Employee Spotlight
David Coleman, Director of Business Development
I joined GreenRoad because I want to solve real business problems. Vehicle accidents are an avoidable business expense that can have catastrophic impact to the lives of the people involved. Reducing risk means fewer accidents and potentially fewer accident related injuries and/or fatalities. Driving is likely the highest risk activity that a person engages in on a daily basis. GreenRoad‘s innovative technology, Safety Center, allows the driver to eliminate much of this risk.
Most, if not all employees are working hard for their companies. The old adage –“working hard does not always translate into working smart” – in our world translates into “working hard does not always mean driving smart”. Like most business problems, driving competency issues are being addressed with the best processes and technologies available. It takes a major innovation directed at that problem to reach a new level of operating efficiency. Prior to GreenRoad, there was no major technology innovation (1) identifying real-time driver skill gaps, (2) giving drivers visibility into the skill gaps that put them at risk and, (3) providing the drivers with tools to close the skill gaps that cause accidents. I am thrilled to be a part of the driving force behind this innovative technology.
In the absence of GreenRoad, the fleet industry has done the best with what has been available to date. Those best in class processes have been the identification of the riskiest drivers through anecdotal analysis of motor vehicle records, accident history and reconstruction, and driver assessment tools – and subsequently applying skills based training in some fashion. Most organizations are applying some level of risk analysis methodology for new hires and, to a lesser extent, applying some processes during the employment tenure. Unfortunately, the current products are less effective at eliminating accidents -as demonstrated by relatively no change in fleet accident rates per million vehicle miles traveled (MVMT), and the continual increase of insurance costs. At best, driver risk processes are directed at the enterprises ability to defend against the risk of putting people behind the wheel - specifically negligent entrustment exposure. This approach puts the needs of the company in front of the opportunity for the driver.
Most driver programs are seen as reactive and punitive to the driver. Risk identification is based on the data available from who’s “been caught” on their MVR, and/or who’s had an accident - an unpopular profiling process that singles people out after incidents occur. The team at GreenRoad has changed this dynamic through our product offering. GreenRoad’s Safety Center is an inclusive program that emphasizes driving as a professional skill that warrants constant attention and offers improvement goals in advance, and in avoidance of unfortunate events. Our product allows drivers to focus on driving as a professional skill, giving the driver transparent access to skill gaps and improvement goals. The driver is the first line of corporate risk defense.
We are empowering the driver to be the best - escalation to corporate coaching, or worse yet punitive measures, is an exception. This is a complete cultural reversal from any other product that is in the market today. Personally, it’s rewarding to work for a company that can say “yes, this is important; we are in fact saving lives”.
Prior to joining GreenRoad I considered myself a very good driver. With over 13 years of fleet management experience, the importance of being a conscientious driver had become engrained. I just knew that this would translate into being a green driver. However, Safety Center, after being installed in my vehicle, identified skill gaps in my driving that directly increased my exposure to risk. In the last 60 days, the in-vehicle feedback that I received from Safety Center has made me more conscious of every maneuver that heightens my risk behind the wheel. Today I am yellow driver actively working towards becoming a green driver by implementing the instantaneous feedback from Safety Center.
