Unionized Fleets Guide
Driving Change: How to Introduce Video Telematics in a Unionized Fleet
Implementing video telematics in a unionized fleet environment is often challenging because drivers are concerned about privacy, control, and job security.
But despite the challenges, it’s doable. With careful planning, a collaborative approach, and video telematics solutions that are designed to provide a better driver experience, fleet operators can help drivers understand how this technology can benefit them—not just the business—in concrete ways.
This guide will discuss how to address common concerns, explain the benefits of video telematics for drivers, and ensure the successful implementation of video telematics.
“Why do we need to be recorded? Don’t you trust your drivers? How is the data being used? What information is being used?”
These are just some of the questions that drivers may have about video telematics devices. And while these are valid concerns when it comes to traditional dashcams and providers, modern telematics solutions such as Netradyne come with features that provide drivers with more privacy and control. Following are some examples of how to manage common concerns:
The key to getting your drivers and managers on board with video telematics is to just be open and transparent throughout the process. Let them know why you’re implementing the technology, and what the benefits are for them. And there are benefits! A safety program based on telematics with video and the objectivity of machine vision is much more fair than the old way of doing things.
Randy SheltraEVP,
Risk at Loomis
When it comes to having video telematics or dash cams in-cab, drivers worry that they’ll be under constant surveillance.This is one of the biggest misconceptions about video telematics, and it’s best to proactively dispel it. Provide written policies on data usage and storage up-front, make it clear that data access is limited to authorized personnel only, and educate union reps on how privacy features in telematics devices work.
The default for most video telematics vendors is for all settings to be enabled with video and tracking data. With Netradyne Driver•i, for example, many settings protect driver privacy, including a privacy mode with various settings for different situations:
The different settings of Netradyne’s privacy mode mean that driver privacy is protected, without compromising safety.
"We were all skeptical at first, but I appreciate the camera because it protects us from bad drivers on the road, and we come across those often. Even when we leave enough space, you’ll have drivers who try to cut in too close. The camera shows everything."
Quendalyne Alexander
Driver at Kutzler Express
Union representatives may also push back on a video telematics program if they perceive it as a threat to their members' rights and autonomy. To address concerns about control, it’s crucial to adopt a collaborative and transparent approach, which includes:
Maintain an open line of communication and establish feedback loops to give union representatives and drivers the opportunity to voice their concerns and contribute to the refinement of the telematics program. This will help mitigate concerns related to control and oversight, and also ease the acceptance of the video telematics program.
"The drivers know that cameras are necessary. What they like about the Driver•i system is the driver app, where they can watch their own videos and self-coach. The autonomy this provides is huge; it removes the ‘big brother’ fear."
Karly Becker
Director of Safety at General Transport
To mitigate drivers’ fears of unfair punishment and potential job loss, don’t just emphasize the non-punitive intent of the telematics program, but also show drivers tangibly how that works.
Netradyne’s platform is designed specifically with this aspect of the driver experience in mind. Its proprietary GreenZone® Score is the only safety score that considers both positive and risky driving behaviors to provide a more accurate overview of a driver’s day.
In other words, even though the system captures when drivers miss a stop sign, it will also capture every time they obey a stop sign, maintain the speed limit, and make room for other drivers sharing the road.
This data empowers fleets to take a more holistic approach to safety, and equally importantly, it gives drivers the information they need to proactively maintain a high level of performance that ensures long-term job security.
"When we were first installing the Driver•i cameras, we had a few drivers who we were planning on dismissing. To my surprise, these drivers really took the camera’s scoring system to heart. Instead of dismissing them, we watched their scores rise, week over week, until we reached the point where a driver who had been a day away from dismissal now scores a perfect score on a regular basis."
Gregory Hendricks
Director of Safety & Compliance at Salt Lake Express
Most video telematics platforms market very similar features such as recordings and in-cab alerts, and are built with fleet operators in mind.
In comparison, few are designed to support a positive driver experience and take into account drivers’ concerns about privacy, autonomy, and security. This is what makes Netradyne unique.
Netradyne’s proprietary GreenZone® Score represents a fundamental shift away from the telematics industry’s traditionally reactive and punitive approach.
Imagine a driver who is coming up to a red light, but is waved through by a traffic officer. Traditional video telematics would capture and alert that as a risky behavior, but Netradyne’s scoring takes the complete picture into account—the driver was not behaving in an unsafe way—and won’t raise an alert, thereby not “over-alerting” the driver and not wasting the safety manager’s time on a false alert.
"The culture of safety is what’s really exciting. The drivers love the competition [and] knowing how they’re performing."
Erin Mitchell
COO at YMX Logistics
Because the GreenZone scoring model is designed to measure safe driving behavior, it makes it easier for fleet managers to incentivize good performance instead of focusing on motivating drivers through punishment.
STS Recycling, for example, has a weekly contest to reward the driver with the highest GreenZone score. “It’s only $25, but you would think it was a lot more than that with how competitive everyone is,” shared driver Jamal Hardy. “I think it’s just because it feels good to win and have everyone know that you’re the best.”
Wayne “Coach” Larson, STS’ Safety and Compliance Director, agrees. “They’re so competitive, you’d be surprised how motivating that gift card is every week. If I don’t send a text out about who won by 9 AM on Mondays, we hear it from all of the drivers.”
Incentives and positive cultures can help mitigate driver turnover, which can reach as high as 94% for long-haul truckers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor of Statistics.
Netradyne Driver•i also has an in-cab audio alert feature that gives drivers a nudge to let them know when they are approaching a vehicle too fast or when they need to create space.
These alerts operate completely independently of fleet management and are designed to simply notify drivers when specific thresholds are surpassed, such as:
This gives drivers time to react before an accident can occur, and allows them to make corrections in real time with no penalty.
Unlike most video telematics tools, which need time for a human to review whether a collision actually occurred, Netradyne Driver•i’s AI can generally detect a collision within 30 seconds. That means it can send data right away at the scene of an accident, and help fleet and safety managers provide immediate aid to drivers.
"The camera saved me in Little Rock. The other driver told the state trooper that I cut in front of him. I called our safety director, she sent me the video, and I was able to show the footage to the trooper, who cited that driver on the spot."
Driver
Bryan Truck Line
When getting buy-in from union representatives for implementing a video telematics program with Netradyne, keep these best practices in mind to build trust:
Implementing video telematics in a unionized fleet requires a balance between addressing drivers’ privacy and control concerns while highlighting the advantages for both drivers and the business.
By aligning with union representatives’ goals, communicating transparently, and incorporating technology that prioritizes the driver experience, it is possible to gain buy-in and successfully implement a safety program that truly benefits the entire fleet.
Want to discuss how to deploy video telematics in your unionized fleet? Reach out for a consultation today.
* Individual results and conditions may vary.
** Based on customer data.
† Netradyne must receive written approval to share client data.
Images may be for illustrative purposes only and may not be an exact representation of a product.
