Why Verst Group Logistics was Ready for a Video-Based Safety Program

Strategically based in Kentucky, America’s manufacturing heartland, Verst Group Logistics transports everything from beverages to auto parts throughout a six-state area. As a third-party logistics provider, Verst thrives by being efficient, cost effective and smart risk managers. A big part of risk management is their continual focus on safety, emphasizing driver safety, as well as that of the public. Their “safety first” environment also led them to seek ways to improve driver performance as a way to prevent the “big one” – the big one being a collision that could have catastrophic repercussions.

Why the SmartDrive® program is the Smart Choice for Verst Group Logistics

SmartDrive Safety provided a path to better driving, less risk as Verst looked for ways to reduce risky driving behavior and improve driving performance, they realized an on-board video system was an absolute necessity to gain real visibility on the road. After researching their options, Verst knew that they needed a systematic approach that would let them identify root causes behind driver behaviors.

“We lacked the ability to actually capture behavior changes with an event-triggered video system in the cab. And that’s the benefit of SmartDrive Safety to us,”
Chris Cusick, VP of Transporation.

SmartDrive Safety was the only solution that met all their concerns.  Verst made the decision to go with SmartDrive based on these three things: risk avoidance, risk prevention and risk management.

0
DOT Reportable Accidents
90
Decrease in Distracted Drivers
71
Reduction in Speeding Violations
100
Increase in Seatbelt Compliance

Targeted information fuels better driver performance

SmartDrive Safety captures the in-vehicle video data needed, with actionable insights, easy-to-use reports and real world metrics that are crucial to risk management at Verst. The easy-to-use SmartDrive interface, with customizable reporting, gives Verst management a way to focus on driving behaviors that need attention. The video clip scoring process, whereby SmartDrive scores observations after reviewing clips, generates actionable data for the Verst team of Driver Managers.
“I can’t stress how important SmartDrive has been to supplementing our safety culture. For our driver managers, it’s easy to use. The daily reports point us in the right direction for driver training,” said Shawn Hisle, Verst Operations Manager.

“We had a collision with one of our trucks and a pickup. The camera caught the pickup hit ting a guard rail and coming over the highway divider. That pickup driver tried to say our truck hit him. Once we reviewed the footage, it did show the pickup hit our truck. Police of ficers initially listed no fault, but once we showed them the video they faulted the pickup driver.”
Shawn Hisle, Operations Manager

The reports let driver coaches focus on specific areas of improvement, making coaching more timely and effective. Distracted driving? Fatigue? Speeding? Seatbelt compliance? All these unsafe behaviors and more can be easily addressed, and improved, during review sessions with drivers.
“If a driver has a near miss, or if they’re driving too close, those are the things I want to know about, so I have email alerts automatically sent to me by SmartDrive. I view them in a couple of minutes, and I pick out several that need coaching,” Hisle added.

Multiple driver exonerations, zero DOT reportable accident

Multiple driver exonerations are among the results the Verst safety team has seen since engaging SmartDrive and achieving the deeper understanding of driver behavior that they had been seeking.

  • Five drivers exonerations in 2012 with the help of SmartDrive videos (approximate cost avoidance $20 – 30K).
  • Downward trend in claims, with reductions in 2011 and 2012.
  • And perhaps most impressively, Verst achieved a zero DOT reportable accident rate (the number of DOT reportable incidents—tow, injury or fatality—divided by the miles driven) in 2012.

Clearly, having SmartDrive systems on board Verst vehicles led to dramatic improvements in their most important business goals: keeping the public and their drivers safe and lowering the risk of an extremely serious collision, aka the “big one.”

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