October 29, 2019

The Importance of Driver ID

Who is driving?

Driver ID is an incredibly important part of managing a fleet. Could you quickly identify the driver of one of your fleet vehicles in the event of a schedule change, or perhaps an accident? And could you confidently identify who was driving perhaps a week earlier when a traffic infringement or complaint from the public lands on your desk? In these scenarios, would you have to refer to your Outlook calendar or start ringing around foremen and team leaders to know who was at the wheel?

If you are only tracking the vehicles, and not the drivers, this could be your challenge.

Telematics systems are smart, but they are also vehicle and associated data centred. This can be problematic when Fleet Managers find their vehicles are shared between a range of drivers during business hours. And if vehicles are allowed to be taken home during the evening identifying who was driving can get even more complicated.

This is an issue that’s gaining in prevalence, as fleet managers, who are looking to minimise operational costs and drive efficiency, change the traditional perception of the ‘company car’.  Whereas a vehicle would previously have been allocated to a dedicated custodian, it is now better utilised by allowing any member of the team shared access to pool vehicles during business hours, and possibly also for private use.

Therefore, it’s extremely difficult to take full advantage of all the data telematics brings into your organisation if you are only tracking vehicles. In a comprehensive solution, Driver Identification is also included, which is important,not only for safety, but also for managing departmental cost allocations and driver behaviour.

In an environment where vehicles are shared amongst staff, Driver ID allows you to identify which employee is driving a car, in real time. So you know exactly how much time he/she spends on the road, on site or visiting a customer. In addition to this, Driver ID also provides a platform to provide feedback on driving behaviour.

Is more admin the answer, or better technology?

You could use business processes to help you populate schedules, and keep you up to date with driver information, but this will probably increase the administrative burden as well. Or you could adopt a technology led solution.

By using a touch fob, keypad or keyless entry technology with Driver ID details, Fleet Managers can have real-time access to essential Driver ID information to effectively monitor fleet activity and vehicle/driver performance.

The telematics platform can then supply managers with driver based safety data (duress events, duration of driving, driving in restricted locations, overspeed duration, harsh cornering, harsh braking, etc.), alongside efficiency data, such as idling time, stopping time and distance covered. By utilising all the available data, and following industry best practice procedures and benchmarking, fleet managers can monitor and regulate whether vehicles are being used in an appropriate manner. This will highlight the steps to be taken to improve utilisation, and maximise productivity.

The key benefits of Driver ID:

  • Get driver focused insights
  • Always know who is driving your vehicles
  • Improve road behaviour and your public image (with branded vehicles)
  • Reduce the administration time and costs associated with driving infringement notices
  • Ensure safety standards are met

Smartrak have helped numerous companies move from a vehicle centric reporting model to a more driver centric approach, and by utilising the data available in conjunction with driver identification demonstrated the benefits of this approach. Contact us today to find out more, or to talk to a Smartrak expert about increasing your employee safety, while also gaining a better understanding how your fleet is being utilised.

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