In an era where most people are close to a smartphone all day, it’s easy to think of notifications as something synonymous with the phone or another mobile device. But on the road, commercial truck drivers see notifications via highway signage. Important signage notifications might include construction in an area, upcoming lane closures, or estimated mileage or minutes to a popular destination or exit. 

Make no mistake, these traditional ways of highlighting road conditions are useful to everyone on the road. But for fleets, these “analog” notifications are one-way communications. They don’t always give a driver the best picture of road conditions, and they don’t produce data for fleets to analyze. 

For example, what if the speed limit on one stretch of highway isn’t clearly marked? What if that same stretch of highway is a common place for speeding citations? You need something more significant and actionable than the usual black-and-white speed limit signs and orange road safety indicators. 

In this case – and many more – it’s crucial to have actionable safety insights that help both the driver and fleet operate as safely as possible. In this blog, we’ll focus on in-cab safety notifications and automated driver coaching as ways to encourage safer driving behavior and improved fleet safety performance. 

In-cab notifications 

Due to the nature of their jobs and the size of their vehicle and cargo, commercial drivers have many more things to be concerned about than a commuter or road tripper, including: 

• Rollover risks 
• Low bridge clearances 
• Steep mountain grades 
• Cargo theft risks 
• High speeding violation areas 
• Parking availability 

An in-cab safety notification platform that’s integrated with a truck’s telematics capabilities can warn and inform drivers about the above-listed items on a driver’s smartphone or tablet via a noticeable full-screen notification as they approach the area. It can also let drivers know about more traditional over-the-road conditions such as: 

• Weather alerts 
• Sudden or unexpected slowdowns  
• Construction zones 
• Road closures 

Crucially for fleets, notifications can also be customized to specific geofenced areas. For example, if a carrier or private fleet has noticed that a usual pickup/drop-off location or yard is a common speeding or incident area, it can geofence the zone and alert drivers to be careful. Additionally, in-cab notifications produce extensive data-driven insights for fleets to see where drivers are adhering to various warnings – customized or not – and where they might need improvement. 

Automated driver coaching 

If a driver needs improvement and to improve his or her safety standards, it’s much better to be proactive about it. Only acting after a driver has had a ticket or an accident usually leads to increased insurance costs and, potentially, a lower carrier safety rating. 

At the same time, traditional driver coaching is both time-consuming and inefficient for driver and fleet. And if all drivers – even the safest – are forced to do a one-size-fits-all coaching program, a fleet risks frustrating its drivers and creating retention issues. 

With an automated driver coaching platform, a fleet can take every driver’s existing behavior into account with telematics when starting a new coaching program. If a driver has issues with harsh braking and cornering but not speeding, he or she doesn’t have to be assigned lessons related to speeding. 

Automated driver coaching also means that drivers can access lessons on any device whenever they’d like. Fleet managers have complete visibility on the lessons drivers have completed, what they have yet to complete, and driver performance before and after the lesson. 

Drivewyze, Predictive Coach, and Transflo are your partners for improved safety insights 

Through Drivewyze’s groundbreaking Safety+ product using in-cab notifications, drivers have better information about road conditions and safety concerns. Fleets using Safety+ have reduced accidents by 22%. Transflo Mobile+ features a seamless integration with Safety+, so drivers can take advantage of both platforms’ capabilities simultaneously and without distractions. 

Predictive Coach offers automated and tailored driver coaching using existing telematics data and is Transflo’s newest partner in its mission to provide existing customers with the most important tools in transportation technology. During an independent, third-party study, Predictive Coach was found to decrease risky driving events by 73%. 

Interested in learning more about Transflo, Drivewyze, and Predictive Coach? We invite you to join us for an exclusive webinar on August 21, “Top 3 Ways to Turn Data into Safety Insights,” where all three companies will discuss how fleets can take steps toward improved safety and operational efficiency.