Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/485023
COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | MARCH 2015 53 TECHNOLOGY: EMPOWERING DRIVERS his own fuel economy from 7.5 mpg to a consistent 8.5 and earns a bonus between $300 and $400 each 18,000-mile period. "The way I look at it is if I'm getting a bonus, the company is making money," he says. Smith also enjoys playing the game. After each trip or ignition on/off event, PedalCoach dis- plays his fuel efficiency score and fleet ranking. "It's fun to razz the other drivers," he says. "A lot of them razz me, too." PedalCoach has an online management portal for driver fuel performance. Fleet managers contact drivers if performance dips, and Smith also is contacted period- ically by experts at PedalCoach's parent company, LinkeDrive, who look at the data and offer tips to improve. "They are offering us the tools we need to succeed," Smith says. "Other companies will go get you the freight, and then you're on your own. [TDC] is involved. They spend the money and invest in things to help us out. It shows me that I want to work for someone like that." Zonar Systems' ZFuel application cal- culates a score for each driver that shows how he performed given the circumstanc- es. ZFuel also shows the amount of money drivers could have saved each trip if they had optimized the factors they control, such as speed, shifting and idling. The ZFuel app is an option for Zonar's fleet management system, which comes with the rugged 2020 Android tablet dis- play, V3 onboard computer and Ground Traffic Control online management portal. Virtual rewards Businesses often use loyalty programs to influence their customers' buying behav- iors. Some in the transportation industry use similar programs to increase driver engagement. Loyalty programs often use points as currency. Websites and mobile apps are a convenient way for drivers to track points and convert them to rewards. Birmingham, Ala.-based P&S Trans- portation (CCJ Top 250, No. 82) uses an online "Drive for Gold" rewards program administrated by Stay Metrics. Drivers for the 975-truck flatbed carrier visit the website to track their points and exchange them for items from an online catalog. Drivers are introduced to the program during orientation and immediately earn points by completing the fleet's safety training through the website. To increase fleetwide participation, management in- stalled driver work stations at each termi- nal and created unique reward categories. An "accident challenge" category gives drivers a chance to review a recent accident experienced by a P&S driver and suggest preventive countermea- sures. The entries are judged, and points are awarded to the top three responses, which then are posted online. The website also serves as a communications hub for drivers to read company news and announcements. Reports show which drivers use the program and which do not, giving managers an indication of who needs help getting involved. "The drivers view this program as a benefit," says Johnathan Marshall, safety director. "We know that they are receiving the information from safety meetings and company announcements." P&S rewards points for safety perfor- mance, fuel preservation and roadside inspections with no violations. Drivers can earn additional points for completing an online anonymous survey at the seven- and 45-day employment mark. "The survey has been instrumental in fixing problems quickly that we may have not otherwise known about," Marshall says. Stay Metrics provides its fleet clients with survey results and other research, and also conducts exit interviews with drivers. "The exit survey allows us to review areas of concern that were not provided by drivers during their employment," Marshall says. "This encompasses all areas of our organization, and information is shared with all department heads." Trans-United, a 75-truck flatbed carrier, has decreased its monthly driver turnover rate by nearly 10 percent since it started using Stay Metrics one year ago. The Burns Harbor, Ind.-based company also has grown by 20 percent in that time- frame, says Jeff Fleming, president. Trans-United named its rewards program "Driving for Green." Drivers can PedalCoach gives instantaneous feedback on throttle input through its user interface that resembles a digital gauge. PedalCoach has an online management portal for driver fuel performance. Fleet managers contact drivers if performance dips.