Category: Blog

Green Fleet

How Public Transportation Fleets Can Become A Green Fleet

Posted on | by Alan | Leave a Comment on How Public Transportation Fleets Can Become A Green Fleet

Public transportation is a lifeline for cities. It plays an irreplaceable role in communities of all sizes and connects people to places and destinations. Public transportation has had a long history of being a cost-effective environmentally-friendly method of travel. A single bus can carry up to 50 passengers and replace approximately 30 -40 private vehicles on the roads. 

Municipalities and Governments worldwide have prioritized the investing, improving, and revolutionizing of public transit systems to ensure continued success.

Climate change and public transit is continuously spoken about together as transit systems are one way for entire populations to take steps towards reducing their carbon footprint and environmental impacts. 

In fact, this focus of green fleets reducing carbon footprints and environmental impacts has also moved into nearly every industry – especially industries that are vehicle-based businesses. So much so, that embracing renewable clean energy has never been a more imminent task, and the public transportation sector has already embarked on this revolution. 

 

Why The Public Transportation Sector Is Looking At Green Fleets Right Now

Technology Maturity

Municipalities and public transit agencies have been eyeing for greener solutions to power daily operations. Shifting an entire bus fleet to zero-emission has been on the agenda for many transit agencies. In fact, some cities have already accomplished this goal of green fleets, while others have set a target date for when the transformation will be complete. 

Toronto, home to the current largest electric bus fleet in North America, expects to achieve a fully zero-emissions fleet by 2040. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) based in New York City, the largest transit agency in North America, also plans to move towards an all-electric fleet by 2040. 

As the electric vehicle battery technology is constantly improving and getting more mature and advanced over time, the electric bus has become an increasingly viable and appealing option to replace diesel bus fleets as the future form of bus transportation.

 

Government Mandate And Regulatory Guidance

The government mandate and regulatory guidance further push transit agencies worldwide to consider shifting to a full-electric fleet. The United Kingdom has committed to banning all sales of diesel-engine and gasoline cars by 2040. Additionally, they are planning to ensure that all vehicles on roads to be zero-emissions by 2050. Other European countries have followed a similar approach by setting a target date to phase out diesel and gasoline vehicles. 

Back in North America, the Canadian province of British Columbia has also introduced a similar plan to end eternal-combustion sales in the upcoming decades. 

Public transit agencies, often funded and administered by the government, need to set an example for the rest of the society through determination and real actions to progressively transition into renewable-powered operations. Transit agencies have an undeniable responsibility to lead the change and raise public awareness about the benefits electric vehicles. 

 

Transition Takes Time

Another pressing reason why transit agencies should begin moving to an all-electric or green fleet now is due to scaling. Transit agencies in major metropolitan areas tend to have large fleet sizes of hundreds or thousands of buses. Converting the entire existing fleet to an all-electric fleet is not an easy task and requires a vast amount of time and work from agencies to carefully plan out the implementation process in stages. 

The length of the transition period also depends on the production rates of vehicle manufacturers and battery suppliers. All these uncertainties and complexities of work highlight that change takes time, and transit agencies need to act now to meet the regulatory deadlines and/or targets. 

 

Lower Operational And Maintenance Costs

Though change is hard, the benefits of a green fleet in public transportation is rewarding. 

In the beginning, many transit agencies were skeptical about transitioning to an electric bus fleet due to concerns associated with cost and performance. Some were worried about the high initial purchase costs of electric buses, but that consensus is shifting rapidly. The lower operating costs of electric buses have made them a more economical option than internal combustion engine buses in the long run. 

On average, it’s 2.5 times cheaper to operate an electric bus than powering a diesel bus. The fuel economy of electric buses is five times higher than that of diesel buses. Given that the electric bus and diesel bus have a similar lifecycle of 8-12 years, transit agencies can expect huge savings in fleet operational costs after the transition. 

In fact, this does not even account for savings from maintenance costs which is far lower for electric motors than that of conventional motors.

 

Good For Our Planet

Cost-savings is just part of the advantages of committing to an electric bus fleet; the more significant impact concentrates on understanding what this change means to our planet. 

An electric bus operates 100% on green technologies and is completely free of GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions. As buses are currently responsible for 25% of black carbon emitted in the transportation sector – its impact is something we can no longer overlook. As bus activity continues to increase in the future, we expect to see an additional 26,000 tons of black carbon being emitted into the air by 2030. Shifting to fully electric bus fleets can drastically cut down carbon emissions by 1.4 billion tons globally by 2050. 

Because electric buses have no tailpipe, an improvement in local air quality can immediately be observed. Reducing global transportation sector emissions is a top priority, and bus fleet electrification paves a reasonable path to achieve this goal. 

 

Good For Our Community

Reduced emissions from fleet electrification not only helps to lessen environmental burdens but also has a transformative impact on the local community health. Traditionally motor vehicles emit toxic and hazardous pollutants into the air through the exhaust system, causing a rise in illnesses in communities near roads. 

Vulnerable populations with pre-existing medical conditions are at a higher risk of developing more severe symptoms and illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, lung cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. Children and the elderly with compromising immune systems are also faced with adverse health outcomes, including permanent lung damage and other long-term health effects. 

Every year, pollutants from motor vehicles cost our economy billions of dollars. In the United States alone, around $24 billion to $450 billion of social costs per year are attributed to the health hazards caused by motor vehicle pollution. The astronomical magnitude of motor-vehicle pollution impacts prompted a revolution in finding new energy sources to power vehicles on the roads to protect and safeguard community health and improve global sustainability. 

Building and transitioning into a zero-emission bus fleet is a fundamental step in reshaping our communities and protecting vulnerable populations. Research conducted in the Great Toronto and Hamilton Areas in Canada shows that electrifying and transitioning all public transit buses to green fleets can prevent 143 premature deaths per year in those areas. 

In addition, moving towards a green fleet addresses one of the key complaints about diesel buses – the noise generated from the vehicle’s internal combustion engine. Exposure to prolonged noise can be an invisible killer that harms people’s hearing, causes stress and anxiety, and results in drivers’ fatigue. The electric bus offers unique advantages by presenting a much quieter riding and driving experience for passengers and operators. In fact, the bus is so quiet in most of the low-speed urban road scenarios that local communities won’t even notice a bus has passed by. Customers will truly enjoy a more comfortable, quieter, and superior commuting experience on an electric bus. 

 

Pushing For Wider Adoption Of Electric Vehicles Across All Sectors

Investing in proper infrastructures to support the electric bus fleet’s growth will sustain change and foster continuous quality improvement over the entire bus network. Shifting to an all-electric fleet means a fundamental change in operations management and service planning. Installing and constructing new charging stations across bus depots, terminus and providing convenient intelligent charging solutions paves the way for expanding electric bus fleets. 

Pushing for new electric vehicle charging stations not only benefits public transit services but also leads the way for the expansion of charging infrastructures for private electric vehicles. Only through building an extensive network of electric vehicle infrastructures and service facilities can we truly stimulate a bigger electrification trend in the market. 

