To really reap the rewards of fleet tracking technology, you must first make sure that every driver is on board with the initiative. Even though the benefits of telematics are well known amongst fleet professionals, and the fact that tracking devices will soon be commonplace in every vehicle, it’s still common for commercial drivers to have negative opinions about the technology; mostly due to worries about ‘big brother’.

Changing these misconceptions is one of the most important (and sometimes toughest) hurdles to overcome – but you must deal with them if you want to ensure a smooth implementation and fully explore all of the benefits that telematics has to offer.

Discuss the benefits and debunk the myths

The most common misconception amongst commercial drivers is that tracking devices are used to monitor their movements and behaviour. Though it’s true that the technology can do this, the truth is that monitoring every driver individually would be a highly inefficient use of a manager’s time and effort. Vehicle tracking technology aims to engage drivers, and the data it produces is mostly used on a corporate level – not to scrutinise individuals, but to gain insights about activity and performance that can be used to improve business profitability and driver safety. The data can be used to facilitate management decisions which, in turn, lead to reduced travel times, decreased wear and tear, lower insurance premiums and better customer experiences. Put your drivers’ minds at ease by replacing the negative myths with the real reasons for its implementation.

Highlight the safety improvements

If your drivers still seem hesitant, you can use facts and figures to stress the point. According to the Department for Transport, in the year ending September 2016 there were 180,000 road casualties and 1,800 deaths in the UK. With business drivers having a 30-40% higher incident rate than those of private drivers. For these reasons alone, commercial drivers are categorised as ‘high-risk’. Monitoring driving behaviour and rest times can help you improve their safety on the road. Whilst the data can identify patterns in poor driving habits, to ensure a positive reaction to the technology, this data should be used to create incentives and reward best practice, rather than shaming the worst performers. It shouldn’t be about placing the blame or pointing the finger, it’s about identifying a need for additional training, rewarding your best performers and ensuring your team get home safely at the end of every working day.

For behaviour change in the right moment, use an in-cab coaching device to give drivers instant visual and auditory feedback on harsh driving and encourage subconscious driving style adjustments.

Be open and honest about it

As with any new initiative, the most important thing is to be open and honest about its implementation and its purpose. Arm your drivers with all of the facts upfront. Provide product training, where required. Offer reassurance; it is not about keeping tabs on their every movement, it is about helping the business perform better and keeping them safe.

Great caution is required to prevent accidents while driving trucks. While on the road, you may not be able to influence other drivers’ behavior but you’re expected to adhere to regulations, measures and precautions that will keep you on the safe side.

As a considerate truck driver, you wouldn’t like to harm others and neither would you want to be victimized by other drivers’ frivolities. One essential thing is to know the effective ways you can avert road dangers while another is to stick with safety regulations at all times. Regardless of the distance being covered, here are the top 5 ways truck drivers can avoid injury.

Favorable Sitting Posture

Truck driving is an activity that requires sitting for a considerably long period. Meanwhile, you can sustain injuries or discomforts like back ache and numb buttocks if you’re not assuming the appropriate sitting posture. Besides helping you to feel comfortable, sitting properly can prevent you from certain road mishaps. If you’re sitting in a manner that strains your neck while driving, this could mean you have to change your sitting posture. For the fact that you may be required to cover a lengthy distance, knowing and practising a favorable sitting posture will be of great benefit to you.

Knowing the Appropriate Speeds

Oftentimes, brake distance, driving speed and the distance to keep from other vehicles are determined by the weight you’re conveying. If you’re able to weigh what you’re transporting, chances are that you will maintain favourable speeds all through your trip. Instances of items falling off a truck usually occur when the truck driver is reckless or fails to maintain the appropriate speeds.

Giving Yourself Some Rest

Some truck drivers travel for more than 12 alternate hours –although this is prohibited as contained in federal regulations. If you’re on a lengthy trip you’re expected to complete within the time frame of 10-15 hours, it’s advisable that

you take a couple of breaks and give yourself enough rest. Each time you feel exhausted and think there is need to rest and restore vigor to your body, you can easily take advantage of stop-overs to do that. Not only will this reinvigorate you, it will also lessen the risk of accidents you can sustain as a result of tiredness and other defects on your part.

Knowing Your Lane Distance

One sure way to avoid road accidents, particularly those involving vehicle collisions, is to know the distance required before using the brake, kick-starting and pulling up the vehicle. If you’re always ignoring the favourable brake distance, your vehicle is likely to collide with others’. Of course, knowing the appropriate lane distance is a proven way to keep a safe distance between you and other drivers on your lane.

Overtaking Larger Vehicles on the Left

If you’re driving your truck near larger trucks or other vehicles such as tractor trailers, ensure you’re overtaking on the left. This is often considered one of the vital rules drivers are required to comply with in order to reduce the likelihood of road accidents.

Conclusion

Other than following these useful tips, you need to ensure you have the best parts and accessories available for your truck. Say for example, have one of the best semi-truck steering wheels for total and complete control of your truck. These days, the use of stainless steel truck fenders too has been playing a great role to avoid accidents and injuries.  

Children grow up quickly and before you know it, their wants switch from toy cars to real cars. As a parent, it is your duty to provide your child with whatever they wish for. However, it should always be kept in mind that there are limits to what a child can or cannot get. The last thing you want is to spoil your child and make them dependent on you for everything. Even if you buy them a car they should know that if they get a ticket they have to pay it themselves or find traffic ticket fixers Los Angeles to get out of a sticky situation.

Therefore, for all concerned parents of teenagers, here is a small list of things you should really consider before buying a vehicle for your teen:

Is Your Teen Responsible?

Driving is a huge responsibility. While driving the car, not only will your child be at risk but they could put others at risk as a result of reckless driving. It’s your job as a parent to judge your child by everyday actions. Is your teen doing all the chores they are assigned to do? Are they slacking, procrastinating or being too lazy? If the answer to most of these questions is yes, you have got yourself a problem. An irresponsible teen will not understand the importance of being safe while driving, which is a sufficient reason not to buy a car for your teen. You don’t want them to become a racecar driver.

What Did Your Parents Do?

We are part of a generation whose fathers and grandfathers have driven a car. This is something your teen shall notice. Kids are clever and they can go to any length just to prove their point, especially teenagers. If your parents bought you your first car, then it only sounds fair that you buy one for your teen. Otherwise, you become the bad guy and your relation starts to strain. If your parents trusted you enough to drive a car safely, you should too.

Your Budget

Budget is perhaps the most important thing to consider before making the tough decision of buying a car for your teen. If you are not affluent, you would want to buy a cheap car. On the other hand, if you have two cars, you can give the old one to your teen. They could practice, learn and get skilled before moving onto a more expensive car. Most of you might be able to buy a luxury car for your child but is that really the best decision? You would want your teen to learn how to earn their own money and save, so they could buy a car on their own.

Do They Really Need A Separate Car?

Since your teen already has a license, they could drive the family car. You need to ascertain if they really have the need of their own car. Perhaps, they have a long commute and buses are not on time, or you are busy to drop them off. Whatever is the reason, you should not provide them a car without need. Otherwise, they will not learn the concept of rewarding a necessity. When they do something good, reward them, and for something bad, punish them.

Most people are not able to afford such a luxury but you should try to create a balance. Buying a car for your teen is a huge step, so you should tackle it wisely.