Eric Witty, vice president of product management for Cadec Global Inc., says: “By now, it’s no secret that fleet management technology can deliver many different benefits. Perhaps one of the biggest is the role it can play in reducing hours-of-service [HOS] violations. These violations can lead to higher costs due to compliance breaches and increased insurance costs, as well as affect safety scores mandated by the FMSCA’s Compliance, Safety & Accountability [CSA] Act. But with the right fleet management technology, HOS violation worries can become a thing of the past.”
Fleet management technology provides enormous value because it allows fleets to take a proactive approach to ensure compliance. Witty notes, “With a fleet management system in place, companies have real-time visibility of driver behavior and hours driven, minimizing violations. Fleet management technology also automates driver logs, eliminating the chance for inaccurate paper logs, another compliance violation. Having this data at your fingertips provides the opportunity to use a preventative versus corrective approach.”
As HOS rules continue to become more stringent, fleet management technology becomes more crucial. Moreover, by automating log tracking, you can reduce driver workloads, which allows them to focus on the most important part of their jobs—driving safely.
“Last, with the FMCSA electronic logging devices [ELD] mandate looking like a real possibility that could go into effect in the near future, fleet management systems will become a necessity,” he notes. “There’s real value to a fleet management system, but it’s important to remember that the value comes in how it is used. A proactive versus reactive strategy not only avoids violations, but also it leads to a more efficient, safer, better run fleet.”
