What top-of-the-line field service fleet safety looks like

The consequences of unsafe driving can be devastating both for the drivers involved and for the entire fleet. From increased insurance premiums to lost productivity or damage to your reputation, the issues can add up quickly. 

For field service fleets, with technicians constantly on the move, it’s critical to have technology in place to standardize operating procedures in fleet safety. Owners and operators who steadily improve their business practices and adapt will position themselves as the providers of choice while others slowly lose clients to more efficient, readily evolving operations.

When it comes to fleet management, no matter how technology influences your particular field service industry, one thing will remain constant: it will always be in the best interest of your operators, clients and your business as a whole to make safety a top priority. 

Let’s look at what top fleets are doing in this competitive space to implement the latest technologies to prioritize safe driving, attract new clients and get the most out of their business.

Understanding and mitigating risk in daily operations

Field service technicians are often in solitary or remote work environments. Prioritizing safety protocols and understanding the unique challenges of remote, mobile workers is key for field service fleets. 

Protect your team, wherever the job takes them. When your technicians are off-site and out of sight, having a plan for the unexpected is a necessity. Download our eBook: Crisis Management and Emergency Preparedness Planning to learn how to keep your mobile workforce safe in any situation.

The data shows why implementing a fleet management system is in a field service fleet’s best interest when it comes to safety as well as the bottom line, including reduced insurance costs and maintenance spend. In fact, fleets using a field service management solution consider it extremely or very beneficial and 48% of fleets achieve a positive ROI in less than 1 year according to the Fleet Technology Trends Report. 

The savings a fleet can potentially retain by mitigating a single accident or protecting against a false claim alone underlines the return on investment (ROI) of a GPS tracking solution. Investment in bringing businesses up-to-speed now through the implementation of quality, reputable fleet management systems like those available through Verizon Connect is an investment in making upgrades to future tech innovations less disruptive.

Boosting visibility and empowering drivers

Trusting your drivers is essential to a functioning operation, and it’s also important to be able to monitor, measure and coach their behavior behind the wheel. Driver safety as it applies to reputation will have long-lasting effects—both positive and negative—on your business. Creating a robust coaching program with supporting technology is crucial for field service fleet owners. 

Telematics solutions provide managers with customizable reports and dashboards allowing them to easily digest summarized, safety-related data to provide an overview of the day-to-day driver operating behaviors instead of losing valuable time that could otherwise be spent growing their business. Leveraging technology to gain insight into individual drivers on a broad scale helps address repeated behavior that can put your business at risk. Integrated fleet technologies make it easy to set benchmarks, which in turn allows owners to create a culture of safety for all their drivers to follow and mitigate overall risk.

For example, artificial intelligence and machine learning power give field service fleet managers the opportunity to gain context around harsh driving events and protect against false liability claims. The inherent advantage of integrated Video solutions is in its ability to automatically classify the severity of an event, pinging managers only when an event requires attention. From here, they can view the context around an event, taking corrective action with a driver. Using real footage of an example harsh event allows managers to customize coaching for improved outcomes.

Leveraging GPS for driver coaching and safety

When Bill Howe Plumbing was concerned about their employees’ driving habits, the company implemented fleet technology and safety scores to support their driver coaching program. 

The results were impressive. Before using fleet tracking, Bill Howe Plumbing recorded 16 accidents in a single year, resulting in nearly a million dollars in damages. After implementation, the number of accidents dropped to just two.

But that wasn’t the only improvement. As a result of improving driver behavior, the company also lowered insurance costs, reduced fuel consumption and improved safety scores.

“Safety is hugely important to us, " said Tina Howe, Vice President, Bill Howe Plumbing. “We looked at many programs, and one of them was Reveal. We made the choice, and since then, our records have been improving, our individual driving records are improving. We couldn’t be happier with the growth we’ve seen.”

Creating a culture of safety

By understanding the unique challenges faced by mobile and isolated workers and focusing on driver training, you can prioritize safety for your field service fleet.

Build a safety-first culture. Ready to turn these insights into a formal safety program? Our eBook, The Road to Fleet Safety, provides a step-by-step guide to reducing risk, improving driver behavior, and protecting your team on every job.