From the moment they drive off their business premises and onto the road, fleet drivers are responsible for their vehicle, their cargo and their own health. They should consider how to handle the vehicle, how to avoid potholes and any objects that could compromise safety, and more.

Driver safety is the most critical aspect of the success of a fleet management system. By putting driver safety and empowerment at the center of training programs, fleet managers can focus on their most valuable asset – drivers’ ability to recognize their own dangerous road behavior and work to correct their behavior. Taking proactive action can put fleet drivers in the best position to help their fleets stay on track during challenging times and give their managers one less thing to worry about.

Cartracks fleet management system helps you manage your vehicle maintenance schedule

Manage your fleet on the road

While fleet systems receive new technological upgrades every year, it’s important not to forget to leverage technological innovations to positively impact fleet drivers’ daily workloads. Fleet managers should start using fleet management software to not only optimize delivery workflows but also improve driver skills, awareness and road behavior.

Fleet drivers face many challenges while behind the wheel; one issue affecting the supply chain is road issues, which can hinder or delay deliveries. These could be dealing with vehicle maintenance issues, such as a tire blowing out while driving, which could endanger themselves and other motorists, or unforeseen criminal activity situations, which could put a driver's life at risk.

Fleet safety first

According to the 2020 Annual Road Safety Report of the International Organization for Traffic Safety Data and Analysis, issues such as overweight and substandard transit vehicles and improperly driven vehicles on rural roads are important causes of road accidents and casualties.

Speed coupled with a lack of lane markings, unmarked intersections and unsafe road surfaces also add to the high accident rates on our roads.

The same report highlights that in all countries:

• Speed was a factor in fatal crashes 15% to 35%
• Fatal car accidents from 10% to 30% were caused by drunk driving

In fact, your drivers are on these roads, but that's where a technologically advanced fleet management system comes into play. It will allow you to develop speed management and monitoring strategies, help you implement safer driving behaviors through regular reporting, and track the location of your drivers and vehicles so you can take quick action if they get into any type of trouble.

Get insights from your fleet

A great way to instill safer driver behavior in your fleet is to hold safety meetings with drivers. Here they can actively discuss with the management team where improvements are needed on both individual vehicles and the fleet as a whole. These measures can be as simple as avoiding a route that is currently under construction, or requiring a complete route change due to hazardous conditions such as potholes and illegal activity.

Take the time to draft a fleet safety policy that revolves around drivers. Put yourself in the driver's seat. Keep it simple but as specific as possible, and conduct regular reviews with your driver. These meetings may include discussions around issues such as seat belt wearing, use of breathalyzers and focused driving, which can all be monitored through fleet management systems.

Giving fleet drivers a front-seat advantage on the road, therefore leveraging their knowledge and driving effective teamwork. Managers can also use these meetings to discuss the vehicles themselves, ways and means of improving inspections, tolls, license renewals and more.

Cartrack's MiFleet software is a great app for doing it all; it cuts down on your admin time and keeps you informed with alerts and reminders of where and when you need to pay for your vehicle.

The alerts sent will also help fleet managers avoid unnecessary downtime and lost production due to delays such as service maintenance or unpaid fines, and help extend the service life of vehicles.

Track your vehicle maintenance with Cartracks fleet management system

Fleet monitoring benefits transporters

There are many roadside situations and it is the fleet manager’s responsibility to be present in each of his/her fleet as often as possible to resolve any minor or major issues and quickly find the right long-term solution

To learn about other ways Cartrack can help you optimize your business, visit Cartrack today.