Getting Trucks Back On The Safe Track

Trucking incidents in November 2013 saw six truck crashes and six deaths in the space of only two days, raising alarm bells on the safety issues within the trucking industry in Australia. In 2013 alone, Australia's transport industry saw 330 deaths in truck crashes. The deaths sparked heated discussions around speed tampering, driver fatigue and safety negligence as the three main causes. As a result, the trucking sector is currently undergoing severe scrutiny by the police force as well as political leaders and the general public.

Over the years, changes in legislation, including the Work Health and Safety Acts, have been passed to ensure the safety of drivers and the general public. However, as the November 2013 incidents proved, laws aren't always enough to bring about changes in driving behaviour. As a result, business owners and fleet managers are asking how they can ensure their company and drivers are compliant with legislation and internal policies, and create a culture that puts safety first?

Tamper-proof speed tracking technology

Investing in the right tamper-proof speed limiting technology is a good starting point. A GPS fleet management solution incorporating speed monitoring technology will help truck operators to automatically detect violations of speed limits and/or company speed policies. This technology helps fleet managers in the trucking industry identify high-risk driving behaviour down to an individual driver level, and can analyse speeding patterns over time. With the right solution, trucking companies will be able to closely monitor the speed of their vehicles in real-time and can choose to receive comprehensive daily, weekly or monthly reports that list the time, date, location, speed limit, actual speed and other key data for each speeding incident.

The implementation of a GPS-based speed monitoring solution is also being driven by compliance requirements introduced in January 2012 by Work Health and Safety legislation, to ensure drivers are provided with safe working conditions inside their vehicles.

Automated electronic work diaries

A National Driver Work Diary replaced the National Driver Log Book in September 2008 enforcing a legal requirement for all drivers to record their kilometers driven, rest time and idle time. Asking drivers to enter this information manually in their work diary is time-consuming and prone to either accidental human error or deliberate false entries.

Several truck crash investigations have uncovered alleged falsified work diary entries from a number of truck drivers.
Falsifying work diary entries is not only an offence but also represents real danger to? truck drivers as well as the general public. Driver fatigue was one of the main reasons this tracking system was introduced. It enables businesses operating fleets to ensure drivers are taking the recommended rest time after a certain number of driving hours to help ensure road safety.

Companies can counteract forgotten or deliberate false entries and ensure road safety by implementing a GPS fleet management solution that automatically updates electronic work diaries by recording all aspects of the drivers' journey. This allows managers to closely monitor drivers in real-time to ensure they are taking regular breaks. An automated e-work diary will also help monitor breaches and will serve as an education tool to promote behavioural change in drivers.

Educate your supply partners

The discussions following the November 2013 fatalities have also raised questions about how realistic the targets set by the supply chain actually are. It has been argued that unrealistic targets result in dangerous speeding and tampering of speed limiters. Potential legislation has been proposed to extend the chain of responsibility to include supply chain partners that demand unrealistic and unsafe schedules.

Trucking companies should educate their partners about safety and be prepared to re-negotiate jobs whenever they feel their drivers' safety is in jeopardy. Educating partners about the broader chain of responsibility will create a more level playing field for businesses that are serious about safety.

Conclusion

The good news is that there is technology available to help the trucking industry proactively monitor driver adherence to laws and company policies, and improve their driving safety. Investing in a GPS fleet tracking solution that incorporates real time speed tracking and automated e-work diaries will ensure legislative compliance and help businesses educate their drivers about safe driving practices and ultimately help to bring about cultural change in driving behaviour.