Are My Employees Speeding?

One challenge that many trucking and service delivery businesses face is employee monitoring. How do you know whether your drivers are practicing safe and efficient habits? Could they be violating the rules of the road without your knowledge?

Speeding can compromise the safety of your fleet and decrease fuel efficiency for your business. That’s why many companies look for ways to reduce employee speeding with fleet tracking solutions. With a reliable fleet management system, you can become aware of speeding drivers and stop the behavior right away.

Why Do Drivers Speed?

Drivers receive training before getting behind the wheel. They know not to speed. Yet people exceed the speed limit every day, putting themselves, other drivers and your company at risk of disaster.

The reasons drivers choose to speed will vary based on the individual and situation. Some of the most common include:

• Poor planning: An intelligent route will provide drivers with enough time to make all their required stops or reach their destination. A failure to plan for events like traffic, weather and construction can increase the pressure they feel to get there on time, making them want to speed.
• Distracted driving: It’s vital for drivers to pay attention whenever they’re behind the wheel. If they’re looking at their phones, eating or otherwise distracted, they can easily wind up exceeding the posted limit.
• Bad habits: Some people are just comfortable speeding. Other drivers think that going just slightly over the limit is okay and that law enforcement will leave them alone. These, and other bad habits, can lead to expensive speeding violations.

Why Is Speeding a Problem?

Speeding occurs any time drivers go over the posted limit or too fast for current conditions. Violations are bad news any time they occur, and professional drivers should know this better than anyone. Speeding comes with obvious safety risks, and it creates challenges for drivers, fleet managers and the company as a whole.

Some of the ways that driver speeding leads to issues include:

• Speeding tickets: Speeding tickets range in price depending on the violation and where it occurred. No matter the scenario, being pulled over creates delays in your schedule. A ticket also will cost time and money to resolve, and it can have a negative impact on your company’s CSA (Compliance, Safety and Accountability) score.
• Fuel consumption: Going over the posted speed limit is a great way to burn extra fuel. Excessive and unnecessary fuel consumption from speeding, jackrabbit starts and hard accelerating will lead to higher overhead costs. Consuming more fuel will also adversely impact your company’s sustainability goals by increasing your carbon footprint.
• Vehicle accidents: Whether it’s a single- or multi-car collision, a fender bender or a total loss, an accident can have a lasting and costly impacts on your company. Things will become even more complicated and expensive if the accident causes significant property damage, the driver is hurt or an innocent bystander gets injured.
• Unnecessary wear: All vehicles require scheduled maintenance. Every time they go down, it costs time and money. Speeding accelerates wear on vehicle engines, tires and brakes. It can also place added stress on engines that can cause parts to fail, leading to repairs and downtime that you might otherwise avoid.
• Bad publicity: In most cases, adorning your vehicles with your branding and logo is a great way to advertise products and services to the public. This same visibility will work against you if your drivers get pulled over, sending the message that your company plays loose with the rules and places a low priority on safety.

How to Track Fleet Speeding

There are many ways you can use GPS fleet tracking solutions to keep track of driver speeds, including:

• Use driver scorecards: Driver scorecards allow you to measure risky driving behavior through a tracking system. You can determine which drivers need additional training or discipline.
• Set alerts: With tracking alerts, you’ll know each time a driver goes over a certain speed. Many GPS systems have features that monitor driver speeds relative to a set number or the current speed limit.
• Define speed limit zones: Tracking software allows you to define special speed limit zones. You can set boundaries around certain areas and get alerted when a driver moves in and out or exceeds a specific speed.
• Plan better routes with a GPS tracking system: The efficiency of your routes can have a major impact on driver speed. You can use a GPS tracking system to plan, change and execute the best routes so your employees can safely reach their destinations on time.

How to Stop Speeding in Your Fleet

Once you know that there are speeding drivers in your fleet, how do you stop it from happening? A few ways to reduce employee speeding include:

• Driver training: Employee education is one of the most important parts of keeping your operations safe and efficient. Making sure drivers understand the risks before hitting the road may help them think twice before speeding.
• Incentives for safe driving: Encourage safe driving with positive reinforcement methods such as special benefits, bonuses or prizes. A little extra incentive can go a long way toward helping your team improve their driving habits.
• Tell them their speed is being tracked: If all else fails, letting your employees know they’re being tracked for speed may help improve driving behavior. This could make a huge difference for employees who want to maintain excellent job performance.

Reduce Speeding in Your Fleet With Tracking Software

These are a few of the ways you can monitor and lower truck driver speeding within your business. When you operate a delivery service or trucking business, your priority is to uphold a positive reputation while keeping employees and other drivers safe. With the help of a new GPS tracking system, you can take more control over your fleet and encourage smarter driving behaviors.

Interested in learning more about fleet tracking systems from Track Your Truck? Contact us today with any questions!