Driver management key for your fleet

Although sometimes overlooked, reducing driver stress is an important part of fleet management, according to experts who spoke during a mobility management roundtable discussion in the city of São Paulo on Thursday (Nov 9).

According to Katherine Vigneau who is the director of professional development for fleet management association NAFA, one way for fleet managers to reduce stress is controlling excessive hours on the road.

"A new mandate called the new electronic logging device (ELD) rule will come into effect soon in the United States. It calls for the installation of electronic devices in commercial trucks to monitor the number of hours a driver spends on the road. I believe it should come into effect in December," said Vigneau.

"Remember that we must enforce laws and not just create them. We are not trying to scare people. We just want good mobility solutions that alleviate stress on drivers and on current transportation systems." added Arnd Bätzner who is a board member of Swiss-based Mobility Car Sharing.

"One growing trend I see is the use of telemetry which, among other things, can detect when a driver is starting to fall asleep. Lifestyle management as well as fleet management, is key," said Global Fleet journalist Daniel Bland.

The discussion took place during the Welcome Tomorrow conference put together by fleet management and urban mobility consultancy group Instituto Parar.

Photo: Instituto PARAR