Truck Drivers: The Importance of Tracking and Analytics

Truck drivers are an essential part of South Africa’s trucking industry. In fact, the volume of goods transported increased by 11,6% in June 2021 compared with June 2020. This rise in payload highlights truck drivers’ critical role in ensuring that goods are transported safely and efficiently to their destination.

To ensure truck drivers can perform their job effectively, businesses need to track their movements and analyse their performance.

This article will discuss the importance of tracking and analytics for truck drivers and explain why they are such an essential factor for businesses operating in the trucking industry. It will also give strategies and tools for companies to use to improve their truck driver tracking and analytics.

If you are looking for a more immediate solution to your driving needs, the MASA Specialist Drivers Division is here to help. We are a reliable supplier of industry-leading drivers across South Africa. Contact us now to find out more about our services.

What is truck driver tracking?

Truck driver tracking is the process of monitoring and recording truck driver movements and activities. Companies can then use this information to analyse truck driver performance, plan routes, and optimise operations.

Without truck driver tracking, businesses would be operating blind. They would have no visibility of their truck drivers’ whereabouts or activities, leading to delays in deliveries, missing deadlines, and ultimately, unhappy customers.

Many truck driver tracking solutions are available, ranging from simple GPS trackers to more sophisticated telematics systems.

What is truck driver analytics?

Truck driver analytics is the process of analysing data collected from truck drivers. This data can improve your understanding of your truck drivers and their behaviours.

Analytics can also help you identify patterns and trends in your truck drivers’ behaviour. You can then use this information to improve your training and development programmes and overall efficiency.

Companies can use truck driver analytics to answer some crucial questions about your truck drivers, such as:

How do they behave when they are behind the wheel?
What routes do they take?
What are their driving habits?
How often do they make mistakes?

Why should you be tracking your drivers?

There was once a time when trucking was an industry where a truck driver could get away with driving long hours without taking proper breaks or other safety precautions. This is no longer the case with the advancements of modern technology.

Ultimately, we live in a world where tracking truck drivers has become increasingly crucial for businesses and where there are multiple reasons for them to track their truck drivers:

Key location and routes

Tracking and analytics allow businesses to monitor their whereabouts and ensure that they stick to their agreed routes. This is important for ensuring the safety of your drivers and the goods they are transporting.

Performance optimisation

Through tracking truck driver analytics, businesses can identify areas where their drivers need improvement. This could be in terms of fuel efficiency, driving habits or speed. Once these areas have been identified, businesses can work on strategies to improve their truck drivers’ performance.

Driver safety

One of the most important reasons for tracking truck drivers is for safety purposes. By tracking truck drivers, businesses can ensure that their drivers are taking the necessary safety precautions whilst on the road. This includes monitoring their speed safety purposes. By monitoring their movements, businesses can ensure that their drivers are not driving for long hours without taking proper breaks. This can help to prevent accidents and improve driver safety.

Payload security

One of the most valuable things truck drivers transport is the payload. By tracking truck drivers, businesses can ensure that their payload is secure and that their drivers are not taking any unnecessary risks along the way. In South Africa, there are many cases of truck hijacking, so businesses need to take all the necessary precautions to protect their payload.

Improved customer service

Another benefit of tracking truck drivers is that it can help businesses improve their customer service. By knowing the whereabouts of their truck drivers, companies can give their customers updated information on the status of their delivery. This can help to build trust and improve customer satisfaction levels.

Reducing fuel costs

By tracking truck driver movements, businesses can see where their truck drivers are wasting fuel and put measures in place to correct this behaviour. This could involve changing the truck drivers’ routes, providing training on fuel-efficient driving techniques, or investing in new technology such as fuel-efficient engines.

Tools and strategies for driver tracking & analytics

Businesses can leverage multiple tools and techniques to improve their truck driver tracking and analytics and fully capitalise on their driving operations. Some of these strategies and tools include:

Driver scorecards

Driver scorecards are a tool you can use to understand your truck drivers better and identify areas where they may need improvement.

Driver debriefs

Debriefing your drivers may seem like a time-consuming process, but it can be very beneficial in terms of understanding their behaviours and identifying areas for improvement. This strategy involves debriefing your drivers after every journey and asking them questions about their experience.

Telematics

Telematics is a technology that allows businesses to track and monitor their vehicles. This technology can track your truck drivers and collect data about their driving habits for improvement.

GPS tracking

GPS tracking is a technology that can be used to track the location of your truck drivers. This information allows companies to monitor drivers’ whereabouts and ensure they stick to their agreed routes.

Dash cams

One tool that is becoming increasingly popular for truck driver tracking and analytics is using dash cams. Dash cams are cameras fitted to a truck’s dashboard and record the journey as it happens.

This footage gives companies a chance to analyse the driving habits of their truck drivers and identify areas for improvement. Dash cams can also be used to provide evidence in the event of an accident.

Going the distance

As you can see, truck driver tracking and analytics are highly essential aspects of trucking operations. You can carefully improve the safety and efficiency of your truck drivers through tracking and analysis and even improve your customer service and cost savings along the way.

Although businesses can use multiple tools and strategies to improve their truck driver tracking and analytics, it is important to note that the truck drivers themselves are the most critical asset in trucking operations. By hiring the most qualified and experienced truck drivers, you can be sure that your trucking business will go the distance.

If you’re looking for truck drivers that are experts in fleet management and specialist driving, look no further than the MASA Specialist Drivers Division. MASA is Africa’s foremost supplier of drivers across the spectrum, from a forklift to Code 14. We have a vast pool of experienced drivers ready to be mobilised on-demand to meet our clients’ trucking requirements.

Rate Us