Truck and Bus News - Don't look now! Teletrac Navman survey reveals impact of driver distraction
TELETRAC NAVMAN TAKES STEPS TO TRANSFORM FATIGUE IN THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY
Following the recent FatigueHACK event, Teletrac Navman plans to submit its EWD solution to the NHVR for approval
May 1, 2018 – Teletrac Navman, a global software-as-a-service provider that leverages location-based technology for GPS fleet tracking and fleet management solutions, plans to submit its Sentinel electronic work diary to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR). After releasing its final consultation report last week, the NHVR will begin accepting applications to approve electronic work diaries (EWDs) for use from May 28. Sponsored by Teletrac Navman and facilitated by the CBR Innovation Network, FatigueHACK will attract software developers, designers, industry experts, researchers, regulators and truck drivers.
Transport industry spokespeople gathered last month at FatigueHACK, the Australian Trucking Association’s first ever fatigue-related hackathon. Sponsored by Teletrac Navman, it delivered some surprising insights, as interested parties work-shopped and then pitched solutions to better manage driver fatigue.
“Two big takeaways from the hackathon are that work diaries are just one piece of the puzzle in understanding fatigue by tracking work hours and secondly, the driver should be more able to determine his or her own state of fatigue. Hearing from people outside the transport industry revealed that we also need to use technology and other methods such as health and social initiatives to tackle the physical and mental side of fatigue, not just in terms of compliance,” Andrew Rossington, Vice President – Transport Solutions at Teletrac Navman and judge at FatigueHACK says. “It certainly resonates with our approach at Teletrac Navman; we’re passionate about producing an EWD that also offers a full telematics solution along with other value-added services such as driver navigation to give businesses the full picture of driver safety.”
Teletrac Navman is excited to be a part of what it believes to be a positive step forward for the industry. With legislation to allow electronic work diaries as an alternative to paper work diaries is expected soon. Teletrac Navman’s Sentinel will be one of the first solutions to be considered as one of these approved solutions. The application was initially developed over ten years ago, and has already been deployed across thousands of drivers and subcontractors around Australia.
Fatigue is one of the biggest issues facing the Australian trucking industry.
- 20 per cent of fatal road accidents involve driver fatigue.1
- Fatigue-related crashes are twice as likely to be fatal.2
- 80 per cent of truck drivers work more than 50-hour weeks, with one in six feeling unable to refuse an unsafe job due to external pressures of the industry.3
- Fatigue rules vary between states and territories, making it difficult for drivers to accurately calculate appropriate work and rest times.
In line with this, Teletrac Navman believe that fatigue solutions should offer additional value-adds other than simply counting time. This should include features such as providing historical data and forward looking views to assist drivers and allocators in managing work. The upcoming changes to Chain of Responsibility legislation mean that all people in the chain will require better and more trustworthy solutions to remain compliant and meet obligations.
“Safety has always been one of our top priorities and with the new legislation expected to make EWDs an alternative to traditional work diaries, Teletrac Navman is ready with an approved offering for our customers,” says Rossington. “When paired with other Teletrac Navman software, Sentinel provides an ecosystem of solutions that leverage the National Telematics Framework to create a safer, more trustworthy and more compliant fleet. Our goal is to continue to leverage our strong integration with freight management systems for better scheduling and timesheeting, and by providing further value-added features such as guiding drivers to nearby available rest stops through GPS data.”
Sentinel is currently used by many Teletrac Navman customers, including Hornby Transport.
“While our drivers are skilled and responsible, the excessive amount of time spent behind the wheel creates risk. Certifying driver complaince with fatigue management policies and keeping them safe are equally important, so having Sentinel in our fleet is essential for achieving both.” Adam Hornby, Managing Director, Hornby Transport.
Hornby Transport has been working successfully with Teletrac Navman since deploying its GPS fleet management technology in the early 2000s. Following a successful Electronic Work Diary (EWD) trial, it became the second organisation in NSW to install fatigue management technology.
###
About Teletrac Navman
Teletrac Navman is a leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider leveraging location-based technology and services for managing mobile assets. With specialised solutions that deliver greater visibility into real-time insights and analytics, Teletrac Navman helps companies make better business decisions that enhance productivity and profitability. Its fleet and asset management technology uncovers information that would otherwise go unseen, helping customers reduce risk and confidently move their business forward with certainty. It tracks and manages more than 500,000 vehicles and assets for more than 40,000 companies around the world. The company is headquartered in Glenview, IL, with additional offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico. For more information visit teletracnavman.com.
Media Contact:
Annie Peachman, Spectrum Group
+612 9412 6100
teletracnavman@spectrumgroup.is
1 http://www.tac.vic.gov.au/road-safety/statistics/summaries/fatigue-statistics
2 http://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/stayingsafe/fatigue/index.html