Curious to learn more about electric fleets and the role that telematics plays? Or how one city adopted 16,000 electric buses in a decade? Read the continuation of this article here.

Trucking With Pets

Trucking With Pets: What Fleets Need To Know

Posted on | by Victoria Gole | Leave a Comment on Trucking With Pets: What Fleets Need To Know

Long haul trucking is often perceived as a lonely job as commercial truck drivers drive long hours to deliver goods over the course of hours, days or even weeks. With the monotony and morale being important concerns, many fleets are looking at how they can make long haul trucking a little more enjoyable. One of the best ways to alleviate these concerns is trucking with pets.   

With a multitude of benefits, nearly 40% of long haul commercial motor vehicle drivers are already taking pets with them on the road. This growing trend is something fleet businesses are continuing to review.

 

Fleet Pet Policy

Whether you’re a fleet owner or driver, it’s important to review current policies when looking into drivers bringing pets on the road with them. On one hand, fleets must readjust their policies to reflect new values, and on the other hand, fleet companies have not clarified their positions on whether bringing pets would be welcomed. Fleet businesses must constantly review policies, including old and outdated ones, and better adapt to the constantly changing needs of their employees. 

 

 Old or Outdated Pet Policy 

If your fleet has a pet policy but the language is outdated, it’s important to address it and make the necessary policy modifications. Companies should ensure that old policies do not conflict with new values. Updating the policy on pet companionship in fleets will help companies specifically clarify their position and what is encouraged throughout the company. 

It is critical that your policies reflect the current values of your fleet and adapt to changing needs.

 

No Pet Policy 

If there is currently no pet policy – it’s time to make one! While some fleets may be strict about not allowing pets to travel with drivers, many are open to it. 

If your fleet is looking to enforce a new pet policy to allow trucking with pets – there are a few things to consider:

  1. What are the associated fees for bringing a pet along for the ride may be? Typically, fleets require drivers to provide a $200 – $1,500 deposit for insurance in case there are any damages to company property, which includes damages to vehicles, equipment, cargo etc. 
  2. Whether there is a maximum pet weight limit, breed or type for animals, drivers can travel with. Typically, fleets set a weight limit between 25 and 35 pounds, which engenders a variety of common breeds such as dachshunds, pugs, terriers, chihuahuas and more.
  3. The completion of an internal training course to review all aspects of bringing a pet on the road. The course will cover what are the best practices to follow with your travelling pet, how to set up your vehicle to support an animal and proper health requirements of animals.

 

Benefits Of Trucking With Pets 

For fleets who encourage drivers to bring their pets along for the ride, there are a multitude of benefits that are associated with having pets travel with their owners.

Fleets can expect for drivers to have lower blood pressure, cholesterol and better overall cardiovascular health, as studies show that having a pet companion can improve health. Drivers can also stay active and reach health goals as they will be required to take daily 20-30 minute walks – which is perfect for truck stop breaks! 

Medical professionals even claim that driving with an animal can reduce stress and anxiety levels as well as provide drivers with a better outlook on life. Since they have a companion on long isolated trips, drivers are less at risk for thinking or feeling negative. A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology states that pet owners reported fewer doctor visits than non-pet owners. Meaning fleets can even expect healthier drivers, which results in less sick days.

Pets can also reduce fatigue driving and accidents, which are related to driving tired. This is because animals will require drivers to frequently pull over to allow the animal to relieve themselves and stretch their legs. Furthermore, having pets on board can even deter potential theft.

With an estimated 3.5 million truck drivers on U.S. roads, fleets cannot afford to overlook the benefits that trucking with pets drives. 

 

What Drivers Need To Be Aware Of 

Checking your fleets pet policy isn’t the only factor that drivers need to consider. Apart from checking with management, drivers should ensure the following: 

  • Their pet fits the proper pet sizing to travel comfortably with them
  • The vehicle is pet-proofed with a separate space set aside for the animals call their own 
  • Tools and/or equipment such as; a crate, leash, pet bed, various toys, animal cleaning supplies, adequate food and treats
  • The animal is properly trained be comfortable with being in a moving vehicle, while the driver is focused on the road, and is well socialized
  • The animal is up to date with vaccinations and drivers are up to date and/or researched veterinary inspection laws, as they vary from state to state 

 

What Fleet Managers Need To Know 

Changing the policy speaking to pet companions may seem fun and exciting, but management must take the proper steps to keep the drivers, organization and animals happy. While this includes refining pet policies, fleet managers should also consider the following: 

  • What should be included in company training material pertaining to travelling with pets? 
  • Whether drivers would be accepted to register pets as a service or companion animal to ensure animals are never left unattended for too long (this is specific to in-store visits)?
  • What are the possible legal ramifications if there is an accident where the animal is hurt, if the animal caused the accident or if the animal hurt someone? 

With all policy shifts, there are pros and cons. When it comes to the growing trend of trucking with pets, more fleets are realizing that new policies should reflect current values.

If you’re looking for more insight about how you can create the proper training course to ensure drivers are trained on new trucking with pets policies contact us today! Our online training platform ZenduLearn is a customizable training solution that can accompany any training topics specific to your fleet.

Transporting Vaccines

There’s No Room for Error When Transporting Vaccines

Posted on | by Anna | Leave a Comment on There’s No Room for Error When Transporting Vaccines

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone’s day to day life and significantly disrupted businesses’ routines and operations. People are all anxiously hoping for an end to the crisis and a return to normalcy, as soon as possible. 

After months of patiently waiting, everyone remains cautiously optimistic that a vaccine is on the horizon – in the near future. The only question is when will it be widely available? By asking the question “when”, we don’t mean when the vaccine will be ready or approved, but rather when will the majority of the population have access to the vaccination. 

Distributing and transporting vaccines tends to be an even greater challenge than the development of vaccines. The fragile characteristic of medical logistics and strict transporting requirements, especially on a global scale, is very problematic. 

 

The Logistics Challenge For Vaccines

The logistics network capacity, especially cold-chain network capacity, is simply not enough to support distribution at this scale. Vaccines are temperature-sensitive high-value commodities. They are required to be transported in a climate-controlled environment, from beginning to end, to protect the quality and the effectiveness of vaccines. 

The difficulty of cold-chain transportation is that each tool and equipment used in the logistics system must be specialized to meet the rigid cold-chain regulations and laws. Any breach in the cold chain could result in the whole batch of vaccines being unusable – an expensive mistake that no logistics company can afford to make. 

What makes the transport process of the COVID-19 vaccines even more challenging is that some COVID-19 vaccines require a significantly more stringent transport environment than the conventional vaccine. Conventional vaccines are usually stored at temperatures between 2°C and 8°C, while some COVID-19 vaccines require to be transported at temperatures below -80°C. 

This further poses obstacles to logistics companies as only a small subset of available logistics infrastructures and equipment can handle these kinds of transport requirements. 

