Fleet safety programs generate a lot of information, from inspections and violations to CSA BASICs, ISS scores, and vehicle maintenance issues.
But collecting data does not improve safety by itself. The value comes from using that information to understand what happened and decide what to do next.
For drivers, that means understanding how everyday decisions can affect safety, their business, and the fleet. For safety teams, it means finding patterns, focusing conversations and choosing where action may be needed.
That was the focus of a recent PrePass® webinar featuring Tracy Rushing, executive director of safety and recruiting, and Wanda Brooks, compliance manager and certified director of safety, of R.E. Garrison Trucking. They joined PrePass team members Brandon Bruton and Abhi Reddy to discuss how fleets can use safety data, driver engagement and INFORM™ Safety to support a more active safety program.
Build safety around behaviors, not just scores.
Fleet safety data can be complex. Scores, categories and calculations give safety teams important context, but conversations with drivers can be more useful when they focus on the actions behind the data.
Rushing explained that her team focuses on what happened and what can be learned from it. That could include an unsafe lane change, a missed pre-trip inspection, or a roadside violation. Connecting the data to a specific action can give drivers and safety teams a clearer starting point for the conversation.
Make safety data easier to understand.
INFORM™ Safety brings inspection, violation and bypass information together to help PrePass Bypass customers better understand what can affect their ISS score. Fleet managers can review trends and examine the details behind inspections and violations to help decide where attention may be needed.
The goal is not simply to collect more information. It is to make existing information easier to understand and use.
Look for patterns before taking action.
One incident does not always point to a larger problem. Looking at trends can help safety teams separate an isolated event from an issue that happens repeatedly. That context can help evaluate whether the next step should be a conversation with a driver, a review of a process, attention to a vehicle maintenance issue, or another operational response.
Rushing described how her team used safety data to show an unusual inspection pattern involving a driver. Rather than assuming what caused it, they started a conversation and asked the driver to help explain what they were seeing. That gave the team more context before deciding what action, if any, was needed.
Use trends to decide what comes next.
Safety data shows what has already happened. Reviewing it over time can help fleets decide where to focus next. Rushing described her team’s goal as spending more time looking “out the windshield” instead of looking only in the rearview mirror.
Patterns in inspection and violation data can provide a useful starting point. Repeated vehicle-related violations may point to maintenance or inspection practices that deserve attention. Recurring driver-related violations may mean opportunities for coaching. Patterns tied to a particular vehicle, location, or violation type may deserve a closer look.
Make safety a conversation, not just a compliance exercise.
Technology can make safety information easier to see and understand. But a strong safety culture still depends on people.
At R.E. Garrison, data does not replace conversations with drivers. It helps inform them. That matters because safety decisions can affect a driver’s time, equipment, operating costs, and ability to keep the truck moving. For independent contractors and business owners, an inspection or vehicle issue can also mean more downtime and expense.
Putting the data in context can help safety teams have more useful conversations with drivers and give everyone a clearer understanding of why safe decisions matter.
Create a safety culture before you need it.
R.E. Garrison reinforces that approach through programs such as its annual Safety Summit, which brings together employees, drivers, industry organizations and partners to discuss safety priorities and reinforce shared expectations.
That preparation can help teams develop more consistent processes for reviewing information, communicating with drivers, and deciding what to do when an issue arises.
The same principle applies to safety data. Fleets that review trends regularly can be better prepared to recognize what deserves attention and respond with more context.
Turn safety insights into action with INFORM™ Safety.
INFORM™ Safety gives PrePass Bypass customers access to inspection, violation and bypass information in one place. Fleet managers can use that information to review trends, examine details that may affect their ISS score, and find areas that deserve a closer look.
Those insights can provide a clearer starting point for driver conversations, maintenance decisions and operational reviews while helping safety teams look beyond individual events to patterns over time.
Watch the full webinar to hear how R.E. Garrison Trucking uses safety data, driver engagement and INFORM ™Safety as part of its broader fleet safety program.