Even as 2020 seems to be the year of unpredictability, the trucking industry has persevered to keep America moving and some sectors have thrived. Despite well-deserved positive press, the industry has faced significant challenges in 2020, as outlined in American Transportation Research Institute’s (ATRI’s) annual survey, “Critical Issues in the Trucking Industry – 2020.”

Three issues identified in the ATRI survey are driver shortage, Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) compliance and insurance cost and availability.

How is SambaSafety helping customers with these three key challenges?

  • Driver Shortage. Finding and retaining qualified drivers is top-of-mind in the transportation industry. Customers tell us that their recruiting costs have more than doubled during the pandemic and they still cannot fill orientation classes. Continuous motor vehicle record (MVR) and CSA monitoring from SambaSafety can help fleet and safety managers keep their drivers compliant and behind the wheel. Of course, continuous monitoring will identify some drivers that need to be terminated or taken out of the cab due to serious safety policy violations. But it also provides early insight into correctable driver risk, such as pending administrative suspensions or behaviors like speeding that, if repeated, will violate a company’s safety policy. Monitoring also highlights a carrier’s best drivers, who can then be recognized and motivated to stay with incentives. Monitoring gives fleet managers powerful information to keep their drivers moving safely.
  • CSA Scores. We suspect that CSA scores have resurfaced as a top-five priority due unpredictable impacts of low volumes of data and a lack of clarity into how and when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA) will implement mandated CSA reforms, including the roll-out of Item Response Theory (IRT). SambaSafety has been at the forefront of IRT since the very beginning, providing our customers with early insight at how their Safety Culture Score will look through our IRT Model. We of course also provide “classic” CSA monitoring to our customers, empowering them with tools to watch their numbers closely, set up daily alerts and maximize visibility. We deliver data and analytics to customers that they can use to overcome CSA problems and maximize safety.
  • Insurance Cost and Availability. The rising cost of commercial auto insurance has plagued the trucking industry for years. Despite sharply increasing premiums, out-of-control claims have led to commercial auto losses, which further pressure rates and push some trucking companies into the cold. Continuous driver monitoring is a solution embraced by both trucking and insurance companies to improve combined ratios. Monitoring provides real-time visibility into driver risk, allowing safety managers to take prompt remedial action, often preventing crashes that affect lives, communities, businesses and insurance. A number of carriers and brokers have partnered with SambaSafety to promote the use of continuous MVR and CSA monitoring as a risk management strategy that works for everyone.

To learn more about why continuous driver monitoring matters, download our white paper, Revolutionize Your Approach to Mitigating Driver Risk.