Boyle Transportation
How Boyle Transportation lowered its average collision cost to $2,000
Headquartered in Billerica, MA, Boyle Transportation applies comprehensive, proactive systems to ensure the safe and secure transport of critical cargo. Boyle Transportation specializes in transporting sensitive commodities for the U.S. military and life-saving medicine for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
Like others in the industry, Boyle Transportation is feeling the pressure of rising costs triggered by inflation—affecting repairs, maintenance, equipment, and insurance. But arguably, the biggest threat to its operating ratios is the growing potential for litigation in this era of “billboard lawyers” and nuclear verdicts.
“We haven’t had a preventable recordable accident since 2019. Our average cost per accident is $2,000 because our drivers are alert and bring their A-game.”
Michael Lasko
Assistant General Manager/VP of EHS at Boyle Transportation
Seeking a best-in-class safety solution to reduce risk and protect its drivers, Boyle partnered with Netradyne and installed Driver•i video-based safety solutions in all of its trucks. With their new AI-powered tools—outward-facing and side-view cameras, in-cab notifications, and an app for drivers—Boyle Transportation created a driver-led safety program built on positivity and engagement. The results are dramatically fewer accidents and related costs.
“Our average cost per accident is $2,000 because our drivers are alert and bring their A-game,” Lasko said.
Here’s how Boyle Transportation did it.
From the start, Boyle Transportation’s strategy has been to reinforce positive driving habits rather than simply penalizing drivers for mistakes, like missing stop signs or tailgating.
This strategy was easy to establish because Netradyne’s cameras analyze 100% of drive time, rather than only trigger-based negative events. This feature enables the most fair driver score possible, as it takes into account not just the number of missed stop signs, but also the total number of stop signs encountered, as an example. With a more accurate understanding of a person’s driving habits, safety managers can provide an appropriate level of feedback and training.
“It was night and day when people recognized that this wasn’t a punitive program. Buy-in was through the roof,” Lasko said.
With their support established, drivers began to regularly use the Driver•i mobile app to check their GreenZone scores, Netradyne’s proprietary driver scoring system. “They like that they can look into it, see how they rank among their peers, and see the areas they can improve to get to the next level,” said Lasko, who has seen groups of drivers comparing their app scores.
He credits this “healthy competition” for motivating drivers to improve their performance and take advantage of the in-app coaching recommended to them based on their scores and habits. “When you get drivers that take a constant learning approach to their career, this is a home run for them too,” Lasko said.
And it’s a burden lifted off of management, too. “Our drivers really do the coaching; it’s taken a lot off my plate,” he said.
Drivers also play a key role in vetting new technology. Boyle has a Professional Driver Advisory Committee that tests all potential new tech. The committee shares its perspective and catches potential issues early, saving the company from investing in tools that won’t be helpful.
Lasko echoes this emphasis on driver involvement. “Involve your drivers. They want to be safe too,” he said. “It’s critical to involve them in decisions.”
Lasko recalls starting his career as a driver. Back then, “the safety guy was the worst person on the earth,” he recalled. These days that’s not the case, largely because of new technology and tools.
“Reducing claims and time spent on police reports—that’s where Netradyne hits a grand slam for us.”
Michael Lasko
Assistant General Manager/VP of EHS at Boyle Transportation
One of those tools is in-cab notifications, which alerts drivers, in real-time, of violations or upcoming hazards. “No longer are drivers hearing about an incident that happened five weeks ago,” Lasko said. “They hear about it right then and there. It’s an immediate lesson.”
These notifications are also visible to Boyle Transportation’s safety manager, who gets a more accurate view of a driver’s habits and specific situations and events. As a result, the manager can be more proactive, use their time more efficiently by focusing on drivers who need extra support, and have data-backed conversations.
“We use this platform as a conversation starter,” said Lasko. “We regularly engage our drivers about issues they may be experiencing. Maybe it’s some training that they need or maybe they reached out to us because they wanted to talk about a roadway incident that occurred. It really opens up a lot of doors for communication.”
Data also enables Boyle Transportation to recognize the fleet’s top performer every month through a companywide email and personal calls from the safety manager.
In the event of accidents, Boyle Transportation is confident that it can protect drivers with the data and video captured by Driver•i.
“Reducing claims and time spent on police reports—that’s where Netradyne hits a grand slam for us,” Lasko said.
And the data speaks for itself. With a possible 1,000 points, Boyle Transportation’s average GreenZone score is 985—100 points higher than the average fleet. Considering that every 50-point improvement correlates to a 14% reduction in accidents per million miles, it’s no surprise that Boyle’s average cost of collisions has decreased dramatically.
But severe accidents are rare these days for Boyle Transportation, which has seen a real reduction in the severity of accidents.
“We haven’t had a preventable recordable accident since 2019,” said Lasko. The rare accidents are typically low-severity, involving low speeds, and often occur when drivers are maneuvering at truck stops or when they’re hit while parked.
“Our drivers have done an outstanding job and I hope they’re proud of it because they have done the hard work to get there. It’s a breath of fresh air going through the safety department.”
Michael Lasko
Assistant General Manager/VP of EHS at Boyle Transportation
Learn how to implement Netradyne’s fleet safety solutions in your fleet and transform your safety culture. Book a demo now.
Boyle Transportation is a specialized transportation logistics provider delivering exceptional quality, safety and security to select clients in the life sciences and government/defense sectors. Our long-term, exclusive focus on these technical and quality-focused markets has led us to mirror our clients with stringent quality standards, highly trained and dedicated professionals, and continual investment in technology and equipment. Headquartered in Massachusetts, we operate throughout the 48 contiguous United States and Canada.
* Individual results and conditions may vary.
** Based on customer data.
† Netradyne must receive written approval to share client data.
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