Purchasing trucks for carriers is often a purely financial decision. Carriers will evaluate how much they need to spend on their trucks in order to get the maximum value. One thing that often gets overlooked is purchasing new trucks with the latest ADAS features improves driver retention.
ADAS Lead to Fewer and Cheaper Accidents
“Research shows that the vast majority of motor vehicle accidents are tied to human error, and safety systems that are available on the market today save lives and can reduce damage,” said Kary Schaefer at her safety presentation for the TCA.
Getting in an accident is one of the biggest reasons that drivers switch careers. Collisions rattle rookie drivers and vets alike. It makes sense, would you want to stay at a job where you nearly lost your life, possibly hurt another person, and caused thousands of dollars in damage?
Trucks that are equipped with the latest Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are proven to experience fewer accidents, and when they do crash there is less damage. ADAS prevent accidents with system interventions. New trucks will stop on their own, gauge its own speed, and keep the truck in the proper lane.
Fleets that were experiencing average repair costs of $7,500 per accident saw that number drop to $300 per repair when they began using new ADAS technology.
Trucks that can keep drivers safe are trucks that keep drivers working for you. With the assistance of ADAS drivers will be far less likely to leave the career because they will not be in as many accidents. This helps you retain drivers and avoid idle trucks.
Truck Cabs are Safer With ADAS Cameras
The dangers of driving across the country scare away many promising drivers. One of these dangers is thievery. While drivers are stopped, it is common for them to have items stolen out of their truck cab. This leads to the drivers feeling like they are not safe.
External environmental cameras can be used to record information while the truck is not in motion, serving as a theft deterrent. People will not want to steal from trucks that catch them on camera.
Drivers that are in trucks with the latest safety features will no longer have to worry about their items being stolen. Experiencing a safer truck cab will keep drivers from leaving in fear.
Driver Position is Less Fatiguing With ADAS
In the past driving has been a physically taxing position. Driving through hazardous conditions was especially difficult because the truck did very little to help the driver steer.
New trucks now use active steering lane keep assist to make the driver’s job less fatiguing. Active steering provides slight adjustments to the steering that are prevalent at slow speeds and backing up. Lane keep assistance ensures the truck stays in the middle of the lane with hardly any effort from the driver.
With the new advanced driver assistance systems older drivers can now stay on the road instead of retiring. Older drivers will be physically capable of driving for much longer than in the past, keeping your fleet on the road.
Reduced Insurance Premiums Open Retention Funds
Commercial vehicle safety systems may reduce insurance premiums in the future. The reason that premiums will go down is because carriers can collect data from the truck and prove to their insurance providers that their trucks are getting in fewer accidents.
Advancing safety features on trucks saves your company money which can be used to your retention budget. As your company spends more on retention, your turnover rate will decrease.
Driver retention is one of the biggest factors that makes a carrier successful or not. Carriers should do everything in their power to keep turnover as low as possible. Having a fleet with the latest safety features improves driver retention. Accidents will happen less, cabs are safer, the driver position becomes less fatiguing, and your company will have more money to spend on retention.