about the various
ways, and the tools that are out there, to enhance driver
safety and fleet safety. I want to talk about visibility and what
we’re able to do with cameras today. Can you talk to us a bit
about that?
cameras to side cameras to 360-degree cameras around
the vehicle as methods to improve overall safety. Certainly,
as we look at our drivers, they’re operating in residential
areas. They’re also driving into retail parking lots where there
are lots of pedestrians and other vehicles where they’re
www.smartdrive.net | 858.225.5550
FOOD & BEVERAGE PODCAST
trying to maneuver a very large vehicle in very tight spaces.
As a result, we’re seeing an adoption of these types of
camera technologies. One of the things we’ve introduced
is SmartDrive 360, which allows us to connect to many of
those cameras and incorporate them into our video-based
safety program. But, one of the things that sets our program
apart is our ability to analyze and trigger video events (and
data and information) when we see an unsafe situation and
do that all around the vehicle. This results in you getting
good insight into the backing skills of the driver and how
they’re operating their vehicle.
Because SmartDrive is a managed video-based safety
service, the videos actually go to one of our driving analysts
who then augments them with additional information
that’s not just, “I triggered a video.” This ensures that the
customers we work with aren’t spending their time reviewing
a lot of video and trying to understand what happened. We
distill that information down by augmenting those videos
with additional information, such as:
• Was the driver on his phone?
• Was he accessing his terminal in his vehicle?
• Was he distracted?
We add that additional information, prioritize and categorize
those driving skills that need attention to those drivers who
need it and then route the recommendations for additional
training within the organization. It’s that kind of closed-loop
program that allows us to identify those challenges, route
them correctly within the company for action and then
measure how that improvement is performing across the
fleet. That’s really what allows us to drive results. It’s not
just the video itself, but rather the comprehensive program
and measurement we put into place that really drives the
success of the program and makes it different from just a
video camera. It’s the program and the analytics that go
around it.
Sowinski: There’s clearly a lot of rich data that results from
this. I can certainly understand the benefits for those who
operate fleets, but there’s always the human component.
How are drivers responding to this and how well received
has it been with them? I think that’s always the question.
Palmer: Initially, at times, there’s some apprehension by
some of the drivers. But overall, for the most part, they
see SmartDrive as a tool that they can leverage. It’s not
just about those driving skills and understanding what’s
happening about the vehicle. The program is also there
for their protection. We know from the FMCSA study that
over 85% of collisions that commercial vehicles get into, are
not the fault (or caused by) the commercial vehicle. That’s
certainly true — even more so — in the food and beverage
industry where we’re trying to maneuver large vehicles
through very congested spaces and we’re impacted by
passenger vehicles. Our system is there as a training tool,
but also to protect the driver, as well.
The other component we see in the food and beverage
industry is when our drivers are doing deliveries very
early in the morning and are by themselves. One of the
other functions we’re able to operate is as a security
device for that driver. If someone approaches them, or
something happens early in the morning, when they’re out
by themselves, they can hit the manual button and that
immediately records audio and video and is offloaded.
Supervisors can set up alerts so they’re notified and can
see that video on their phone and can see exactly what
happened. We’re not just about safety. It’s about security as
well, which is certainly important in this industry.
“One of the other functions we’re able to operate is as a security device for that driver. If someone approaches them, or something happens early in the morning, when they’re out by themselves, they can hit the manual button and that immediately records audio and video and is offloaded.”
—Jason Palmer, COO, SmartDrive
Sowinski: You raise some really good points. I want to
circle back to some of the benefits of this technology,
particularly for the food and beverage space. It goes
www.smartdrive.net | 858.225.5550
chain, supporting time and temperature-sensitive goods
and extending shelf life. It seems to me that if we’re doing
something right at the beginning with transportation
and with the drivers — making that the most efficient
possible — that, in turn, supports the unique challenges of
the food and beverage space. Do you agree with that?
Palmer: it’s important we understand the environment in
which the driver is operating his vehicle. In this space, it’s
the time-sensitive nature of the perishable goods we’re
moving within the industry, To the degree that the driver
is interrupted or impacted during the delivery of those
goods, it can have a significant impact on the quality
of that delivery and the service to their customer. So, a
comprehensive program that allows you to see not just
the video, but other aspects the driver is dealing with in
that environment is critical. We’ve had companies make
changes to how they’re routing the vehicle or the way
drivers are assigned, to help optimize the environment that
they’re operating in to improve their overall on-time delivery.
“We’ve had companies make changes to how they’re routing the vehicle or the way drivers are assigned, to help optimize the environment that they’re operating in to improve their overall on-time delivery.”
—Jason Palmer, COO, SmartDrive
Sowinski: We’ve really covered a lot of good topics today,
Jason. Before we wrap up, any other final thoughts you
want to share with us?
Palmer: This is a really exciting time! As we start to evolve
into much more sophisticated systems that can help
companies optimize their business, we are looking at
ways of not only recording video but how do we take the
information that we are collecting in and around the vehicle,
about the driver and about the operation — and work with
companies to optimize everything from fuel management
to on-time deliveries to safety — all through a driver
performance management system. I think there’s a huge
opportunity as we go into the next several years of taking
that to the next level. We certainly here at SmartDrive are
excited about that.
Sowinski: Thank you. I certainly agree with you. I think,
certainly, a lot of change is under way in the food and
beverage space. I really enjoyed talking with you today,
Jason. about what’s going on with fleet and driver safety
in the food and beverage sector and particularly how
technology is impacting that.
SmartDrive. This is Lara Sowinski, Editorial Director of
Food Logistics and Supply and Demand Chain Executive.
Thanks for listening in. Listen to the Podcast.
www.smartdrive.net | 858.225.5550
© 2017 SmartDrive Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. SmartDrive, the SmartDrive logo, SmartDrive SmartIQ, and Measured Safety Program are registered trademarks of SmartDrive Systems, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respected owners. SD17-083-05252017
Food and beverage delivery fleets are critically important to the supply chain, with companies focused on making deliveries on time and in a safe manner. By incorporating a video-based safety program, like SmartDrive, fleets demonstrate commitment to their staff, their customers and the safety of everyone on the roads. Contact SmartDrive to learn more.
FOOD & BEVERAGE PODCAST