With the UK freight industry facing a tough driver shortage, the issue of driver retention is as important as it's ever been. Fleet operators have to find new and inventive ways of ensuring that their drivers are well-motivated and happy in their work – because a committed and contented workforce is likely to be both a more productive and more loyal.
When it comes to improving driver performance and efficiency, the benefits of telematics systems are already well documented. But there is another way in which the technology can boost performance – by helping to increase driver motivation. The FAQ section below answers some important questions on how this can be achieved.
With the UK freight industry facing a tough driver shortage, the issue of driver retention is as important as it's ever been. Fleet operators have to find new and inventive ways of ensuring that their drivers are well-motivated and happy in their work – because a committed and contented workforce is likely to be both a more productive and more loyal.
WHY IS DRIVER MOTIVATION IMPORTANT?
Drivers who lack motivation are likely to be less attentive while driving – making them a greater risk to road safety, with all the attendant financial costs that can follow – and they're also more likely to leave the workforce in search of opportunities elsewhere. Given the aforementioned driver shortage which is currently affecting many UK fleet operators, this is something that a lot of businesses will no doubt be very keen to avoid.
WHAT INFORMATION CAN I GENERATE FROM TELEMATICS SYSTEMS?
Telematics offers extensive insights into the way drivers behave when behind the wheel. Fleet telematics systems tell us not only about the routes drivers take – allowing fleet managers to plan routes easily and monitor their progress in real time – but can also alert operators to a range of less than optimal behaviours. This combines to give fleet managers unprecedented amounts of information on driver conduct, and offers huge potential for improving road safety standards and fuel efficiency.
WHAT TELEMATICS DATA SHOULD I USE TO MOTIVATE DRIVERS?
The most common data points are based on driver conduct including harsh cornering, sharp braking, aggressive acceleration, repeated breaches of speed limits and tailgating. All of these behaviours can be highlighted in telematics systems and through the use of other technologies such as in-cab cameras. Aligning driver motivation initiatives with key safety challenges will help to develop a culture of safety within the business. Also, knowing that the business is committed to their safety, improving road safety for all users and reducing its impact on the environment creates a feel good factor and sense of pride to work for a socially responsible business.
HOW CAN FLEET MANAGERS DEVISE AN EFFECTIVE DRIVER MOTIVATION PROGRAMME?
One option is to set up a driver league table as part of which drivers are encouraged to improve in a particular area – say fuel efficiency, or stopping distances – with rewards offered to them at the end of a specified time period. The telematics data can then be used to determine how drivers have performed in their efforts to reach the goal set for them. This should help to foster a degree of competition among drivers.
Vehicle telematics provides fleet managers with in-depth data on driver performance. This makes it easy for those fleet managers to distinguish specific problem areas, and this knowledge can then inform the establishment of incentive schemes such as driver league tables.
IS COMPETITION BETWEEN DRIVERS HEALTHY?
Provided the competition is kept light-hearted, then yes. It can give drivers a goal to work towards – providing them with a strong incentive to focus on improving particular aspects of their driving – motivating them to sharpen their own performance and thereby driving up standards across the organisation. So long as the goals are clearly stated, and the assessment criteria is transparent, drivers are highly likely to respond positively to schemes that put them in competition with one another. Telematics systems provide hard, unarguable data so that drivers can see clearly how they've performed.
WHICH INCENTIVES ARE MOST EFFECTIVE AT BOOSTING DRIVER MOTIVATION?
There are many different rewards and incentives that might prove effective with regard to improving driver motivation. Of course, employees want recognition and appreciation as well as material reward, so while the latter is nice to have it's not the be all and end all. Even so, it's important to remember that there's no one-size-fits-all solution – a reward that might seem appealing to some might be less of an incentive for others – so it's worth consulting your workforce to get a better idea of what sort of incentives are likely to encourage the desired response.