Many vehicle tracking companies have an in-cab feedback option as a way to improve driver behaviour and reduce the risk of accidents, but there are several reasons why it might not be best for your business.
Many vehicle tracking companies have an in-cab feedback option as a way to improve driver behaviour and reduce the risk of accidents. In-cab feedback devices provide commentary on driver performance in real time.
For example, if a driver accelerates harshly or exceeds the speed limit, the device will tell them instantly, through visual or even audio means. Because the driver is aware of any issues straight away, they can adjust their behaviour accordingly. A lot of companies find this live feedback to be a very useful tool.
Quartix recommends carefully considering whether in-cab feedback is right for your business and your drivers. There are several reasons why you might not want to choose an in-cab feedback solution:
A lot of research says negative feedback doesn’t exclusively work and could even:
You can read more about the impact of negative feedback here.
But how can receiving instant feedback on driving performance feel negative to professional drivers?
In-cab feedback usually doesn’t look at the entire event surrounding an incident of harsh braking, acceleration or speeding. Was there a reason for it, such as a sudden obstruction in the road or the need to bypass an erratic driver? The devices can’t consider the pressures that may have caused the behaviour, like if the driver’s schedule is very full and they resorted to speeding in order to keep to a timetable.
In-cab feedback can also be seen as computerised or impersonal, as it is not a two-way conversation between you and the driver, but rather a ‘one-way’ response, since it comes in the form of an automated voice, an electronic noise or a flashing signal on a device panel.
“Anyone going a mile over the speed limit is breaking the law, so we are serious about looking at speeding. But we correlate to it to driving time, too–was it an instance of over-taking or were they speeding consistently? The absolute key to this is data, making sure we have reliable data from our vehicle tracking system.”
Constructive or collaborative feedback in the context of a conversation between you and the driver is a very effective way of bringing poor driving performance to the driver’s attention and modifying future behaviour. In a face-to-face meeting, you can:
Incentives and praise go a long way. Sometimes making a bigger deal of positive driving than negative can have a greater effect on performance. Instituting a reward system can be a good way to do this. Some vehicle tracking systems, including Quartix, have a leader board where drivers and vehicles are ranked. This makes it clear to everyone who is driving well and will receive rewards, while other drivers can see their performance improve over time.
For drivers who consistently struggle with poor driving performance, constructive feedback could come in the form of additional training to reinforce what constitutes good driving behaviours. Some drivers, especially those who are new to the profession, might be unaware of the steps they could be taking to improve their performance. Just telling them they are driving poorly is unlikely to lead to significant change.
Quartix’s extensive system of reports has been designed to give you as much information as possible about driver performance. These include, but are not limited to:
Using all of the tools that you get from a vehicle tracking system will give you the best picture of how your drivers are performing, so you can take steps to reward or correct driving behaviour.
Vehicle tracking gives you the data you need to help your drivers perform to the best of their abilities. It’s vital that drivers know if they are performing poorly and have incidents of bad driving behavior brought to their attention, so feedback that could be construed as negative has its place. However, there are a lot of ways to provide driver performance review, and when a driver is out on the road in an already-stressful situation, that may not be the best time.
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