DHL Delivers on Fleet Safety

The recent Australasian Fleet Management Association 2016 Fleet Safety Awards saw a well deserved win for DHL Australia.  Using a simple combination of driver safety awareness & training and intelligent use of telematics, DHL’s Kasey Caston reduced the crash rate by 50% within a year. These type of initiatives have become significantly more important in NZ too, particularly in regard to the increased obligations of the H&S at Work Act.  Most fleet operators and fleet service providers appreciate that the vehicle is “a place of work” but are still lagging behind when it comes to implementing both the preventative and responsive products and services available in the NZ market.  We’ve included below a copy of AFMA’s recent coverage of DHL Australia’s successes. DHL New Zealand – we need to talk…

Australasian Fleet Management Association

The 2016 Fleet Safety Award has been won by DHL Supply Chain and Kasey Caston.

DHL’s Caston helped the supply chain business achieve big safety goals in establishing on-board vehicle monitoring coupled with a safe driver reward program to successfully drive down accident rates and improve safety culture.

“It’s pretty special to be nominated and thank you for seeing our potential,” Kasey said. “Without the support of our team we couldn’t have done this. It’s flattering to know we’ve made such a big difference in keeping our drivers safe.”

The reward program used positive reinforcement to change attitudes and prevent accidents. Telematics helped identify risky behavior, recorded excessive idle, heavy braking, dramatic acceleration and speeding. These programs saw DHL halve its accident rate in distance driven and per 100 vehicles, plus the average cost per vehicle as a by-product.

Fleet managers, supplier figures and affiliated business people filled the Doltone House venue. AFMA Executive Director Mace Hartley was ecstatic with the like-minded turnout.

“It’s great that people are putting first their drivers, their staff and the world around us,” Hartley said. “While doing all this, we want to acknowledge how their actions are also benefiting their business. Seeing all these organisations and their people come together is a promising sight.”

Safety of people in the vehicular workplace is a vitally important duty of care for employers of any business, organisation or company fleet.

Dan Hawkins, general manager customer care with FleetCare, said their backing of the award was a no-brainer.

“It was the quickest decision our business made to side with ANCAP,” he said. “We could never understand why anybody would buy a vehicle that wasn’t five-star rated.”

Wendy Machin, ANCAP CEO said the rating system isn’t just for the land Down Under.

“I was at a conference a few years ago by a Brazilian car club, and their jaws were on the ground about how we can crash test and assess vehicles to keep people safe because they were getting European cars without safety options,” Machin said, “So we’re taking our message beyond Australia and seeing great changes.”

AFMA sincerely congratulates the organisations and their very worthy winners of the 2016 Fleet Awards.