Griffith IN-based dry bulk transportation services provider Bulkmatic Transport is outfitting its entire fleet of more than 500 tractors with the SmartDrive Systems video- and data-capture system. The decision was made following the successful pilot of the SmartDrive solution at three of the carrier’s locations.
“The SmartDrive video and data capture system enhances the information we have to successfully coach drivers and improve fleet safety,” says Terry McAdams, vice-president of Safety at Bulkmatic. “What used to take months to discover, our regional safety managers can now learn in a day and bring that information to drivers when it can have the greatest impact. In our first 60 days, we saw real results and significant improvement, including improved fuel savings and dramatically lower occurrences of risky driving behaviors.”
Bulkmatic’s evaluation of the SmartDrive system began at its Decatur AL facility in March 2013. Results of that initial deployment included up to an 87% improvement in driving skills and sustained fuel savings of 3.03%. Following that test, the company outfitted more tractors with the SmartDrive solution at their Chicago IL and Ft Worth TX locations, with an added focus on mobile phone/device distractions, resulting in reductions in those activities.
“Professional athletes use video to improve, why not professional truck drivers?” McAdams asks. “SmartDrive is an eye opening and very powerful tool that was easy for our managers to quickly adopt. It allows us to make significant progress by simply showing our drivers areas for improvement, and it helps discover risky driving skills before they cause an incident.”
McAdams adds that Bulkmatic drivers have had a positive reaction to the program, especially after several collisions in which the Bulkmatic drivers were exonerated as a result of SmartDrive. In addition, the analysis that accompanies each video, coupled with an easy-to-use coaching application, saves their fleet safety managers time and enables more effective discussions with their drivers.