The best professional drivers deliver their loads on time and undamaged with minimal use of fuel and equipment wear and tear. They also maintain their paperwork, protect their CDL and pass roadside inspections. Who are these super drivers and how can your fleet have more of them? They are the drivers who execute perfect trips using precision driving techniques while maintaining super vehicles and preserving their health on the road.

Why is precision driving important?

Driver performance is the largest variable factor in the fuel economy of a fleet, causing a variance of 20 to 30 percent between best and worst performing drivers. It is also the largest factor in preventable truck crashes. Poor drivers abuse their equipment and have higher CSA scores, which increase fleet inspection rates and bog down fleet operations. Most importantly, they lead to poor customer service, which can harm the top-line of the income statement.

What do precision drivers do differently from other drivers?

Precision drivers work in a professional manner which is safe, productive and eco-friendly, while meeting expectations of fleet customers and managers. Precision drivers have the following performance characteristics and benefits:

1. They plan ahead by designing their driving schedule and routes to minimize stops (each stop uses 0.5 gallon of fuel), traffic congestion (1 gallon per hour) and strong head or crosswinds (reducing mpg by 2.2 percent for each 1 mph of wind-speed plus vehicle speed over 55 mph). They park to minimize jockeying to return to the road when they restart and plan their driving day to meet their trip milestones without having to speed or sit in traffic.
    
2. They prepare their vehicle by conducting pre-trip and post-trip inspections to identify and correct problems early and minimize repair costs and trip disruptions. They adjust their vehicle to be as aerodynamic as possible, setting air deflectors, axles and air gaps to optimum positions and keeping tires at proper inflation. They track fuel performance and correct minor maintenance issues before they escalate.
    
3. They drive patiently with gradual acceleration and deceleration, keeping engine revs 200 to 300 rpm below maximum and operating in the highest gear which will maintain their speed and momentum. They look 12 seconds ahead to have time to change lanes to avoid congestion and unnecessary braking. They use the vehicle’s momentum to maintain speed up grades and let the vehicle slow down naturally rather than braking, whenever possible. And they slow down when driving in poor visibility and road conditions.

Where are these precision drivers?

All fleets want to hire the best drivers, but with the chronic driver shortage and experienced drivers retiring, where can they be found? The following four steps are being used in successful programs.

STEP 1: Identify

Set up a program to measure fuel economy and vehicle maintenance costs for each driver to identify the best performers in your company. If you have fleet management software or telematics systems, you may already have the framework of a driver scorecard system. Otherwise, build a program based on fuel receipts, IFTA reports, CSA data and shop records. Make sure your system is data-based. Additionally, explain the importance of precision driving in new hire orientation programs. Adding performance standards to a new hire probation period makes it easier to release poor performers early. 

STEP 2: Reward

Provide feedback so drivers know how they compare to performance expectations. No one wants to be a poor performer. Start with a contest to introduce the concept of driver ranking. The contest should be based on easily measured metrics, including inspections, mpg and on-time deliveries.

Set up programs to recognize your best drivers. Start with simple rewards such as driver of the month, quarter and year. Some fleets have successfully implemented driver bonus and profit sharing programs, but it’s hard to create financial incentive programs that appear fair due to differences in equipment, loads, job types and routes. If you decide to build a program, experiment with a small group of your drivers and confirm the program works well before you expand it to the whole fleet. Separate programs may provide better results. Make sure your best drivers understand you respect their professionalism and encourage them to talk with others about how they can improve performance too.

STEP 3: Encourage Improvement

Provide drivers with feedback reports so they know how they are doing. Ask drivers for suggestions on how their performance can be improved. Assign drivers with poor fuel economy or chronic vehicle maintenance issues to remedial training. Set minimum standards for all drivers and replace poor performing drivers as soon as you can. It isn’t fair to the drivers who work to meet your standards to keep others who aren’t trying.

STEP 4: Be Patient

Building driver performance takes time and commitment throughout the fleet. Start simple with performance standards that have the highest benefit by looking at fleet costs and/or problem areas. Creating precision drivers requires precision management with planning, preparation and patience on the part of the management team. Not everything will work perfectly, but don’t give up or make rapid program changes. Drivers need to know the programs will be in place for a long time so they can understand the program and learn how to succeed. After the first initiatives are proven, you can develop more complex programs addressing more subtle performance issues.

The bottom line

Building a program that sets expectations during hiring and training, identifies your best drivers using data and not opinions, and provides recognition and feedback to all drivers, will help you attract and retain drivers that meet your service standards and control your costs, creating a driver population that is both safe and productive. This virtuous cycle takes time, but many successful fleets have both a high percentage of precision drivers and low driver turnover.