SHAH Trucking

Insurance and Carrier Team up for the Win

A small family-owned fleet had a couple of accidents and their premiums went through the roof. Does this story sound familiar?

Key Point 1

Identify real driving patterns where lines, traffic signs, and signals don’t tell the complete story.

Key Point 2

Visualize where drivers deal with certain road, traffic and weather conditions.

Key Point 3

Crowdsourced and vision-based data provide more timely and reliable information than legacy mapping sources.

A year later, the same fleet had a 65-point improvement in their FMCSA Crash BASIC score. As a result of this dramatic improvement, their insurance company offered a 10% premium reduction for the next year.

In a market where the average annual rate increase is 9%, they effectively saved 20% more than the average fleet.

Safety First

As a driver-focused company, Shah Trucking considers their drivers valued members of their family and they make it a priority to keep them safe. They realize that the fate of the transportation industry depends on drivers. Shah Trucking also thoroughly embraces technology. The company owns state-of-the art fuel-efficient trucks and employs industry veterans that know how to conserve fuel while driving. It made sense that Guru Shah looked to High Definition Vehicle Insurance (HDVI)—a telematics-based insurance company – to insure his fleet. As part of their insurance offering, HDVI provided the fleet with Netradyne’s in-cab Driveri video solution as the cornerstone of a new safety program.*

A 180° Turn

HDVI collaborated with Shah to implement the tools, embrace a safety-first culture, and dedicate resources
to coaching. Over the course of a year, Shah achieved a 52% decrease in overall safety-critical events, including a 61% decrease in speeding and an 86% decrease in distracted driving events.

Reduction in Safety-Critical Events

Shah also graduated from a “Mandatory Inspect” to an “Optional Inspect” ISS score with a 36-point improvement, allowing the drivers to spend more time driving, and less time waiting in line at roadside inspection facilities.

Reduction in FMCSA Basic and ISS Scores

“Shah’s improvement in these metrics is largely attributable to the implementation of the Driveri system within the comprehensive HDVI Fleet Services program that supports fleets in significantly improving their safety,” says Reid Spitz, Head of Operations at HDVI. “Because of the cameras, Shah Trucking was able to identify dangerous behaviors like speeding and distracted driving and get out ahead of those issues before they were reflected in their BASIC scores and loss runs. In partnership with HDVI Fleet Services, Shah was also successful in implementing a driver coaching and safety program based on information generated from the cameras, which had a large impact on safety.”

The partnership with HDVI and Netradyne has helped Shah Trucking achieve improved safety results as well as positive FMCSA scoring trends. The safety coaching sessions with HDVI Fleet Services have also helped to improve our overall safety culture which resulted in a reduction of our insurance premiums.

A Partner with Skin in the Game

Tammy Johnson, the operations manager at Shah, says, “HDVI Fleet Services helps me out by hosting bi-weekly check-ins to review metrics and making suggestions for coaching, saving me a ton of time. They bring a different perspective and have a great attitude.”

There was initial pushback from drivers, but once they understood the solution was intended to help them, and that the video would be reviewed by a computer — not a human — they embraced the cameras. After 30 days, everyone understood the expectations and began to improve their performance. Tammy says the constant reminders and the rewards are helpful for maintaining the progress they’ve achieved.

Shah uses the Driveri GreenZone scores to reward their drivers. If drivers get 850+ (out of 1000) each week or if they improve their score by 25 points, they will receive an entry into a monthly drawing for one of two $250 cash prizes. HDVI Fleet Services administers the safety program on Shah’s behalf. Johnson says, “We had a stubborn driver that wouldn’t work to get his scores up, but then he won the reward and he completely changed his attitude. Scores are steadily going up. Without the camera we wouldn’t know about the slumps and progress. Viewing the videos helps them so they can see exactly what I see.”

The Bottom Line

Actionable insights, high-quality telematics and positive recognition make a powerful combination, enabling rewards for drivers and the entire fleet in the form of lower rates. By making fleet telematics and driver coaching available to insureds at no cost, HDVI has set their clients up for long-term success in managing risk. The result is a triple-bottom-line win for a small trucking company: they increase profitability, keep first-class drivers on staff, and improve safety on the roads.

*Telematics, fleet services, and support provided by HDVI Fleet Services, Inc., an affiliate of HDVI.

About SHAH

Shah Trucking is a family-owned, 10-unit fleet located in Chattanooga, TN. They are focused on driver safety, dependability and efficiency. Their mission is to transform the trucking industry by offering first-class experience, professionalism and customer service.