Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/782964
commercial carrier journal | february 2017 33 Taking care of risk Automation takes hold for driver training W hile the information reported by driver safety and compliance technologies may have a short shelf life, the automation of driver risk management gives drivers real-time in-cab feedback and coaching to correct risky or wasteful behaviors. Platforms for video-based safety, driver training and telemat- ics can automate the next step in the process. Systems automat- ically can assign training modules to complete. Technology can continue to monitor driver skills and behaviors for improve- ment. If the problem persists, management can be alerted. By automating these steps, technology is lightening the workload so that fleet management can focus their time and resources on other areas. Video safety SmartDrive, provider of a video-based driver safety intelligence platform, has an optional feature in its web-based SmartIQ Suite portal that fleets can use to assign training modules to drivers for the most common types of risk observations, such as texting, speeding and unsafe following distances. Fleets that use Pro-Tread's driver training modules from Instructional Technologies Inc. typically have them stored on in-cab computing devices. SmartDrive has assigned 10 different Pro-Tread modules for its most common risk observations. Each takes between two and five minutes for drivers to complete. Online training Luma has partnered with StayMetrics to develop a suite of online driver training modules for safety, health and wellness. Fleets that use StayMetrics' online driver loyalty and rewards program typically give their drivers points for completing the training modules voluntarily. Luma also works directly with fleets to develop custom training modules and is seeing more demand from fleets that want to integrate the modules with their driver performance and risk management systems. The training modules use a combination of animated video, text, audio and interactive game elements. The training plat- form captures both feedback from drivers and data that Luma uses to update and improve the learning experience for users. Predictive coaching Geotab's telematics platform comes with the company's GO7 device that installs in trucks and sends real-time vehicle, engine and driver performance data to a web-based fleet management portal. The platform integrates with more than 200 products from third-party software developers. A real-time driver coaching application, Go Talk, can be used by fleets to reinforce their safety and compliance policies. The app lets fleets create custom audible alerts for risky behaviors such as speeding, harsh braking and more. MAKING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS WORK FOR YOUR FLEET BY AARON HUFF technology AUTOMATIC ASSIGNMENT: Training modules can be sent to drivers after a risk observation. ONE SIZE DOESN'T FIT ALL: Fleets can develop their own cus- tomized training modules. REAL-TIME COACHING: Fleets have options when automating driver risk management. AARON HUFF is Senior Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail ahuff@ccjmagazine.com or call 385-225-9472. INTERESTED IN TRUCKING TECHNOLOGY? Scan the barcode or go to www.goo.gl/Ph9JK to subscribe to the CCJ Technology Weekly e-mail newsletter. The automation of driver risk management gives drivers real-time in-cab feedback and coaching to correct behaviors that are risky or wasteful.