Furthermore, vaccines are usually shipped within the belly hold of the passenger aircraft rather than the dedicated cargo aircraft as it can help vaccines get closer to the final destination. The reduction of commercial passenger flights due to low demands and global travel restrictions caused by COVID-19 create more chaos in the distribution chain, forcing specialized freight trucks to play a greater role in moving vaccines to rural or remote locations. 

 

Vaccine Storage And Transportation Guidelines

All levels of government and health authorities have set out clear guidelines and rules on how to safely store, transport, and handle vaccines. Vaccines transporters and couriers have the responsibility to protect vaccines from heat, excessive moistures, light exposures. Couriers should designate trained individuals to manage and monitor the entire process of vaccine transportation. 

Protecting the cold chain’s integrity is the top priority of any couriers, and couriers should be equipped with the appropriate equipment, vehicles, and tools to prevent any temperature breach. 

Truck vehicles with a dedicated insulated storage container equipped with thermometers and fail-safe door closing mechanisms should be used to transport vaccines. Vaccine temperature must be maintained within a certain range dictated by vaccine manufacturers’ instructions throughout the trip. The door of the truck container should be kept closed as much as possible. 

It is important for couriers to monitor and keep track of temperature periodically to ensure that the cold chain is maintained. A temperature log that documents the vaccine temperature along the trip should be kept for future inspection or review. Couriers must report any cold chain accidents or breaches that occurred during the trip to the local public health department seeking further instructions on vaccines’ use or disposal. 

 

Transporting Vaccines: Leveraging Telematics With Limitless Functionality

Temperature Monitoring Sensors

The complexity of the vaccine cold chain makes it difficult for humans to monitor and keep track of the whole process, and this is where telematics technologies supports the movement of temperature-sensitive cargo. Precision temperature sensors are the key tool in collecting and providing accurate ambient temperature reading of the container to the drivers and fleet managers. 

This is different from the traditional temperature monitoring sensors that only measure the blower output air temperature. Ambient temperature reading provides a much more accurate representation of the actual temperature in the trailer as it takes into consideration the conveyor effect of cold and warm air variations caused by opening and closing doors. Smart temperature sensors also have one huge advantage over traditional technology – thanks to its high digital connectivity. Drivers and fleet managers can receive real-time updates and alerts of container temperature, so early intervention could be taken when a problem happens. 

 

Moisture and Humidity Monitoring Sensors

Temperature is not the only metric that matters when transporting vaccines; moisture and humidity are the other two essential metrics to consider and monitor when moving vaccines. This is especially critical when transporting vaccines in high humidity regions, where there is a risk of moisture damage caused by condensation. Modern-day telematic sensors have functionality to measure, analyze, and report these readings in real-time to drivers and fleet managers, offering them a comprehensive look at trailer status. 

 

Motion Detection And Optical Sensors

Frequent opening of the trailer door is one the top factor resulting in a cold chain breach. The trailer’s temperature can drastically change within a short period as warm air flows into the container when leaving the door open. For example, studies have shown that temperature can fluctuate up to 10°C when doors are left open for 5 minutes. 

The governmental guidelines recommend that couriers should keep the door locked as much as possible to reduce the introduction of warm air and direct sunlight to the trailer. This is why optical sensors and motion detection sensors are necessary tools in helping drivers and couriers to monitor door status. They can immediately notify drivers and fleet managers in case of a door problem, lock failure, or improper door handling. Because of these sensors’ high sensitivity, any slight changes in the ambient environment could be captured and automatically reported to drivers and fleet managers so proper actions could be taken, avoiding expensive mistakes. 

 

Smart Analytics And Troubleshooting System

When a temperature breach happens, couriers and fleet managers need to react and identify root causes to prevent further damage and financial loss quickly. However, finding the root causes might not always be an easy process, as there could be many factors contributing to a cold chain accident. 

Having a smart telematics solution package can simplify the troubleshooting process and save valuable time and money for couriers. Many telematics tools that focus on temperature monitoring can provide real-time analytics of historical data and generate cold-chain custody reports. Fleet managers can even access and retrieve historical data from anywhere and identify issues. 

Generating and keeping a copy of the cold chain custody report is also a mandatory step in fulfilling regulatory requirements. Preparing a historical record of the trailer’s temperature is required for any potential inspections, and the telematics solution completes all the data organization and analysis for you automatically. 

 

Cloud-based Data Storage Solution

The advanced cloud-based data storage solution included in telematics solutions ease the process of storing complicated data history and all the paperwork. The combination of smart hardware and convenient software shape an uninterrupted connect workflow giving drivers and fleet managers maximal visibility and control of key assets. 

Best of all, all the temperature monitoring sensors, humidity and moisture sensors, optical and motion sensors are integrated into one simple plug-and-play tracking device that is low-cost and easy to install. Installation can usually be completed within minutes, eliminating any impacts on your fleet operations. 

The transportation and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines require a collaborative global effort between all levels of transport chains. A small mistake in the cold chain transport can undermine the quality and effectiveness of the entire batch of vaccines, costing businesses and couriers substantial money. 

Investing in smart temperature monitoring and asset tracking solutions can help businesses and couriers avoid making expensive mistakes and accidents and accelerate the safe distribution of COVID-19 vaccines across the world. 

Did our piece about transporting vaccines interest you in learning more about how telematics technology can help your fleet? Speak with one of our cold chain tracking specialists to see how to upgrade your fleet and technologies to prepare for the upcoming challenge.  

Telematics in dangerous sectors

How Telematics Comes Into Play In Dangerous Sectors

Posted on | by Anna | Leave a Comment on How Telematics Comes Into Play In Dangerous Sectors

In any industry, workplace safety is of critical importance. Industries where contract workers are hired by authoritative management corporations to complete tasks in dangerous sectors, often find themselves looking at how they can improve safety measures.

As many tasks in these fields require the use of heavy machinery or the movement of large and hazardous items – many are looking at how telematics advancements can help.

 

Hiring In Dangerous Sectors

To fully understand the need to implement safety measures via telematics, the hiring process must be understood in dangerous sectors such as construction, transportation, forestry or logging and even mining and oil. In these industries, businesses often outsource work by hiring contractors rather than hire full or part-time workers. There are number of reasons why:

 

Productivity and Finances 

Often in these dangerous sectors, this type of work is seasonal. This means that workers are only required at certain times of the year. Corporations prefer the flexibility of outsourcing work, so they do not have to deal with the administrative challenges of constantly having to layoff workers at the end of each busy season.

Corporations understand the massive financial benefits of outsourcing to contractors. Operations managers discovered that by hiring seasonally, they can perform cost comparisons in terms of productivity and pay for all workers.

They are able to perform such comparisons during the season to monitor and re-hire the best-performing contractors. As a result, corporations can maximize their productivity and revenues, allowing them to remain competitive in an aggressive marketplace.

 

Reduced Liability  

By outsourcing work and hiring seasonal contractors, many corporations also find that they can improve their liability risk. This enables their business to be more focused on supplying the proper safety requirements, while the actual need to carry out safe work practices are shifted to a  constructor or general contractor who undertakes ownership of the project.

