Turning Telematics Data into Safer Driving

By Dan Braiman, Loss Control Director

For lumber and building materials businesses managing commercial fleets, an unsafe driving habit can become a costly accident in seconds. While motor vehicle records and claims histories provide important information about drivers, they often reveal a problem after an incident has already occurred.

Telematics gives fleet managers an opportunity to identify risky behaviors before they result in an accident. At PLM, we provide our insureds with access to vetted telematics tools through our partnerships with industry leaders Azuga and GPS Insight.
Today’s telematics platforms can track behaviors including speeding, hard braking, rapid acceleration and distracted driving. Many also incorporate cameras and AI technology capable of identifying concerns such as following too closely or using a phone behind the wheel. Some systems can even provide immediate in-cab alerts to drivers.

With Azuga and GPS Insight, PLM’s insureds can easily access tools to support driver monitoring, coaching, fleet management and more. But leveraging the tools to collect the data is only the first step. PLM also works with business owners across the LBM space to help them leverage that data to improve driver behavior.

Turning Data into Action

Two of the most important indicators we monitor with Azuga and GPS Insight are speeding and hard braking. Frequent hard braking can indicate a driver is following too closely or becoming distracted. Speeding can be particularly difficult to identify through traditional supervision because drivers may change their behavior when a manager is riding alongside them.

Telematics provides a more consistent picture. Dashboards and driver scores allow fleet managers to identify individual areas of concern and provide targeted coaching. A driver struggling with speeding may require different training than one consistently recording hard-braking events.

Businesses should consider the following when incorporating telematics programs like those from Azuga or GPS Insight into their fleet safety programs:

• Customize the system: Configure settings to reflect actual operating conditions, including local speed limits, so meaningful risks stand out.
• Focus training: Use driver data to provide coaching and training based on the behaviors each employee needs to improve.
• Engage drivers: Give employees access to their scores and consider incentives or friendly competition to encourage safer driving.
• Address persistent problems: When unsafe behavior continues despite coaching and training, fleet managers should be prepared to take further action.

At PLM, we have seen insureds participating in our telematics program improve overall driver scores by approximately 10 to 20 points within the first 60 to 90 days, with those improvements typically holding over time.

PLM partners with Azuga and GPS Insight to provide insureds access to proven telematics tools that support fleet safety. Unlike an accident report or MVR violation, telematics can provide an opportunity to intervene before something goes wrong.

For lumber businesses, that makes telematics more than a fleet management tool. It can become an important part of building a safer driving culture and preventing losses before they happen.