Beating Driver Fatigue on Long Hauls
As a transport operator, managing driver fatigue is a constant concern. Increasingly complex regulatory requirements can make it more, not less, of a challenge. You’re reliant on drivers to accurately complete logbooks and the lack of visibility into their fatigue and compliance requirements can be disconcerting.
Soon, you’ll be able to replace inefficient paper logbooks with Electronic Work Diaries (EWDs), paving the way to a safer and more productive fleet. In a constantly evolving industry, this visibility into driver behaviour and the ability to meet changing regulatory requirements will be vital.
Forward-thinking operators are looking to EWDs to capture real-time data from their vehicles and drivers to ease the burden of managing compliance. New research shows that one in ten road transport businesses are already using EWDs to streamline their fatigue compliance process, and a third of large fleets will implement the technology within the next 12 months.
Implementing electronic logbooks before regulatory changes take effect will help you stay one step ahead of your competition. Here are three reasons to implement EWDs.
Driver Fatigue Isn’t Going Anywhere
Driver fatigue remains an ongoing challenge for transport operators. In NSW alone, there was a 40 per cent increase in the number of fatal crashes involving fatigue last year. The Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Darren Chester, recently acknowledged that Australia is not on track to meet the targets set under the National Road Safety Strategy.
Like any paper based system, paper work diaries are open to input errors, manipulation and can easily be mislaid. Allocators and Compliance Officers may not even see the work-diary sheets for days if the driver is interstate. In comparison, an electronic work diary will automatically monitor, record and calculate work and rest times. It will also provide plenty of warning for your drivers before they’re at risk of breaching fatigue rules, making sure safety is always top of mind.
Capturing Data Is No Longer Enough
While the term ‘Big Data’ was once associated with innovation, it’s now par for the course. Everyone’s capturing plenty of data on their business, the question is, how to use it? EWDs provide actionable insights that allow you to measure trends, pinpoint operational inefficiencies and identify risky behaviours. This data can be used to deliver real business results, whether you’re educating drivers, changing behaviour on the road, enforcing safety policies, conducting audits or lowering costs. With the ability to make more informed business decisions, you’ll also be better placed to predict trends and stay one step ahead.
Seeing The Big Picture Is Critical
Managing driver safety regulations is increasingly difficult, so a one-size-fits-all solution isn’t the answer. The Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) is complex and detailed, and proposed changes will only complicate matters further by increasing the due diligence obligation to all parties in the Chain of Responsibility (CoR).
Managing these complexities and streamlining fatigue practices requires the ability to see the big picture. Implementing an Electronic Work Diary means you can monitor the behaviour of your drivers while also drawing connections with business outcomes, from fuel costs to incident rates, yet research shows that only 20 per cent of fleets with telematics systems are currently using EWDs. In an industry threatened by digital disruption, the businesses that come out on top will be using all the tools at their disposal to automate processes and connect the dots across their organisation.
Summary
Keeping your drivers safe and your business compliant is a constant challenge. Electronic Work Diaries are a clear step towards automating business processes and building a more transparent fleet, so you can tackle these issues head on, lowering costs and improving efficiency at the same time.