A Q&A with Santa, and Fleet Manager Mrs Claus, of North Pole Inc
New technology is continuing to transform the trucking industry. From collision mitigation, to autonomous vehicles, the transportation landscape is undergoing a transformation in safety awareness and data collection. According to panel discussions at this year’s Commercial Vehicle Outlook Conference in Dallas, Texas, safety technologies such as telematics systems are becoming prominent fixtures in commercial vehicles.
Moreover, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has further developed the industry’s safety standards by mandating the use of electronic logging devices (ELDs) in order for fleets to stay federally compliant within Hours-of-Service (HOS) regulations.
Telematics provider Teletrac has been helping carriers save on costly violations, calm safety concerns and help companies strengthen their competitive edge with an hours-of-service (HOS) solution. The solution offers a wealth of data, improved communication, and an easy integration with other Fleet Director components. It also offers an ELD feature that has been helping carriers eliminate paper forms and submissions for an easy, safe and hassle-free process. Although the publication of the ELD mandate from the Department of Transportation (DOT) has been pushed back to October 30th of this year, some businesses have already adopted the technology in their fleet in preparation for the two years following the final rule. Check out what they have to say here about their ELD experience.
Teletrac also offers data analysis packages that further help fleets stay compliant. Teletrac’s Driver Safety Analytics feature collects information on how well drivers actually drive—recording events such as speeding, harsh braking, and stop sign violations. The fleet manager can then easily view which drivers are the most safety-conscious, and which drivers are most prone to problems. The information can be used to plan additional driver training and offer incentives for improved performance. The result is a safer, more conscientious driver pool.
Even after the FMCSA publishes its Final Rule next month, carriers will have two years to comply. As useful as telematics systems are, those that incorporate federally compliant features is key to substantially expanding a business’ reach. With more information gathered from ELDs and Driver Safety Analytics, carriers can experience improved driver performance, which in turn allows room for less wear and tear on vehicles, a reduction in fuel consumption, and a dramatic reduction in accident-related costs.
We could be looking at a world where motor vehicle accidents are largely a thing of the past.
*About the author: Sid Nair is a member of Teletrac's marketing team. He is the Senior Director of Marketing and Product Management, and serves as an expert in GPS tracking software and hardware for the transportation sector around the globe.