With drivers on the road for weeks at a time, fleet managers know just how difficult it can be to monitor their performance. But as nuclear verdicts continue to rise, plaintiffs’ attorneys argue that motor carriers could always do better.
If only the fleet manager could be in the cab at all times. Adam Kahn, president of Netradyne, appeared on FreightWaves’ WHAT THE TRUCK?!? to discuss the benefits of Driver•i and how it’s so much more than a traditional in-cab dashcam.
Positioned on the windshield to capture events both externally and internally, Driver•i leverages AI and machine learning technology to transform visual data into performance metrics that fleets can use to reward good driving behavior and identify areas for improvement.
In-cab camera technology, once viewed as the surest way to disprove negligence, has become a not-so-adequate defense in the courtroom as Kahn said plaintiffs’ attorneys have become more concerned with the carrier’s safety culture.
“When fleets have a hundred drivers but only one safety manager, the ability to speak with those drivers with any cadence starts to become a problem,” Kahn said. “With Driver•i, we push initial coaching in an automated way through in-cab audio alerts to say slow down, create space or to remember to stop or put down your phone — that is frictionless coaching.”
Fleet managers don’t have to sift through hours of footage to critique driver performance with Driver•i; the camera does the work for them. Driver•i will “speak” to the driver through audio alerts when risky driving or potential accident scenarios are detected. Each event is then sent to the fleet dashboard for review.
Kahn understands that drivers aren’t always thrilled to be monitored at all times, as they can’t help but think their performance is being criticized. But he said the reason why so many fleets are embracing Netradyne is that it actually helps drivers receive the recognition they deserve.
“We can track when drivers are proactively responding to unsafe acts and record those very good events,” which Kahn said earns them DriverStar accolades. “I might tell a fleet when they roll out their program to only talk about DriverStars for the first 90 days.”
Looking at a recent customer’s fleet performance, Kahn acknowledged that its 92%-93% compliant driving record should be something that is celebrated with its drivers rather than focusing specifically on the 7%-8% that needs improvement.
Some drivers have even seen positive recognition reflected in their paychecks. Kahn noted instances in which fleets have integrated the driver’s score into their payroll system.
“I know of one particular fleet that integrates the driver score into the payroll and they say, ‘If your score is above 900, we’ll give you an extra $50 a week,’” Kahn said, making the case that Netradyne’s gamification promotes positive competition all while improving the fleet’s overall safety.
“I’ve seen it a lot where one driver will look at the other and ask, ‘What’s your score?’ And the driver says, ‘I’m at 875,’ while the other says, ‘I’m at 900.’”
