6 Steps to Positive Driver Engagement

Over the past decade, despite a number of technological advances, commercial driver retention has not improved. Finding qualified drivers and in turn, keeping them, continues to be a challenge for fleet safety managers. Driver turnover for most transportation segments has been above 90 percent for more than nine consecutive quarters.

One reason for this could be that legacy driver monitoring systems are inherently set up to only detect chinks in the armor of drivers—flagging drivers’ “negative” actions because of limits in their ability to provide the appropriate context for individual situations. The “goal” is to improve safety on the road, however they are constructed in such a way that they solely focus on identifying the negative – often alienating the driver.  Overworked and under-appreciated drivers can deeply feel the mental health effects of heavy micromanagement and surveillance with these systems, which go largely underreported and in more and more cases, result in driver turnover.

However, author Yi-Ka Chou may be on to something in his article, “Actionable Gamification: Beyond Points, Badges, and Leaderboards.” Looking at ways to motivate positive behaviors through effective gamification means fleet managers can take proactive steps to create a collaborative culture in which drivers, teams and managers are empowered and encouraged to work together toward “employee engaged” positive team goals versus only focusing on the individual.

Here are 6 steps for fleet managers to consider when building an “engaged” driver environment-that will set fleets up for keeping drivers long-term contributing to long-term success:

1. Explore technology that recognizes positive driving. As we advance into a new era of connected technology that is armed with AI and machine-learning, fleet managers have more access to contextualized data with comprehensive road data intelligence.  Shifting from a ‘triggered’ data collection method to an ‘always on’ method not only provides greater visibility into the driving experience—it measures actual driving and can recognize great driving. Armed with these insights, managers can instantly congratulate drivers on a job well done, providing real-time gratification to drivers on the road.
2. Identify and share collaborative goals. Having a transparent and collaborative conversation of “why this is important to our business” are essential aspects to driver engagement.  Developing team goals and being able to communicate “what is in it for me” and “how can I do my part” – will help to create team momentum – creating peer-to-peer competitive and encouragement.
3. Position the “Positive” Give drivers the confidence and trust in themselves and the fleet they are serving. Clearly communicate to drivers that advanced driving behavior monitoring systems are intended to help and protect drivers. Discuss how the systems track compliance – such as Stop Sign ‘full-stop’ compliance vs. only looking for the alerts.  This will yield far more positive results than trying to intimidate drivers into thinking monitoring systems are intended to “catch” drivers making mistakes.
4. Make it Fun. Game On. Fleet managers can create systems to harness the stickiness of games and apply them to productivity goals. This provides a unique opportunity for fleet managers to reach a collective, group-shared goal that all players are invested in driving toward. For example, a fleet manager overseeing 60-100 drivers can break the fleet into teams of 10, consisting of senior and junior drivers. A friendly team competition with tracked scoring on improved seatbelt compliance, for example, can give senior team members an opportunity to take a leadership role, helping them to feel more appreciated, valued and invested in the fleet’s overall success.
5. Use data to measure progress, leveraging leading indicators to drive coaching conversations. Until recently, fleet managers have relied on lagging indicators (e.g. whether the driver arrived on time, made all required stops, received any complaints, incurred any damage).  The advantage of leveraging data that captures the entire driving experience is that you no longer have to guess what happened.  At the end of the day, when they system tells your that you’re driver had a ‘great’ day, there is full set of driving data to give you confidence to recognize that driver.
6. Celebrate successes. Setting the collective goal of measuring against positive team-based results as opposed to individual compliance requirements will yield long-term success. Highlight the positive early and often.  Think about fun team events or outings, such a barbeques for improved fleet-wide following distance or reduced stop-sign roll-throughs. A driving team is much more likely to rally behind shared goals than individual stipulations.

Rethinking the way in which fleet managers engage with drivers can improve compliance as well as overall driver morale. Using this “gamification” approach, managers can boost driver retention while improving fleet safety—opening the door to happier, more positive and more productive trucking fleets.

Founded in 2015, Netradyne has technology innovation centers in both San Diego, CA and Bangalore, India where teams are hyper-focused on next generation transportation safety technology. From HD Maps for Autonomous Vehicles to launching a novel driver safety platform for Commercial Vehicles. Grounded in the vision of applying Artificial Intelligence for improving transportation safety, Netradyne delivers a holistic view of the driving environment to fleet owners while serving as their driver’s advocate. For more information about DriveriⓇ or to inquire about commercial vehicle safety tools, please visit www.Netradyne.com.