In construction and trucking industries, it’s a fleet manager’s job to keep track of company vehicles while minimizing costs and liability, but the rules and regulations needed to be effective at this task don’t always go over well with employees. With the right approach, however, a fleet manager can establish a telematics plan that will save time, money and team morale.
Enter vehicle telematics -- the use of wirelessly enabled devices that usually plug into a vehicle’s onboard diagnostic (OBD) port to track the location and status of a vehicle at any given time, as well as its maintenance details.
These tips for rolling out a vehicle-monitoring system will help employees feel more comfortable with having this new technology along for the ride.
Empowering the Team
Very few employees react well to being given a blind mandate, especially when it’s a new rule that makes them feel like they can’t be trusted. It’s crucial to get workers excited about cost-saving measures, rather than resenting the technology. Explain to the drivers that this technology is cutting costs in fuel, idle time and insurance premiums. The alternative would be to cut payroll expenses -- meaning jobs. Embracing technology means greater job security.
Start by giving workers the facts. By showing the team monthly reports of how each driver is performing, the focus is shifted away from the fact that the company is tracking the vehicles. It’s not about trust. It’s about having a greater understanding of how equipment is used to reduce inefficient practices like excessive idling or dangerous driving behaviors.
Get the employees engaged in the success of the business. If they see that they impact the entire organization’s bottom line with their driving behavior, they may be more likely to embrace the technology.
Expanding Efficiency
All too often, companies keep track of who is using what vehicle with clunky, imprecise practices. Dry-erase boards on shop walls, magnets or name tags being shuffled around to track which trucks are in the field and which are sitting parked are strategies that can produce errors and inefficiencies. One clumsy move, and the system of knowing who’s in control of what asset is completely gone. It could take a manager hours to get the fleet back on track. Fleet monitoring systems can track who’s got a vehicle, where they are, and how the truck or van is being used. This information allows managers to offer constructive advice to drivers immediately, before an accident or a ticket, rather than waiting for an inevitable accident that will be costly and take a vehicle, and potentially an employee, out of commission. If drivers realize that implementing vehicle telematics can make their job safer and less complicated, they will be more likely to embrace its use as well.
Maintaining the Fleet
Telematics systems innovation can monitor vehicle maintenance, which means workers won’t be stuck on the side of the road or in the shop as often. No one wants to be stranded, waiting for a tow back to the shop. When a breakdown does occur, sensors in the vehicle can relay information about the specific mechanical issues that are causing the problem, so a repairman can arrive on the scene with the right tools for the job. Explaining the maintenance benefits of connected vehicles will help employees understand that telematics systems can save them time and hassle when a vehicle breaks down.
Incentivizing Success
Some organizations will use vehicle telematics reports to spur healthy competition. A modest incentive for the best drivers each month could create a positive reason to embrace vehicle monitoring. G-Force Communications, which specializes in business communications, suggests that acknowledging the efforts and improvements of employees can go a long way to improving morale. “Constructive criticism and praise often gets shared amongst drivers, whilst negative feedback is kept to oneself,” says one particular G-Force blog.
Keeping Employees in the Know
Creating open lines of communication is also important. A monthly meeting to discuss driver performance is a perfect opportunity to allow employees a chance to address challenges or ideas for improving the vehicle-monitoring program. If they feel like they have a voice, they are more likely to embrace the technology.
Being honest and open with employees is the only way to successfully deploy a technology that monitors their behaviors and location. Share improvements and discuss ways to correct unsafe or wasteful habits. When drivers get better, find some way to celebrate those achievements.
Christopher Walljasper is a Chicago-based freelance writer. He has experience in the mobile technology world and enjoys exploring the ever-changing tech landscape. When he’s not writing, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Annie, daughter, Lucy, and basset hound, Ellie.