“For comments on my drivers call…” “How’s my driving?” “Problem with our drivers? 800-***-****”
The above are all examples of approaches carriers have taken on the backs of trailer doors to enforce the safety of their drivers on the road. But are drivers being penalized for false accusations? Can carriers confirm whether the complaints are true or false?
Today’s technology makes it even easier for drivers to report trucks even without the company’s number posted on their trailers. They just simply pull out their iphone and within minutes, have the company’s information in the palm of their hand. But as many carriers note, more often than not these calls prove to be inaccurate, or even worse, part of a scam to get carriers to “pay-off” the caller in return for not reporting the driver to authorities or even claim damage to their vehicle or selves leading to lawsuits.
“I’ve received a call complaining that I pulled in front of someone,” one driver told us. “Then he decided to threaten me and said he would come to my house and teach me a lesson. The conversation was recorded and turned into the sheriff. The caller was charged and the county attorney notified me about needing a victims’ statement. Seems he had a road rage history.”
Another driver noted that he had posted on a load board online that he was headed to Canton when his boss received a call that the driver had been “speeding, tailgating, aggressive driving on US Hwy 30. Slight problem,” he explained, “I was going to Canton, MS and over 500 miles away from US 30. Taught me not to post destinations.” This example brings up another issue facing the trucking industry…people using load boards to obtain information they then use to steal freight.
So how can carriers and drivers protect themselves from falsified complaints and lawsuits potentially hurting their reputation and digging into their pockets? Many turned to DriveCams.
Lytx, formerly DriveCam, Inc., tracks close to 100 driver behaviors in an effort to predict which drivers at a greater risk of getting into an accident. 1 According to Greg Lund, Lytx’s director of corporate communications, “Fleets deploying such systems not only see a reduction in collision-related costs, but they also see driver behavior improve significantly, and fairly quickly.” 1
DriveCams can be used in situations, such as car accidents, to help determine fault or in a case where bad driving behavior is a factor. Many carriers are already using this technology on their trucks, including Road Scholar Transport. Not only does Road Scholar utilize DriveCams, but can also determine when a driver brakes hard and what speed he was traveling at during a given time through FleetComplete to ensure that we put only the most qualified and safe drivers on the road.
Learn more about how DriveCam works in the video below.
1http://www.truckinginfo.com/article/story/2015/05/cameras-in-the-cab.aspx
