Every single day, truck drivers take on the responsibility of delivering goods all over the country so businesses can continue to thrive and be as efficient as possible. Because truck drivers tackle such invaluable work, it is up to fleet management to ensure that drivers know they are appreciated, their hard work is being measured fairly, and they will be appropriately rewarded for their skills.
With a tool like True Fuel™, fuel economy can be effectively used to reward drivers for improving fuel efficiency, resulting in happier drivers, higher retention, and ultimately, a better bottom line as you cut fuel waste and save money. A gamified incentive program with True Fuel™ allows fleet managers to fairly assess and reward drivers for high-quality work and performance--something that has always been challenging for fleets to do when they only have MPG and telematics data at their disposal. When drivers know that their hard work is valued, they are more likely to remain within their fleet and deliver top-notch results. Show your fleet you care about the work they do and their happiness with friendly competition in your gamified incentive program.
A Successful Incentive Program
Driver incentive programs are more successful when there are real-time data tools like True Fuel™ in the cabin to alert drivers of poor driving choices they can correct to enhance their fuel efficiency performance. Treating incentive programs like a competitive game can help engage drivers to continue to make the behavioral changes from the real-time data they are receiving. When you gamify your driver incentive program, it creates a positive atmosphere that can help address some of the common concerns and frustrations that truck drivers and fleet managers often have, such as engagement and retention, all within existing budgets.
Engaged and Happy Drivers will Stay with your Fleet
While you cannot alleviate all of the daily pressures that drivers have to manage, you can reward them for the hard work they do and for helping you reduce one of your largest costs– fuel. An active driver incentive program does more than just help your bottom-line; it also keeps your drivers engaged and happy. Keeping drivers engaged on the road is essential to safety, as well as driver retention. Reports come out all the time stating what we all know to be true now; happy, motivated employees will do better work, be more efficient, and stay with your company longer than unmotivated employees.
In-Cabin Coaching to Improve Driver behaviors
Some drivers may feel like driver incentive programs are too childish for them or feel like they are being micromanaged. But when the program is positioned as a fair and constructive competition between drivers or simply as a fun way to compete against and improve their personal record, they are more likely to think of the program positively. A positive competition to achieve personal and company objectives using real-time data from behavior technology like True Fuel can take incentive programs to the next level and help drivers improve their performance. By creating your incentive program as an objective-based game, drivers will listen to the feedback to perform the best they can.
Conclusion
Truck driving is no easy job. But what sets the trucking industry apart from others is the unique, unparalleled, heart and passion that’s required of drivers. That’s why your drivers deserve to be rewarded and recognized for their hard work, and when they feel supported, they will likely stay with your fleet for a long time. Driver incentive programs are important for fleets that are not only looking for ways to optimize their fuel efficiency and positively impact their bottom line but also looking to increase driver satisfaction and to retain their drivers. The Vnomics team has first-hand experience working with fleets and drivers to reduce fuel waste and to improve driver engagement and happiness. Whether you are in the planning stages or looking to make improvements to an incentive program you are currently using, Vnomics can help you with all aspects of your driver incentive program and can help you gamify it!