Is a driver monitoring system worth the hassle and the money invested? If that’s a question you’ve been trying to answer yourself lately, then good for you! You’re in the right place. Except for the fact that there’s no hassle at all; quite the opposite! Installing such a system on your vehicles comes with a host of benefits for your business. And with human resources being the most important asset you have, these benefits have got to do with the way you manage your drivers, of course.
Like to learn more about it? You’ll certainly have questions. But, that’s why we’re here, today.
Hiring the best and then, what?
You’ve probably sweated blood to track down and hire the best drivers for your fleet. There’s no doubt about it, as driver turnover rate has rather skyrocketed these last years. And now that you have — probably — made the right decisions, you can rest assured that your trusted drivers will work for the benefit of your business, day in and day out.
We wouldn’t want to interrupt your daydreaming here, but unfortunately we live in a less than an ideal world. Just as it happens with all partnerships, in order for things to work as expected, you need to employ some transparency in all aspects of business operations; or at least keep a close eye on things that daily affect your business the most. Your drivers, or some of them, probably need to learn that the way they treat your vehicles and their behavior on the road is important to you.
With a driver monitoring system, you can do this. You’ll have total control of your vehicles. Information pertinent to vehicle status and the driver’s steering behavior can available to you, on your phone. And that’s true for the lot of your vehicles. Veturilo can help you to that end.
Do I really need a driver monitoring system for my fleet?
Well, it’s up to you, but let’s go through a few of the daily issues you may be faced with.
Your vehicles are out there and you have absolutely no idea where they are at any given moment. You’re also in the dark about how your drivers are treating them. And, the fact is, you can only take them at their word for it. But, there’s more. Which routes did they follow to do a quicker job of getting to their destinations? You cannot be sure, can you?
If you’re managing a fleet of vehicles you need certain facilitators. And, some of them, you really can’t do without.
- A detailed log of the routes they followed
- Any delays that have been reported to you by your customers
- Break-downs that might occur
- Fender-benders and other small accidents
Without a driver monitoring system, or a vehicle management system, these would all be explained as natural wear and tear, in fair use. How does that sound to you? Does it seem efficient? Do you think it’s optimal?
With a driver monitoring system you’ll be in the position to know all of this information, at a moment’s notice, without even asking.
So, what does a driver monitoring system offer?
Apart from knowing exactly where each of your vehicles is, at any moment, you can get notifications on your phone, whenever something needs your attention. To that end, any unusual or even dangerous driving behaviors are sent as alerts, directly to your mobile device. Harsh turns, fast accelerations, heavy braking and any other behaviors that wear down your vehicles, are available to you to further examine, even at a later time.
More specifically, you can review key performance indicators, such as how many harsh turns a driver made, along with the exact spots on the map and pertinent date/time information.
That goes to say, with Veturilo you’ll be able to know exactly how a driver treated your vehicle, during their shift. Now, doesn’t that sound fair and useful? We’re absolutely sure, it does. And you’ll have more than one way to manage your fleet drivers better.
Monitor the whole fleet
Drivers that have been working with you for a long time have probably done their bit to gain your trust. But, you still need to keep an eye on the new ones. See whether your cooperation improves with time, as you would expect. You won’t be able to skip this step entirely, but we can propose a hack. One that may get you there, much faster.
Once your entire staff knows how you intend to be taking care of your business and your fleet of vehicles, they’ll tend to be a lot more careful; try to make a good impression. Maybe, act as “role models” for new drivers, even.
They will follow the rules and your schedule. And they’ll stick to the routes as you’ve planned them. That “observation” is also true regarding their driving behavior. Knowing you’ll be measuring their performance through fast accelerations — and similar indicators — needless harsh driving will be avoided.
So far so good, but how exactly will all these so-called improvements benefit your business? What is a “tangible” benefit from a driver monitoring system?
How does a driver monitoring system add value to your fleet business?
1. Improves efficiency
Optimal routes and timely deliveries mean peace of mind for you and your drivers. And that gives you the time and space to think of new ways to make your business better. In particular, you may come up with improvements on specific workflows, just by knowing, for example, which driver you’d be better off assigning to a specific route. Believe it or not, optimizations like this one are, really, of paramount importance to reducing or eliminating these occasional bouts of diminishing returns.
2. Eliminates accidents and delays
If your drivers are aware of your efforts to improve their performance through key performance indicators, they’ll be more prudent, more cautious. Since your drivers will be more careful on the road, any insurance issues will be mitigated. Affecting, of course, your insurance rates, downwards. These issues may include:
- Roadside accidents
- Costs incurred with regard to downtime
- Delays caused until you can exchange information and settle any disputes
- Vehicles downtime until the required repairs are done
3. Reduces maintenance costs
Bad driving behavior treats the car with abnormal wear and tear. Not to mention, a minor malfunction, when left to chance, will lead to much more serious damage to your vehicle, with mathematical precision. And we’re not talking about mere overheating or things like that. There’s an almost ominous quality to that. Monitoring, proposing and implementing improvements in driving behaviors will improve your “capital efficiency”, in ways you never thought possible. And this includes the life of your tires, potential fuel fraud or sub-optimal fuel consumption.
4. Improves customer satisfaction
What’s better than a satisfied customer? When your delivery system — and generally the way you choose to serve your customers — is aligned with their needs and there are no delays in delivery, there is nearly no loss in clientele. There is also a chance that customers who wouldn’t entirely trust you before, will be coming back, as they learn about your great service. They might also recommend your service to their friends and family.
Better safe, than sorry
Do you want to remain in the dark about how your drivers treat your vehicles? Probably not, right? We bear great news! All you have to do to shed some light on the situation, is equip all your vehicles with our OBD II device. You’ll have a simple driver monitoring system, bringing all sorts of driving behavior data, straight to your phone. What else could one ask for?
