Ambulance Chasers with a Conscience

Did you know that Texas and California lead the USA in the number of fatal truck accidents yearly? Unsurprisingly, they also have the most significant rural areas, and all their statistics indicate that is where most accidents occur. In Texas alone, more than 400 people are killed and 8,000 injured annually in trucking-related accidents. Law firms dominate the top SEO rankings with their statistics and advice for cutting back on the billions in losses incurred during injury lawsuits. And while some tug at the emotional or fear strings more than others, they are increasingly combining forces with vehicle manufacturers and fleet management leaders to offer preventive practices that keep their clients moving and growing. Almost unilaterally, you will see a similar statement following their terrifying statistics: “What makes these numbers tragic is that the majority of these accidents were avoidable.”

The Reliability of the Lawyer and Insurance Claim Investigator

Personal injury lawyers need to be bar and board certified. Insurance investigators have continual accreditation to be able to practice. They both work with meticulous precision to investigate each truck-crash case. Their goal is to identify all possible accident fault sources and, of course, to get financial recovery so their clients get the money they need to keep on trucking. They claim to leave no stone unturned in this lucrative pursuit: inadequate driver training and management, poor road conditions, and improper maintenance or defective equipment. The final result is that they will find the problems and turn to fleet support companies to help them.

This finds mobile-reliant companies becoming even more accountable for every aspect of their fleet management programs, especially data accuracy. They are reaching beyond simpler fuel management systems to fully integrated fleet management software (FMS) with real-time data collection and preventive and predictive maintenance modules. The lawyers' and investigators' need to scrutinize data so closely drives them (pun intended!) to the FMS suppliers offering automated data capture, the best technical support, training, and user-friendly dashboards. Having accurate data is mandatory. Getting it and reporting it quickly and clearly is more than just innovative business; it’s becoming an industry requirement.

The continual-improvement-minded FMS supplier is delivering the power to keep their fleet moving and growing to the fleet manager. One of the most significant benefits of all these collaborations is a more accurate, cross-industry, fleet-specific set of reliable data statistics. The best fleet management practitioners are incorporating these findings into better preventive practices and keeping their fleets safer. They are more than ever able to proactively address the effects of poor truck maintenance and defective truck equipment with the help of fleet management systems like SM2.

The Reliability of the Information Collected

Fleet-reliant companies must keep accurate maintenance logs and/or regular inspection records to prove that all their interstate semis and/or local commercial vehicles operate correctly. These logs have delivered vital areas of concern and more apparent correlations on preventable accidents. 

Poor maintenance contributes to the following:

• Failing brakes
• Malfunctions in the steering equipment
• Tire inefficiency and/or blowouts
• Trailer problems affecting and/or affected by the safe transport of freight

In this last point, we find many interconnected issues contributing to accidents. Operating an overweight or overloaded truck, or one with improperly balanced or poorly restrained cargo, puts even more strain on the equipment. Did you know that an overweight truck has an increased chance of brake failure while trying to slow down suddenly? Attaching telemetric devices (VDU or ETU) to your onboard computers that send real-time data to your FMS is effective and efficient in tracking all such conditions affecting your fleet's smooth operations and recognizing where you can be proactive.

Poorly Maintained versus Defective

 According to many of the top search results on Google, injury lawyers and claims investigators are highly trained to recognize the difference between poorly maintained trucks and defective equipment. Though regular maintenance and precautions may be taken, defective equipment will sabotage many safety efforts. From defective tires and gears to brakes and load restraints, rest assured they have lists from the manufacturers about potential problems, recalls, and recommended maintenance requirements. Their thorough investigation will uncover the facts.

Each industry has something specific in its lists of concerns to watch for, and while there may even be an app for that specific issue, it remains more beneficial to the company and fleet manager to keep it all under one easy-to-use platform. Make sure to use an FMS  that is adaptable enough to accommodate your unique needs and can grow with you. For example, tanker fleets carrying hazardous materials, from gas to waste, must be extra vigilant for leakages. Neglecting this can lead to environmental fines and business loss due to reputation damage. For more information on adaptability, please contact us.

The Other Preventable Problems

Driver error, speeding, fatigue, distraction, and negligence play a role in many crashes. Knowing how to capture and retrain these driver behaviours can also be part of your fully integrated FMS. Leading companies like Republic Services have won awards for their fun and practical efforts to proactively train the safest fleet in North America, but even they need tools to help with the equipment. There are many ways an FMS can help you do this. For more information, please contact our support team at info@coencorp.com.

We can discuss your issues and concerns in more detail and advise a CMMS fleet maintenance software that will suit your company.

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