It is important to highlight that corporations will be required to ensure safety in the means of: (i) ensuring proper training is available; (ii) all workers and supervisors are properly trained on safety policies or precautions; (iii) have the appropriate safety tools; or (iv) the proper equipment and safety environment to protect the workers.

This means that the constructor is responsible for ensuring that all workers on site are complying with safety policies, procedures and obligations – or inadvertent liability.

 

Risk Evaluation and Assessment: Onsite and Offsite 

In sectors where authoritative management governs worksites, the concern of safety does not end there. There are risks when workers are moving supplies or travelling between sites. When risk is evident in numerous locations at varying times, the need to collect and analyze data to evaluate risk becomes even more critical. 

 

Onsite Risk

Onsite risks are typically limited to the immediate actions of contractors. Often this refers to the knowledge of training and precautionary measures taken by workers while completing tasks. For example, knowing how to safely harvest timber and load lumber into the flatbed of a truck with the use of heavy machinery. When proper training and undamaged tools or equipment is utilized, the onsite risk is significantly lowered.

 

Offsite Risk

In comparison, offsite risks are factored-in to the immediate actions of contractors – as well as their working environment. As much as offsite risks arise when goods are being transported, contractors must be attentive to their surroundings. A wide range of unpredictable incidents can happen at any job site – including injury, road clean up and even lost resources.

A business can mitigate the risks by having pre-trip checks on the vehicle or implementing tools to ensure that strict safety protocols are being followed.

 

How Authoritative Management Can Reduce Risks

To properly reduce risk and liability concerns, fleets in these dangerous sectors must investigate risks and assess danger in the field. To better understand current initiatives and procedures, companies must evaluate key historical safety indicators – which will shed light on how efforts may need to change.   

In order to fully understand your current KPIs and solutions framework, a telematics assessment should be performed. It’s important to note that while solutions may have several advantages, it is critical to understand how the solution will specifically target safety.

There are three options that can be implemented in industries that are dangerous or hazardous for its workers.

 

1 Sensorizing Your Fleet 

Installing sensors throughout your fleet can minimize risk as the devices can act as a safety precaution. Since the technology transmits various data internally, many corporations have found sensors to be useful for the following: displaying real-time GPS location, displaying alerts or notifications and confirming weight or load requirements.

When sensors are installed onto equipment or vehicles, teams can know the exact movement of the asset it is attached to, in addition to certain compliance requirements that may need to be met – such as weight or load. However, one important use to highlight is the alert system for trip inspections, as the sensor can convey whether certain safety precautions are faulty. This means that unsecure lids or caps, loose straps, completed walk around checks or even whether a contractor has the proper training on file to use certain equipment can be detected. 

 

2 Increased Visibility With Cameras 

Cameras can be installed throughout fleets to monitor the use and performance of vehicles and heavy equipment. Not only can this record the events in view of the device, such as general employee safety on site, but it detects whether contractors are using the equipment properly while moving between two points.

The most important feature of using the cameras, however, is to perform incident reviews when there is an accident, reported issue or complaint of delay. By having footage readily available, site managers are able to review what happened rather than rely on worker or civilian recollection. Meaning proper actions like additional training, suspension, or understanding of liability and fault can happen. 

 

3 Safety Scoring And Training Integrations 

As previously mentioned, cameras can be used to help shed light on more training opportunities. Specifically, equipment use via engine monitoring and camera surveillance can be used to determine safety scores for each worker. This allows for performance ratings to be completed and even allows for training or site suspension to be assigned based on the person’s skills or knowledge of procedures.

 

Use Case: Forestry and Logging 

To ensure safety in a high-risk sector like forestry, many authoritative corporations are implementing telematics solutions throughout their operations. Such telematics solutions include the three previously discussed tools: sensors, cameras and scoring or training systems. 

By sensorizing fleets, corporations in logging are able to ensure that certain actions are always taken and even set up alerts to notify workers when certain actions were not taken. This is specific to the loading process on a logging site when lumber is placed on flatbed trucks to move it to the millsite. Since these vehicles are moving thousands of pounds of lumber, if straps are not secure, cargo can find its way off the vehicle while on route. If this happens, regardless of whether it is on public or private roadways, death and injury of a bystander becomes a real concern. 

Fleets that install cameras on vehicles and heavy machinery find that they can better monitor the behaviour of employees – focusing on whether individuals are acting safely by following procedures. This enables companies to flag safety concerns. Such concerns include insecure loads being dispatched or contractors forgoing pre-trip checks. 

Cameras are also useful when offsite vehicles can sometimes be involved in accidents involving civilians, such as accidents with other vehicles or dangerous driving. Verifying what really transpired by reviewing the driver footage can shed light as to what truly happened and who was at fault. It can also provide a resolution framework as incidents are documented and structural changes are made to rectify them

Lastly, all of the information collected on employee behaviour can be reviewed and submitted into a scoring system. Meaning managers can see who is following safety protocols and who may need additional training.

To learn more about how telematics is being used right now, check out our recent success story that features Forest Trotter by clicking here.

 

Dangerous Driving

Why A False Sense Of Security May Put Fleets At Risk For Dangerous Driving

Posted on | by Anna | Leave a Comment on Why A False Sense Of Security May Put Fleets At Risk For Dangerous Driving

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a drastic impact on people’s everyday life and businesses’ operations. Because of the “shelter-in-place” order and travel restrictions imposed by the government, the traffic volumes in cities across North America have dropped dramatically. 

Although many people expect that emptier roads translate to safer driving environments, the data suggests that is not the case. 

Statistics show that our roads have become more deadly since the beginning of the pandemic. In the United States, the fatality rate per mile driven went up by 14% compared to the same period last year. For commercial fleets, the mileage driven by commercial vehicles has declined by 20% since the pandemic; however, the amount of miles driven over the posted speed limit has increased by 17%, and the harsh cornering event has also increased by 15%. 

A psychological belief called a false sense of security might explain why we see a surprise growth of careless and reckless driving behaviours during the pandemic. We will also explore options and solutions to crack down dangerous driving behaviours and enhance overall fleet operation safety.

 

Why Do We See an Increase In Dangerous Driving Behaviours?

If something gives you a false sense of security, it makes you believe that you are safe when you are not. That’s exactly what happened to roads during the pandemic. The emptier roads and reduced traffic prompted drivers to feel safer, resulting in increasing speeding and reckless driving activities. Drivers also carried the view that there will be fewer pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the pandemic, so they believed that cars would get more road space, leading them to commit dangerous driving behaviours, such as failing to stop at stop signs. 

 

Psychological Impact

The pandemic could be stressful, as it can cause fear, panic, anxiety in many people. This often leads to increased alcohol and drug consumption, contributing to increased aggressive driving behaviours on the roads. Commercial fleet drivers often experienced greater stress because of the increasing workloads caused by the growth of cargo transport and delivery activities during the pandemic. 

Many businesses are operating a reduced fleet because of drivers’ absences due to isolation and sickness. That forces rest of the on-duty drivers to take additional tasks to cover the reduced workforces. Some might choose to commit dangerous behaviours such as speeding to finish all the tasks within business hours. The rise of risky behaviours during these times may put all road users in danger and lead to serious accidents resulting in injuries or deaths and unnecessary costs to businesses. 

