Mobile fleet management is revolutionizing the transportation and logistics industry by helping companies tackle their toughest challenges, with Roadcheck being one of the most significant. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s International Roadcheck program has been keeping U.S. highways safe for the past 28 years. It requires commercial truck drivers to periodically pull over at checkpoints and show their commercial driver’s licenses, medical cards, log books and the interior and exterior of their rigs. More than 3,000 of these inspections happen on highways every single day. Noncompliant drivers can be held for minutes, hours or even days if their rigs and credentials aren’t up to snuff. Infractions are reflected in the fleet’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability score, which is measured by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and is the first thing potential clients look at when searching for a trucking company.
The Roadcheck Roadblock
Preparing for Roadcheck is a responsibility that typically falls onto drivers’ shoulders. They make sure they have all the necessary paperwork, identification cards and permits before hitting the road. Unfortunately, due to the paper-based nature of this process, simple mistakes occur more often than desired. According to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, more than 46 percent of total out-of-service violations relate to hours-of-service tracking, and another 21 percent relate to a lack of shipping papers for hazardous materials.
If drivers forget just one document, that seemingly small mistake could cost them and your company a lot of money and freeze your shipment for an indefinite amount of time. In 2014 alone, Roadcheck inspections resulted in close to 19 percent of vehicles and almost 5 percent of drivers being placed out of service.
Thankfully, advances in mobile fleet management technology have made Roadcheck compliance easier than ever. Comply365’s mobile platform, installed on Samsung Galaxy tablets, enables drivers and companies to send, receive and record information in real time, regardless of the hour or day. This does wonders toward preventing mistakes and enables a quick response when they do happen.
Here are four main benefits of adding a digital mobile fleet management solution to your arsenal:
1. Paperless Documentation
Many mobile Roadcheck platforms house a centralized digital database of all commercial driver’s licenses, health cards, permits, registrations and other necessary documents. Possessing all of this information in paper form is messy, bulky and can lead to human error. A paperless approach reduces the risk of a mistake, is better for the environment and prevents potentially huge financial and productivity losses.
2. Quick, Easy Communication
Communication is always important, and in order to properly manage a fleet, you must be able to quickly and securely send messages and documents to your drivers and various other parties. Centralized databases allow fleet management easy access to documents that can be distributed with the click of a button. Also, some mobile solutions have real-time chat features that are safe for enterprise use and allow drivers to quickly communicate urgent needs.
3. Real-Time Compliance and Safety Tracking
Digital forms provide an opportunity to make updates and adjustments in real time. Mobile platforms can instantaneously input the results of Roadcheck inspections into the system, which makes it much easier to track the overall health of your fleet, schedule proper maintenance, reduce overall costs and improve overall efficiency.
4. Consolidated Information
Juggling every necessary element of proper road compliance is a tall task. Mobile solutions house all the communication tools, knowledge banks and documentation in one clean, well-organized place. Drivers have full access to everything without needing to search their entire cabin and rifle through paperwork.
Modernize and enhance your Roadcheck preparation efforts by going paperless, boosting your ability to communicate, keeping real-time records of all inspections and housing all your important documents and tools in one central location. The roads are full of bumps and obstacles. The right mobile fleet management solution can save you the headache of hefty fines and halted hauls.
