Transcript Drivers: the Key to Fleet Safety Results

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
Recruiting
Qualification
Improvement
Dismissal or
Non-Driving Job
Training
Monitoring
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
– [email protected]
– www.safetyfirst.com
Copy of slides available at:
http://my.safetyfirst.com/Presentations.asp