 

Impact Of Distracted Driving 

Distracted driving has often been described as one of the biggest challenges for modern drivers. Almost 80% of road accidents have seen distracted driving as a contributing factor. Hands-free devices have become a popular tool among fleet drivers, as many believe it will reduce the risks of taking a call during driving. However, even drivers’ hands remain on the steering wheel while taking a call through hands-free devices, their mind and concentration might be distracted by talking. This creates a hidden risk and may negatively impact the drivers’ response time to an unexpected road situation. 

 

Impact Of Reduced Training

The reduced amount of face-to-face fleet safety training might be another reason why some drivers become less vigilant during driving. Routine safety training is an essential pillar of establishing and maintaining a strong and positive workplace safety culture. Many businesses and workplaces have decided to postpone or reduce these kinds of face-to-face safety training programs due to the growing concerns of virus transmission during personal interactions. Lack of road safety education sessions during the pandemic has let drivers guard down, and some chose to carry out aggressive driving behaviours on the roads. 

 

Deadly Consequences Of Careless Driving

Dangerous driving and failing to obey road signs put the safety of all road users at risk. It could lead to severe consequences, such as fatal accidents and unintentional injuries. Drivers and businesses might face huge fines, penalties, or lawsuits if they are involved in road accidents and collisions. Depending on the severity of the accidents, drivers might be charged for dangerous driving and received license suspensions and a criminal record. Businesses might also bear unnecessary costs and expenses in recovering assets damage, paying for additional maintenance costs, suffering increased insurance premiums. 

The social costs and damages made to brand reputation are two factors that often are neglected when evaluating the cost of a road accident. Any injuries or deaths resulting from the road accident place additional expenses and burdens on the local healthcare system, transportation networks, and legal system. 

For individuals, loss of life and life quality, loss of output due to temporary incapacitation should also be quantified in monetary values when calculating accidents’ costs. Accidents could also severely harm the brand’s reputation in the industry and have a long-term adverse impact on the businesses’ operations, revenues, and financial stability. Businesses need a spotless fleet safety record to win customers’ trust and differentiate themselves – so maintaining a high fleet safety standard is a “must” for fleets of any size. 

 

Technologies That Can Make A Difference In Fleet Safety Management

The rising level of careless driving behaviours among fleet drivers during the pandemic has raised the alarm for fleet managers and safety managers. A growing number of fleet managers are eyeing telematics solutions to safeguard the fleet’s operations. Telematics solutions offer a complete safety package utilizing various technologies, including sensing, tracking, and recording technologies, to provide preventive measures that protect workers and assets safety. 

 

Driver Distraction Cameras: Keep Your Drivers Focused 

Driver distraction cameras have become very useful and cost-effective telematics tools adopted by businesses to crack down distracted driving among drivers. These cameras utilizes artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology to detect if drivers have been distracted. By tracking and analyzing drivers’ eyes, face, mouth, and head movement, the system can tell whether drivers’ attention remains focused on the road. An audible alert will be sent out to warn drivers if it notices any forms of distracted driving. The alert will also trigger the video camera recording, so fleet managers can later review footage and learn what happened on the roads. 

Not only can driver distraction cameras address distracted driving, the device also helps to detect driver fatigue. When the camera detects that the driver’s eyes blink too slow or their head starts to lower down, it will trigger an audible alert to warn drivers. The camera works in all kinds of complex environments, including dark settings, offering ultimate protection to drivers, no matter day or night. The hassle-free device installation process means that fleet managers can immediately see a reduction in driving distraction after the implementation. 

 

Online Scoring and Training Platforms: Powerful Data Collection and Performance Monitoring With All The Information You Need

To further quantify drivers’ performance and give fleet managers a better overview of drivers’ driving behaviours, online scoring and training platforms like ZenduLearn and ZenScore are leveraged. ZenduLearn is an online training solution which allows for digital training classes to be assigned to drivers, ensuring that social distance requirements are kept. 

ZenScore is a highly interactive dashboard and driver scoring system that offers a comprehensive and highly customizable overview of the fleet’s status, performance, and safety. One of the top features is giving fleet managers the ability to assess drivers’ performance and driving behaviours. Even allowing managers to assign new courses to improve skills by also leveraging ZenduLearn. ZenScore is used by giving every driver a safety score based on their previous trip performance. Through evaluating these scores, fleet managers can quickly identify high-risk drivers that often commit dangerous driving behaviours, such as harsh braking, speeding, hard acceleration, and hard cornering. 

Fleet managers or safety managers can then develop appropriate training sessions to coach these high-risk drivers and correct their driving habits. Fleet managers can also reward drivers who receive a high safety score and create safety driving contests to motivate the rest of the drivers to develop and practice good driving habits. 

 

360 Telematics Integration Designed For Safety

You might now be wondering how we generate these drivers’ safety scores. These scores are calculated based on several important metrics measured by other vehicles onboard sensors and tracking devices. The Geotab GO9 is a next-generation fleet tracking device that can detect speeding and HOS (Hours of Service) violations. The high connectivity of telematics products enables the system to record a speeding or violations, which will then be automatically synchronized and reflected on the ZenScore dashboard. The seamless integration and connection between telematics devices powered by IoT (Internet of Things) have made all these things possible at the backstage automatically with no additional human work needed. 

At GoFleet, we offered a complete fleet safety package that is highly customizable to fit your businesses’ core needs and give you the information you value the most. Road safety should not be overlooked on any occasion. Though the pandemic has created great uncertainty for any business operations, fleet managers and drivers should continue to remain on high alert and practice the highest safety standard across the operations. 

A false sense of security can undermine the entire fleet’s safety and other road users’ safety. Investing in an extra layer of safety protection could significantly elevate your fleet’s overall safety standards and protect drivers and your valuable assets. Telematics is the leading solution that could transform and digitalize safety management at businesses and fleets of any size. Contact us to speak with an industry-specific consultant who knows exactly how to customize telematic solutions to elevate your fleet’s safety record.

Measure Fleet Standards with Exception Reporting

Posted on | by Victoria Gole

Generate reports based on Exception Rules

Understanding where and when an issue arises with your vehicle can be made simple by creating rules within your solution. Fleet managers are capable of setting specific fleet standards (rules) within the database, these standards can then act as a benchmark to effectively manage and improve on road driver behaviours. Therefore, when a vehicle event occurs around the rule set, an exception is recorded which can then optionally notify one or more people, alert the responsible driver in their vehicle, or easily log the event in your account.

Our solution offers a robust suite of built in exception rules separated into easy to understand categories. In addition to these, you can create an unlimited number of custom rules which combine different various conditions to suit your needs.

The types of built in exceptions offered are available in three categories:

Safety:
Enables fleet wide safety, driver safety, and changes to driver behavior which increases accident risk such as harsh braking, seat belt use, speed violations, accident detection and more.

