Linden Bulk Transportation, a subsidiary of Odyssey Logistics & Technology, is seeing “dramatic” safety improvements since adopting the SmartDrive program in 2018, according to SmartDrive Systems, which provides video-based safety and transportation intelligence.
“We are preventing accidents before they occur, which is particularly important given the DOT’s use of recorded accidents to determine trucking company safety rankings,” said Michael Salz, president of Linden Bulk. “With the insurance rate hikes across the industry, unlike many companies that have seen premiums rise precipitously, our rates have remained nearly flat due to our improved safety record.”
Linden has provided bulk distribution service for more than 35 years. Odyssey’s bulk transportation businesses deliver safe, reliable and cost-effective services for over-the-road tank trucks, and ISO tanks for domestic and international shipments. As a single-source solution for North American distribution needs, Odyssey leverages an extensive network to provide clients with competitive pricing and dependable services.
Linden first deployed the SmartDrive program across its entire fleet of company-owned vehicles following a competitive review and head-to-head pilot program, SmartDrive said, during which the business experienced a 55% improvement in its SmartDrive Safety Score, while maintaining nearly 100% coaching performance.
More recently, the company enhanced its safety program with the addition of SmartDrive Extended Recording, which helps capture hard-to-get, low impact incidents that are not triggered by other systems. It then informs the fleet when a minor incident occurred or if an incident interrupts a delivery. This capability helps with sideswipes, workers compensation claims and driver compliance with company policy.
In line with SmartDrive’s commitment to innovation and system openness, the flexible and extensible nature of the SmartDrive Transportation Intelligence platform allows fleets to easily add on additional capabilities without changing the core platform, the company maintained.
“Adopting SmartDrive is instrumental in changing the culture at Linden,” Salz said. “We’re saving money while saving lives. We continued rolling out SmartDrive to our lease purchase vehicles and our owner-operators, along with our yard horses and company-owned pickup trucks.
“With over 200 cameras installed, we know our drivers and our company are safer, and we’re attracting more drivers because of it. SmartDrive has been an outstanding partner, doing all the legwork for us and providing exceptional service.”
Linden says it also appreciates the managed service aspect of the SmartDrive program, noting it provides insight and saves safety managers time. By alleviating the heavy lifting for the fleet, safety managers are focusing on their daily responsibilities.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with our continued partnership with Linden and the exceptional results the company has experienced since deploying SmartDrive,” said Steve Mitgang, SmartDrive CEO. “What Michael and his team have done exemplifies the tangible and sustained value of the video-based safety and analytics program. The benefits of a fully managed service coupled with the fleet’s commitment to build and nurture a culture of safety have made a substantial impact on Linden’s bottom line.”
To read more from SmartDrive customers who have deployed the SmartDrive platform, visit smartdrive.net/why-smartdrive/customer-success.
