What You Should Know Before Sending Techs Out on the Road

Written By Service Fusion

Topic Dispatch Software, Safety,

Everybody thinks they’re a good driver until an accident happens. This could be true of your technicians as well, but how are managers and supervisors really supposed to know how well their employees operate their service vehicle? It may seem tedious but ensuring that your employees are driving safely on the road could save you a lot of money down the line.

Technicians who drive safely are more likely to avoid wrecks and keep their customers’ service appointments. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 1,700 occupational transportation deaths occur every year. Technicians that drive recklessly pose a risk to themselves, the company, and other drivers, so it’s time to make sure your employees are abiding by the rules of the road.

For legal and safety purposes, the next step in training your technicians should be to administer a road test. Keeping safety standards at the forefront of business operations will drastically improve workplace safety and allow day to day operations to run smoother.

Perform an Evaluation

Administering a driving test may seem out of the ordinary for a business, but it’s the safest and most precise way to evaluate your staff’s driving abilities. Since driving tests are already organized by municipal transportation departments, you’ll already have everything you need! To obtain your local agency’s road test checklist, just do a quick search online. Of course, most agencies use a fairly standard set of metrics when reviewing driver performance, so it should be at least familiar to everyone on your team.

The Missouri Department of Transportation advised that when employers are in the vehicle with their technicians, they should make sure their techs know how to operate key features like the headlights and windshield wipers. Additionally, fill your techs in on the gauges and what they represent in case they’ve never learned that information before or need a reminder. Keep in mind that even if this training and evaluation is just a refresher for your techs, it is essential that your workers understand the service vehicles they drive. This will also help you quickly recognize any developing mechanical issues that may have been causing problems before.

When you do start driving with your employees during the evaluation, there are several safety aspects to look for:

• Check to see how they handle four-way stops and other common roadway situations
• See how well they can perpendicular and parallel park
• Assess how close they stay within the speed limit

If you live in a particularly snowy region, it might be beneficial to add a winter-driving portion to your test as well. Your driving test and evaluation can help determine whether or not your employees are ready for the road, but if you find that some are lacking in either technical road skills or knowledge, there are additional steps you can take.

Offering Extra Advice

Occasionally, we let some traffic rules slip if we aren’t avid about remembering them. Everyone knows that texting and driving is definitely not allowed, but if several cars approach a four way stop at the same time, do you remember whether it starts clockwise or counterclockwise for who goes first? If this sounds like some of your employees, you should give them specific feedback on their driving performance.

In order make sure your technicians are getting the training they need for efficient and safe day to day performance, consider developing a driver safety program tailored to your operation. These training programs should always include a certification portion to validate driver performance, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Overall, driving tests and safety programs will keep your workers and others safe as they navigate communities.

Monitor, Evaluate, and Grow with GPS Fleet Tracking

For even more supervision as your techs go to and from their service jobs, consider implementing Service Fusion’s GPS Fleet Tracking software. This software technology is just one of many useful tools that can help ensure your technicians are operating their service vehicles efficiently. Save your business time and money by gaining visibility into your mobile workforce and improve driving behavior, reduce fuel costs, prevent unauthorized use, and more.

This feature also allows you to provide your customers the visibility and information they desire. With ‘Track My Tech’ from Service Fusion, your customers can see how far away your technician is, an estimated time of arrival, their name, and even a picture of them. In addition, provide your customers the ability to contact your technicians directly. For more information visit our GPS Fleet Tracking product tour page!