Productivity:
Driver measurements related to time spent performing specific actions such as excessive idling, late arrivals, early departures and more.

Fleet:
Responsive vehicle monitoring Engine issues, battery drain, tracking device tamper detection and more.

Generating Exception Reports

Exception rules can also be accessed within the database by running reports at any time to review the history of exceptions and to understand the trending behaviors of your drivers. In other words a report based solely on speeding can be generated if requested by management within a specific time period. This report will contain information of the incident, the time period and the date of the incident.

The importance of generating such reports are limitless. It can act a benchmark for decision making, help understand how your drivers are performing through data analysis and implement strategies using numbers gained from the report. As drivers often do not see the expenditure side of running a business causing them to make hasty decisions while on the road. Therefore, the whole idea of setting rules within the solution identify who those drivers are and what what hasty decisions are being made.

Exception Reporting

Along with the default reports already available, advanced reports containing more information can be downloaded. Downloading an Excel file allows for the most flexibility in analyzing the data, while PDF files are most portable. These reports also contain more information as displayed and can help fleet managers review data/driver behaviours based on such rules.

For more information on the important features of GPS fleet tracking, and how it could help your business save thousands of dollars, contact one of our highly trained fleet consultants today!

1-888-998-1122 | [email protected]

Dangerous Driving

Why Now Is The Time For Your Businesses To Embrace Vision Zero

Posted on | by Anna | Leave a Comment on Why Now Is The Time For Your Businesses To Embrace Vision Zero

Vision Zero is a bold move that intended to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and severe injuries and improve the safety of streets for users of all transport modes through a data-driven smart approach. Municipalities and cities across the world have accepted the challenge of working towards this ambitious target. The government took the initiative of improving road safety to protect motorists and pedestrians, with business and private fleet managers being adhering to strict safety protocols.

Poor management and supervision could result in drivers committing dangerous driving behaviours. This jeopardizes everyone’s safety on the roads and increases businesses’ risks to spend unnecessary costs to resolve incidents. As a result, companies and fleet managers face increasing stress and pressure on improving fleet safety and enforcing fleet safety policies. By using the right telematics products and tools, businesses can help build a sound fleet safety system, reduce operating costs, and foster a positive safety culture within the companies. 

 

Why You Should Get on Board With The Idea Of Vision Zero?

In 2018, Canada recorded 1,922 motor vehicle fatalities and 9,494 serious injuries. Vision Zero declares the idea of “no loss of life is acceptable” on our streets and roads. Companies bare huge financial risks if one of their vehicles get involved in traffic accidents, especially when a fatality or severe injury occurs. 

Hefty fines, monetary compensations, insurance bills, and vehicle maintenance bills drastically undercut the bottom line and effect operational and financial stability of businesses. To mitigate financial losses resulting from road incidents, a small investment in telematics solutions could help bolster businesses in the long term from multiple fronts. 

Establishing good and trackable fleet safety records not only prepares businesses for possible safety inspections, it ensures they meet regulatory compliance. By having good safety records, businesses are in a better position to win future customers and gain valuable industry partners. Demonstrating clear and well-organized fleet safety records to prospective customers strengthen a companies’ case that is highly reliable and pays attention-to-detail. This is especially crucial in transporting high-value, fragile, time-sensitive, or temperature-controlled shipments.

The Vision Zero initiative put a much-needed focus on using data to identify safety risks and power solutions. In preparing your businesses for the future, a smart data-driven cloud database is a must-have to manage all your fleet data, historical trips, and safety information. 

A cloud database has the capability of storing all vehicle movement data, recording footage, and maintenance history – which can be easily assessed and reviewed from anywhere. Adopting cloud-based technology and data management system eliminates the need to spend extra costs managing multiple different transportation and asset management systems. 

The completed and integrated data management solutions also remove the hassle of printing paperwork and finding physical space to store all the paperwork. From a broader perspective, the data-driven approach contributes to constructing an open-data platform that supports the Smart City initiative. Without any additional work, the data collected from your fleet activities help shape a safer community for all without compromising your data safety and privacy. Telematics solutions and technologies are the only possible way to power all these activities with minimal resources required.

 

How To Make Easy Commitment To Telematics Safety Products?

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many industries have taken a huge hit both in operations and finance perspectives. Businesses and companies are becoming more vigilant and careful in monitoring companies’ expenditures. Businesses and fleet managers may hold doubts as to whether it’s necessary to invest in telematics safety solutions. 

There are concerns about whether there are enough improvements to justify investing in telematics. Rest assured that we know and understand your concerns deeply, and we have an incredibly talented and knowledgeable team that will help you find out which solutions suit your fleet the best. 

Our personalized consulting service will help you identify the safety risks hidden in your fleet operations, create an individualized plan to mitigate risks, offer diverse financing options, and provide you full support in device installation, training, maintenance, and customer support stages. 

We know the best way for you to fully understand our products and solutions is to give you the opportunities to see them for yourself. That’s why you have the chance to test our devices and solution within a small size of your fleet. We offer a variety of tools to help you monitor, measure, and quantify performance and improvement. From there, you can fully evaluate the products and make informed and data-driven decisions that suit your business needs. 

The government is offering a variety of financial incentives, funding and subsidies programs to promote Vision Zero. They are committed to giving confidence and assurances in making smart decisions for everyone in our community. 

 

Monitoring Your Fleet

We do not only offer one product but offer an integrated safety solution package that can be customized to your liking and needs. Many roadway incidents were caused by vehicles’ skidding and hydroplaning which had low tire pressure. 

Advanced tire pressure sensors provide accurate, reliable real-time monitoring of tire pressures and temperatures. It will send drivers and fleet managers visual and audible alerts if the system detects dangerously low-pressure situations. 

The system is well-integrated with the Geotab platform and other GoFleet products to provide an integrated fleet management solution to businesses. With full visibility to tire health, auto-generated long-term tire performance reports, maintenance reminders and warnings, the system will help reduce maintenance costs, extend tire life and, most importantly, protect your drivers and other road users. 

 

Eliminating Distracted Driving And Driver Fatigue

In Ontario, deaths from collisions caused by distracted driving have doubled since 2000. Distracted driving will not only put everyone in danger but also costs your business money and reputation. Many business owners and fleet managers faced the difficulties of tracking and monitoring drivers’ driving behaviours during their shifts. 

The driver distraction camera serves as a perfect solution to protect your fleet from distracted driving. It features facial recognition technology that can detect when the drivers are distracted or if they are tired. An audible alarm will sound to alert drivers and trigger video recording, so fleet managers can always check back footages later to educate and improve the driver’s training program. Being an effective tool in combating distracted driving and driver fatigue, the driver distraction camera is easy and quick to install and implement, which means businesses can instantly see a noticeable fleet safety improvement. 

 

 

Protecting Drivers and Your Assets From Collision 

Even the most well-trained drivers could sometimes make mistakes in daily driving, and that’s why it’s necessary to invest in technologies that can make a big difference at the most critical moment. Mobileye is an integrated advanced collision avoidance system that can protect drivers if a threat is detected. The system will provide a visual and audible warning seconds prior to the collision. Providing drivers with more reaction time can dramatically reduce crashes and improve fleet safety record. The device uses sensing technology to recognize vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists around the vehicles, and it’s often called the driver’s “third eye.” 

