How Fleet Managers Can Create Safety Incentive Programs

It’s not easy being a fleet manager in 2022. The shortage of quality drivers and increased instances of distracted driving are contributing to more accidents — and it’s affecting fleets’ bottom lines. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports in its motor vehicle guide that the average crash costs employers $16,000. This cost balloons to $70,000 if an injury is involved and $500,000 if the accident results in a fatality.

If you haven’t already, now’s the time to implement a safety incentive program. These programs improve public safety, protect drivers and help companies keep costs down. They’re also a way to recognize good behavior rather than seemingly only calling out drivers when something goes wrong.

Here are some important things to keep in mind when creating a safety incentive program:

Decide What Kind of Incentive to Offer

Rewards will vary from fleet to fleet — just make sure they’re valuable enough to motivate your drivers. Not everyone responds to the same incentive, so you might even consider multiple types. This could include cash bonuses, recognition in front of peers, company swag or a commemorative plaque.

Determine What Will Be Measured (And How)

Safety incentive program criteria should be fair, measurable and extremely clear. Consider gauging a mix of criteria, such as the number of accidents/violations and preventative maintenance policy compliance. You might keep things old-school and utilize driver scorecards, or you might opt for telematics data to easily track behavior and tie it back to specific drivers, vehicles or divisions.

Set the Safety Incentive Program Period

A safety incentive program should be ongoing, but different rewards might be given for employee longevity and demonstrated excellence over time. You might track metrics over one, five and 10 years — you could also bestow lifetime achievement awards to retiring employees. Rewards would likely increase in size and value over time.

As a member of TVC Pro-Driver, your fleet also has access to our safety incentive program — we’ll pay you $50 per driver after six months of concurrent safety records. If you’re interested in learning more, email me at sales@prodriver.com.

Article by Nick Hillesheim, TVC Pro-Driver Chief Sales Officer