In the US, on the job fatalities rose 7% last year. The transportation industry accounts for a whopping 40% of these fatalities. That far exceeds any other industry.
As important as it is to prevent a fatality, that’s not the only cost. Injuries, property damage, damage to your own trucks, potential downtime and increased insurance premiums cost you.
You have trouble keeping your trucks and drivers on the road. Here’s how UPS has been tackling this problem head-on. And these are the results.
UPS Identifies a Trend
In the year prior to the enhanced safety measures, UPS had over 1,000 accidents, nearly 350 injuries, and around 25 deaths.
These numbers were on the rise. Crash rates were increasing nearly 7% a year since 2012.
Obviously, many factors contributed to this, including an expanding fleet. More trucks on the road mean more hours on the road. That’s more chances for an accident.
But they recognized that they had an opportunity to stop the upward trend to both save lives and the bottom line.
With a fleet of around 120,000 trucks, even a small decrease in accident rates has a significant impact.
Fewer Accidents Per Hours Driven
UPS set up a company-wide program to address driver accident rate. At the beginning of the program, they were averaging over 9 accidents for every 100 thousand hours on the road. UPS drove over 500 million miles in 2017.
Through their program, they were able to reduce their accident rate by 1%.
As the program continues, they anticipate that the benefits will grow. In addition to the immediate reduction, they anticipate that having enhanced programs in place will help solve another major problem facing the transportation industry today. That’s attracting better, safer drivers at a time that many are facing a truck driver shortage.
Let’s take look at the program.
Virtual Reality Prepares Drivers for Real Situations
A driver who has never been in an accident may appear to be a great driver. And by most standards they are.
But if that driver has never been in given scenarios it’s hard for a fleet owner or manager to know how the driver will react.
Watching videos, reading manuals, and taking tests to get a commercial license isn’t the same as experiencing it.
UPS is using virtual reality to allow drivers to test their abilities to identify real-life hazard scenarios without putting themselves in danger.
New CSA Portal
UPS also began testing a new portal that helps UPS management track and manage regulatory compliance. Fleet managers use this information to identify drivers who are taking unnecessary risks.
With the data in hand, they can have respectful, productive, objective conversations with their drivers to reduce risky behavior going forward.
New Focus on Supervisor Training
Fleet leadership is an important part of fleet safety. If trainers and supervisors aren’t consistently reviewing and applying safety standards, the fleet won’t perform at its best.
UPS is committed to giving trainers and supervisors the tools they need to run the fleet. That’s a fleet that’s both safety-focused and fair to drivers.
It’s using real data to back up management decisions.
Safer Fleets Are Better Fleets
A safer fleet will always be a more productive fleet. You’ll have fewer crashes, lower costs and more hours you’re able to spend on the road.
As you’re considering how to keep drivers safe, costs low, and profits high, don’t forget the importance of truck insurance.
Do you have the coverage you need to keep your trucks on the road? Let us help you shop for the best coverage for the lowest price. Get your free quote today.
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