Forward Collision Warnings

The lane detection system warns drivers when they are drifting out of their lane or getting too close to nearby vehicles. Most impressively, the system works on any occasion, both day and night, and even during the fierce winter in Canada. After installation, customers will expect to see a significant improvement in driver’s driving behaviours and safety culture in the fleet. Businesses will see a decrease in collisions and accidents, which saves businesses from paying hefty fines, compensations, and insurance premiums. 

 

Encouraging Safe Driving Habits

In addition to providing immediate safety protection to the drivers, focusing on the long-term safety improvement within the fleet is equally essential. ZenScore is an interactive driver scoring system that puts quantifying measurement on driver’s performance and driving behaviours. It records unsafe driving habits performed by drivers and assigns a score to each driver. 

Fleet managers could use the results to incentivize drivers with good driving habits and coach high-risk drivers with additional training. Through rewarding drivers with good driving habits, businesses can encourage other drivers to follow good driving habits and improve employees’ morale. An overall positive safety culture within the fleet could help your workers stay safe, improve fuel usage efficiency, and reduce vehicle idling time. 

Businesses can’t afford to overlook safety as any fleet safety incidents could cause serious disruption to business operations and weaken businesses’ financial situations. Safety should always be the top priority, regardless of fleet size and industries. 

If you are looking for a little guidance or help on improving your fleet safety records and heading to the Vision Zero target, contact us today! With our industry-leading solutions and knowledgeable expert team, we are confident in taking your business to a safer and smarter future!

Operational Congestion at airport

Part II: The Solution To Operational Congestion – A Congestion Management Strategy

Posted on | by Anna | Leave a Comment on Part II: The Solution To Operational Congestion – A Congestion Management Strategy

In Part I, we discussed how operational congestion is very costly and a major source of problems for businesses. If it is not addressed, it will starkly impact operation managers from a financial and productivity standpoint, and result in customer dissatisfaction.

In Part II, we will discuss how highly localized environments like airports must use a solutions-based management strategy to prevent congestion and work pauses/stoppages.

 

Why Data Collection Will Allow For A Better Understanding Of Operations

In order to solve the issue of congestion in any localized environment, it is critical for factors into what is causing the congestion to be broken down. After highlighting these factors, a complete review of the assets within the localized area must happen to better understand the need and intensity of the demand. A specific spotlight must be put on the time and dates of movement and the severity of the resulting congestion. When this is completed, only then can insight to what triggers congestion can be understood and addressed with a solution.

 

Airport Resource Management – Data Collection and Airport Congestion

When dealing with airport resource management and congestion, this framework can be easily applied. The factors that cause the congestion can be analyzed – focusing on when runway traffic happens, what assets are involved, what the travelling speed of the assets are and what the posted speed of the roads are, as well as the intensity of the congestion. 

Generally, it is found that when more flights are landing or departing, more assets are required to service the aircrafts. This results in a buildup of congestion and only recedes once servicing assets are in detention.

Once this information is known and is cross analyzed with the speed of the roads, mapping can be completed to show the correlation of the average speed – what time slow downs are happening – and understand where major congestion points are.

What can operation managers do with this information? The answer is to source and implement a proper congestion management strategy. 

 

Implementing A Congestion Management Strategy

When information regarding what assets are causing congestion or when slowdowns happen, a congestion management strategy can then be implemented. By leveraging a heat map, businesses can effectively display asset types, the average speed traveled, the time of day travel, and the calendar date traveled. This new stream of information can guide a new and more effective strategy. 

A best practice to minimize the impact of congestion during high-demand traffic is to strategically divert traffic through travel routes. This will result in less congestion as there are fewer assets who require the road. Oftentimes, this means using detour routes so they will not be required to travel through the same routes. This may require certain assets to be directed to take specific detour routes – either permanently or during traffic spikes. Although it may seem counter-intuitive for assets to be taking the “longer route,” these detour routes drastically reduce congestion and ensure that assets continue moving. 

To ensure success, policies and procedures must be enforced by the airport resource management strategy so employee behaviour changes during this strategic shift. Leveraging learning systems, like ZenduLearn, can help with this change, as staff are assigned new training modules that explain the new driving routes and the new congestion-reducing regulations. 

In fact, the GPS tracking solutions can be paired with the learning system to see whether drivers are following the new regulations and alert operations managers when a route infraction occurs. 

 

Reducing Congestion In Any Industry

Congestion happens in many industries. Whether it is distribution warehouses, construction sites or airports, not being able to locate or track the movement of assets can affect the bottom line of a business. 

Contact us today to learn more about how your business can benefit from a unique congestion management strategy and the solutions we recommend to help you see results.

Operational congestion occurs in highly localized environments such as airports

Part I: More People Are Affected By Operational Congestion Than You Think

Posted on | by Anna | Leave a Comment on Part I: More People Are Affected By Operational Congestion Than You Think

The backlog of stationary assets can result in operational delays, lengthy completion of tasks and will add additional costs to projects. If we focus on the costs of congestion, one thing becomes clear – the ongoing costs are too much to bear for businesses. 

Below we discuss how congestion in business operations, where environments are highly localized, must be addressed to reduce operational losses. As well how this affects airport resource management. 

 

Where Congestion Is Not Yet Understood

When the general public thinks of congestion, they think of the travel delays between two points during high-demand times or peak hours. However, it is important to emphasis that congestion happens way more than you think and is not limited to the roads during rush hour.

Operational congestion occurs in highly localized environments such as airports and warehouse distribution hubs. These environments often have few routes available for transportation and there is limited data collected about the movement of assets. With few route options and limited data – congestion is bound to occur.

While some delays are inevitable in these environments, allowing it to continue for too long is too costly for businesses to ignore. If businesses focus on the costs of grid locking and backlogs, they will find that many resources are wasted as staff are unable to maintain a steady workflow. Such delays cause a ripple effect and can adversely affect customer relations – as customers become frustrated standing in long waiting lines.

In comparison, non-localized environments (what much of the public encounters when travelling on highways or city streets) have data sources available to help alleviate congestion. Sources like Google Maps has been implemented to collect, display and analyze congestion information on an ongoing basis and in real-time to the masses. 

In fact, this flow and analysis of information has inspired operation managers to be specific in how and where they want to reduce operational congestion in localized environments. 

 

Congestion In Airports

With thousands of assets moving daily – highly localized environments like airport grounds are a prime example of where congestion can be found. With constantly moving assets, airport operations have a goal to optimize flow of traffic, reduce gridlock and lower wait times of assets in detention. 

To properly stop asset detention, an entire framework of what congestion is in an airport environment must be understood by equipping assets with various telematics solutions. By using connected sensors to see how equipment is being used, as well as GPS tracking to note the location and speed of vehicles – businesses can gain proper visibility into operations. Doing so will allow for assets to remain in movement, shortening servicing turnaround time and as a result, increase revenue.

