Driving for Better Business

All the drivers underwent a psychometric risk assessment, with nuanced and filtered questions to ascertain their attitudes to driving risk and likely behaviours. The test used is Driver Metrics Profiling, the product of academics from Cranfield University.

The results determined what training or follow-up support the drivers received. “It’s important not to have a blanket response,” says Reka. “We offered a range of learning options, from e-courses to a half day on-road training for high-risk drivers.” The initiative began in 2021, with the first 86 drivers risk-assessed and offered training. In 2022, 311 drivers had been risk assessed with 28 of them categorised as ‘high risk’. 288 drivers competed online training and coaching, clocking up 1,447 training sessions between them using Driver Metrics e-learning modules. She describes e-learning as ‘low cost but high impact’. This initial assessment of drivers and provision of deficit training enabled the company to give far more control over driver training to employees later on. Incident follow up All collisions are investigated and any necessary support or training provided to the driver.

Heineken is the company behind some of the UK’s leading beer and cider brands, and owns 2,400 pubs and bars. Reka Nagy joined as the company’s workspace and safety partner in 2019, and realised that its 300+ company cars needed engaged and comprehensive management. Its 326 company car drivers also use rental vehicles, use the cars for personal journeys and sometimes allow nominated people in their family to drive their company car. Therefore, overall vehicle/driver profile is not straightforward. The company had previously held paper-based Permit to Drive data. The fleet operations team developed an online portal to collate and manage all the Permit to Drive data including any named individual – such as employees’ spouses – who might also drive the company vehicles in the Permit to Drive checks. This information gathered includes MOT details, including for the grey fleet, insurance, vehicle and CO2 data, driver licences and medical notifications. This is refreshed regularly and together with driver assessment data (see below) gives a real time risk profile of drivers.

While the company had previously had access to telematics data, it was neither used not fed back to drivers. This is perhaps the most problematic of all words for fleet operations – to have evidence of risk but not address it. Reka enlisted the help of a legal and employee council to bring the system back to life. The system was explained to both employees and managers, and restructured so that:

• Managers only see aggregate and not individual data
• Employees receive their own reports in confidence. The drivers can then request training if they feel it will be beneficial to them from their line manager or the fleet team.

While initial driver training specific to the individual’s needs is prescribed during the permit to Drive assessments, further training is by request. As managers only see aggregate telematics data, they cannot identify individual needs. However, team leaders can request training for their whole team, (in which they also participate) or individuals can ask their manager to arrange training, or speak directly and privately with the fleet team. Reka says: “We give drivers ownership of their data and their performance. It’s about trust and accountability.” Speeding target For all Heineken empowered its own drivers to push through behavioural change, this does not mean the company did not have targets of its own. Having reviewed all the driving performance data, Reka decided to focus on reducing speeding events, on the basis that this would naturally facilitate other improvements. For six months they monitored each group’s speeding events per 1,000 miles, and the winning team received prizes of a spa weekend. The aggregate results were published every month and if no improvement was apparent, teams were offered help and support. Know your triggers One key piece of messaging was to encourage each individual to know their own triggers for speeding. These could be:

• Organisational pressure
• Poor journey planning
• The vehicle behind tailgating
• Or emotional or unconscious triggers.

In this way not only the driving behaviour improved, but often also the stressful issue underlying it. The company offered support with welfare, mental health and specific issues, as well as offering driver communications about topical or seasonal issues. Mobile telemetry The disadvantage of black box telematics is that it is fixed in the vehicle, and is less flexible than a mobile app. Heineken invested in the Brightmile smartphone app, which monitors driver performance in any vehicle. It’s a more engaging solution for drivers, makes reporting business mileage extremely easy and can be turned off when employees are not at work. Every mile safely driven earns a point; these points can make drivers eligible for a prize draw or trigger a charity donation when the driver hits their target. “Linking good driving behaviour to a bigger positive, such as charity, makes it about more than ‘just driving’. I found it very powerful that by driving more safely, we can also help those who are in need,” says Reka. Brightmile scores five areas: risk, fatigue, speeding, distraction and ‘eco’. Through these five headings it can address all the major high-risk behaviours and contributors to collision. The distraction feature also triggers if a driver physically touches their phone.

Heavy rain and flooding can be a reminder for organisations that have employees driving for work purposes to ensure they are prepared and their vehicles are roadworthy before any work journey.

COVID-19 has wrought many changes to how we run our businesses, not least of which is the massive potential increase in grey fleet caused by working from home.

Being trained by the COO also makes an important cultural point. “Cultural values such as safety have to be top down and bottom up,” he says. “By delivering training I reinforce that this is something the board members personally believe in and support.” Geraint says that clear communication is the most important tool in managing road safety. “You must take the entire company on a journey with you,” he says. The company has very low staff turnover, something it nurtures through a culture of family, belonging and investing in their drivers as long-term assets. “We don’t offer brand new trucks or wealth,” he says. “We offer our long-term commitment to driver welfare and their career.” This comprehensive approach to training and operational practice has seen a 33% reduction in PCNs as one of many benefits.

Part of JRT’s commitment to driver welfare is shown by the six-monthly health checks for all drivers. They fill out detailed questionnaires and any highlighted issues are referred to a private healthcare provider for further testing at the company’s expense if required. The drivers also receive twice yearly eye tests. The company is sensitive to the fact that different people have different needs, and it works hard to ensure that everyone feels comfortable communicating their needs to management and can work in the way most appropriate for them.

Unusually, JRT has its own in-house telematics and compliance system which integrates directly into its in-house developed transport management suite. The telematics has specific parameters set for braking, accelerating and cornering and exception events are followed up with driver coaching sessions. Defect reporting and images of load restraint are both uploaded by drivers into the TMS via their mobile phones. This not only ensures the fleet is roadworthy, but the company has also seen a reduction in load movements during transit.

The company adopted the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme in 2009 and became the first FORS Gold accredited haulier in Wales. It has continued to invest in FORS training and audits because it is popular with customers. However, COO Geraint Davies, who has career experience of training and formulating transport modules, teaches all the JRT Driver CPC courses himself. He believes that this helps the drivers to connect with the material and see the relevance of the learning objectives to road safety but also the wider operation. “We always complete the curriculum, but I also add value wherever possible,” he says. One example is allowing drivers to listen in on real-world fuel negotiations, so they could relate their fuel economy behaviours in the cab to the financial cost of bulk buying for the company. The company currently teaches FORS courses, LoCity Driving and Safe Urban Driving, plus a TruckSmart course, and a course entitled Staying Legal. All the training is therefore heavily biased towards safety and compliance. “The compliance courses cover load restraint, drivers’ hours, and other compliance issues. One includes a mock Public Inquiry, so that drivers understand the legal consequences of ignoring the rules,” says Geraint.

The company has speed limited its trucks to 53mph which initially irritated some drivers. However, it helps to save fuel, and it also has the important benefit of preventing close following. Consequently, the company has less windscreen damage. Overall, it has seen a 23.53 % reduction in on-road incidents year-on-year. The HGVs are also compliant with Direct Vision Standard, with side and forward-facing cameras.

This session was recorded at The Health & Safety Event 2021 and features Andrew Drewary - Managing Director, Road Safety Smart