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In today’s era, businesses work differently. One mistake, and your goodwill goes down the drain. Thus, fleet managers spend most of their time assessing the harsh driving of their fleet drivers.
Apart from the installed fleet management software, fuel monitoring system, route optimization software, harsh driving demands careful monitoring and working on it.
In today’s cut-throat competition, overhead costs need to be measured closely to make profits without losing customers.
Harsh driving affects your bottom line in several ways as your business reputation, the safety of goods, passengers, and drivers is at stake.
In this guide, you will learn what harsh driving is and how it affects your bottom line.
What Is Harsh Driving?
Harsh Driving is a broad term. Each move, every brake, every turn, unnecessary acceleration or idling, etc., all are covered under the term harsh driving. There is a standard procedure of driving that is safe for all, and anything that goes beyond it is harsh driving.
A sharp turn, speeding, aggressive braking, etc., are wrong driving habits that worry fleet managers.
How Does It Affect Your Bottom Line?
Over the years, drivers gain experience, which makes them ignorant about their vehicles. Over time, they develop bad habits, such as aggressive braking, sharp turning, sudden speed changes, etc.
The impact of these actions affects your revenue. To know how, read on.
Increased Vehicle Maintenance
Sudden changes in vehicle movements affect its parts and engine. A sharp turn and excessive turn of the steering can affect it badly.
Aggressive braking affects braking pads and the tires. Sudden speed changes also affect the tires. It affects the truck and requires regular maintenance. In the long run, these costs may add up to become a significant expense in the cost sheet.
By employing fleet management software, you can monitor your fleet’s performance and mark the rising expense. By combining it with a dashcam truck, you can monitor the truck movements, speeding, etc., and train your drivers accordingly.
Damaged Goodwill
No matter how old a player you are in the industry. Make a mistake, and it puts several question marks on your name. Harsh driving gives ample opportunities to your rivals to damage your reputation.
Harsh driving can result in the loss of life, goods, and property. One incident can negatively affect your brand and the goodwill you have built for years. It is a bigger risk than any other.
You lose several new and existing customers along with your credibility and trust in the market.
Installing vehicle tracking software in conjunction with dash-cam truck installation helps you keep a tab on your drivers.
Increased Insurance Costs
If your fleet drivers keep on driving harshly, you will require more insurance coverage. Your past records of insurance claims make your insurance costlier. You lose the discount and need to spend more on related insurance policies which adversely affects your profits.
Increased Training Costs
No organization can allow the fleet drivers to keep on driving harshly. It demands thorough training and constant reminders to slow down and save money on fuel costs. You need to incur additional training expenses on both the existing and new drivers. It requires time off work which results in fewer deliveries and fewer earnings.
Damage To Goods And products
Do you know that more than 150000 people in India lost their lives in approx 449000 accidents? It does not include the number of goods damaged. Most of these accidents are caused by harsh driving.
It most often causes accidents and damage to goods. As the fleet management company that is entrusted with the safety of goods and products, you are obliged to compensate the customers for the loss.
Suppose harsh driving causes four accidents a year, costing you an average of Rs. 1 lakh for each accident, summing up the repair and compensation costs. The sum will haunt your profit and loss account all year.
In addition, you lose customer trust, which leads to loss of business. GPS tracking systems for trucks along with dash cam truck installations create a way for you to monitor your drivers and warn them before something unwanted happens.
Idling Is Even More Dangerous
Most drivers should know this, but they don’t. They believe that they should not turn off the engine every time they stop as it burns more fuel to restart it. It is a misconception.
Leaving your car idle with the engine and AC on burns more fuel and directly impacts fuel efficiency. Every hour, you burn a quarter of a gallon of fuel while idling. Plus, you keep the engine on, which increases its wear and tear.
Drivers don’t usually care about these minute things, as they think that their duty is to deliver on time, whether it requires speeding, sharp braking, or idling for even a quarter of an hour. Training your drivers is an investment that pays off in the long run.
Final Thoughts
Harsh driving is an obstacle in your path towards a greener fleet, as it directly impacts fuel efficiency, which in turn impacts your bottom line. It is unacceptable behavior that requires quick action.
By investing in a GPS tracking system for trucks, dashcam truck systems, fleet management software, etc., you can monitor your drivers, their driving style and warn them. This investment will save you a lot more money than its cost.