 

The Repercussions of Congestion In Airports And Airport Resource Management

Airports cannot afford to allow congestion to be ongoing. Not only does it cause for asset detention or the pause of asset movement, but it results in a myriad of issues: 

  • Overall fleet performance will drop as work is at a standstill 
  • Some operations are at risk for being charged for the waits
  • Heavy financial losses are experienced as employees are paid even if work cannot be performed – causing a potential spike in higher ticket prices
  • Resources are wasted when equipment or vehicles are idling 
  • Passengers suffer lengthy delays when travelling 
  • Attention to detail and safety decreases as staff rush to complete tasks to stay on time  

It’s important to note that these repercussions of operational congestion may seem specific to airports, but very similar issues can be noticed in other highly localized environments. Distribution hubs, for example, are seen to encounter very similar productivity, financial and consumer effects. 

 

Triggers of Congestion

Airports are highly localized as there are few roads that thousands of assets must utilize at predetermined speeds. Since there can be numerous assets such as refuelers, tugs and tractors, water trucks, passenger boarding steps and more servicing, each aircraft – from the second it lands to moments before it takes off – can contribute to congestion. 

The problem of congestion is compounded when aircrafts take off and land every few minutes – meaning that they must undergo routine aircraft maintenance by servicing crews. This causes longer than necessary turnaround times, especially during high-traffic and peak times. 

Part II: The Solution To Operational Congestion – A Congestion Management Strategy

Waste Disposal Fleets

The Responsibilities Of Waste Disposal Fleets That Can’t Be Overlooked

Posted on | by Anna | Leave a Comment on The Responsibilities Of Waste Disposal Fleets That Can’t Be Overlooked

Waste removal fleets are under constant pressure. If they miss a day in their schedule, the fleet could face setbacks and flak for days after. To help reduce adverse outcomes, having 360 telematics solutions to minimize physical, business and environmental risks. 

 

A 360 Solution In Action For Waste Disposal Fleets

We’ll discuss the top three responsibilities that waste removal fleets have from the moment they are deployed. We’ll also see how 360 solutions that leverage GPS tracking via engine monitoring, sensors, online learning platforms, and smart camera systems can be used to help ensure that a waste disposal fleet is always meeting their responsibilities. 

waste disposal, waste management, telematics, technology

 

A Fleet’s Responsibility To The Environment: GPS Tracking And Sensors

Waste disposal fleets have a responsibility to reduce their environmental impact. In 1999, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act was put forward to prevent acts that lead to pollution and harm to the environment. Specifically, the act focuses on businesses and organizations remaining sustainable by reducing emissions and stopping improper disposal of waste. After this act was in place, waste management fleets felt the need to use telematics to reduce their fleet operation’s environmental footprint. Fleets used this new focus on the environment as an encouragement to implement GPS tracking and sensors to not only make routing more efficient but improve driver behaviour. 

For many private or business-based waste disposal companies, GPS tracking solutions proves useful when optimizing the routes driven based on the fill levels of waste bins. Doing this helps to ensure that businesses do not produce extra and unnecessary emissions. This is made possible by installing bin fill sensors on waste bins to monitor the content fill level. After installation, when the sensor detects a fill level over 80%, the bin is automatically placed on a route so it can be emptied. Time and resources are no longer wasted on emptying bins that aren’t full yet. Likewise, using bin fill sensors can significantly reduce litter resulting from overfilled bins. These sensors are often used in waste disposal bins in public places like parks or residential areas where it may be hard to visually monitor when a bin needs to be emptied.

For public or residential waste pickup services, GPS tracking solutions can also help correct bad driving behaviour. Need a clearer picture? Government vehicles can idle for up to 4 hours a day to result in up to 27 million gallons of excess fuel each year. By using a GPS tracking and engine monitoring system in a vehicle, the device can monitor the engine activity. The device can alert the driver when the vehicle is idling to correct their errors and stop unnecessary fuel wastage. When a solution like this is in place, idling can be reduced by up to 20% to lower greenhouse gas emissions and even help the fleet save fuel by reducing consumption. 

 

A Fleet’s Responsibility To Conducting Proper Driver Training: Smart Camera Systems 

Another responsibility that waste disposal fleets have addressed with telematics solutions is driver training. Specifically the implementation of dash and full-vehicle camera systems to monitor driver behaviour – or the responsibility to properly conduct driver training to maintain safety on roadways.

When used alone, camera solutions can monitor how well drivers absorb training. This applies to new hires who must absorb new material and veteran drivers who may develop bad driving habits over time. However, it should be noted that the main way that camera solutions have evolved is through the learning process. Specifically how previous footage of driving incidents can be used in future training material to teach drivers how to maneuver unique situations. 

Currently, camera systems are being used by fleets for safety training by visually showing drivers how to approach unique situations. For example, when pedestrians or cars are blocking curbside bins, videos of drivers properly encountering this in the past can be shown—essentially allowing previous drivers who are operating safely to be used as an example to fellow drivers.

For training, camera solutions work best when paired with an online training platform like ZenduLearn. ZenduLearn allows for managers to assign and track the training of all drivers easily. This ensures that they receive refresher courses on basic driving skills and that drivers receive specific training regarding the types of waste they are transporting or unique scenarios they may encounter. Depending on the nature of a waste removal fleet, a solution like this may become essential to quickly and efficiently educate new team members. 

ZenduLearn Train certificate

 

A Fleet’s Responsibility To Remain Accountable: Smart Camera System And Sensors

The third responsibility that waste disposal fleets have on the road is the responsibility of remaining accountable to driving events or incidents. Specifically driver accountability. While we previously discussed some aspects of maintaining accountability with camera solutions and training, this thought continues when fleets use the camera footage for driving incident reconstruction. A good example is reviewing footage to manage complaints or concerns, so appropriate actions such as additional training or driver suspension can happen.

When camera solutions are installed, the devices are able to capture everything that is happening within its view. Cameras on waste disposal fleets have a view of the driver, the front, sides, and rear of the vehicle. When these areas are recorded, any complaints about drivers on mobile devices or reckless driving can be later reviewed. In fact, these cameras help drivers protect themselves from false complaints from residents. Specifically, residential complaints of unemptied curbside waste bins that were blocked by a vehicle (making it unsafe to approach and service) as the driver can take a snapshot of the unsafe scenario.

In addition to helping fleets better service bins and maintain efficiency on routes, sensors can help fleets remain accountable. When sensors are placed on moving vehicle parts such as arms or packer panels, teams can know precisely when movable parts of the vehicle are in motion. So if there is a complaint about arms moving and causing damage to buildings, or packer panel doors not opening in time to cause garbage to become litter, the occurrence will be recorded.

When waste disposal teams take advantage of 360 telematics solutions, they are able to improve their service. When it comes to a fleet’s responsibility to the environment, training or remaining accountable, there is no room for shortcuts or errors. If you’re interested to learn more about a 360 solution that is unique to your business needs, contact us today to speak to one of our consultants.