Winter weather driving poses many challenges for fleet operations. Icy roads are extremely dangerous for even the most experienced drivers, and freezing temperatures can be detrimental to the health of vehicles if not maintained properly. With over 70% of the nation’s roadways located in snowy regions, it is imperative that fleet operations prepare their drivers and vehicles to combat even the worst winter weather.
Leveraging Telematics to Prioritize Safety
Zubie recognizes how critical it is to prepare fleets for the precarious winter months in order to optimize safety. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, over 1,300 people are killed, and more than 116,800 people are injured in vehicle crashes on snowy, slushy or icy pavement annually. Zubie’s industry leading telematic solutions will give fleet operations the tools and knowledge to prioritize safety above all else, and lessen the chances of adding to these grave statistics.
Preparing Your Fleet to be at its Best When the Weather is at its Worst
This list highlights specific telematic features, and pinpoints how they will improve the safety and success of your fleet with frigid temps and snowy conditions.
- Vehicle Reported Odometer and Routine Maintenance – Most vehicle maintenance is determined by mileage milestones – meaning when a vehicle reaches a certain number of miles, maintenance needs to be performed for the vehicle to run at its best. Zubie’s odometer reports alert your operations of these milestones as they are approaching. Your team can be proactive about maintenance to prevent the likelihood of a driver getting stranded with a dead battery, or getting into an accident due to poor tire conditions.
- Zubie Dashcam – A dual camera system captures activity in and outside of the vehicle, giving fleet operations maximum visibility into their field operations. Video can be live streamed and recorded to reference at a later time. Accidents and other probable critical incidents that are more prevalent during winter months are precisely documented and cloud stored as documentation of fault or negligence. In the event of any incident, recorded footage can provide your insurer with exactly what they need to process claims accurately.
- Driver Performance Monitoring – When winter weather causes poor visibility and slick roadways, drivers need to be alert and practice safe driving more than ever. Zubie telematics eases much of the burden that comes with driving in poor conditions, allowing drivers to focus solely on their job. Drivers are often discouraged from risky behaviors, such as phone calls or texting, while moving when they are aware of Zubie telematics capabilities, thus reducing the risk of a critical incident. Driver behavior reports can also be used as a training tool to deter behaviors such as harsh braking, excessive speed, and quick accelerations – all of which are even more dangerous to engage in when the weather is less than ideal.
- GPS Location – Knowing the exact location of fleet drivers will add an extra layer of awareness, and can provide operations with a wealth of insight. Track drivers routes in real time to determine if inclement weather is impacting their route or arrival times. In the case of a critical incident, fleet operations can alert the proper authorities to the exact location where it occurred.
- Vehicle Reported Fuel – Implementing Zubie technology to manage and monitor your fleet fuel levels is pertinent to driver safety and vehicle health. Fleet operations and drivers can easily make sure that tanks are at least half full at all times. While the gasoline itself won’t freeze, the gas lines can freeze, causing major damage to the vehicle. Additionally, keeping tanks half full can mean life or death for your drivers in a critical incident. If a driver is stuck in traffic due to an accident, or they are stuck in a ditch or snowbank, the likelihood of running out of gas is greatly reduced.
Set Up Your Fleet for Success
Zubie’s Chief Revenue Officer, Mark Novak elaborates, “Even the highest trained drivers are susceptible to distractions, and incidents outside of their control when driving in winter weather. With Zubie’s telematics, drivers can remain focused on the job at hand knowing they have ‘eyes’ in and outside of their vehicle cabin, and the technology to keep vehicles in prime condition.”
Don’t leave your drivers out in the cold (literally and figuratively), and ease the burdens of winter driving with Zubie telematic solutions. With the winter months dragging on, it is never too late to improve the health, wealth, and safety of your fleet.
Contact an expert to see how Zubie can help you safeguard your fleet this winter.