Fleet businesses are currently facing historic driver shortages.

In October 2021, the American Trucking Association estimated the deficit was at 80,000 drivers.^[1] They predict it may surpass 160,000 by 2028. As a result of these issues, the Biden administration made the worsening driver shortage a national policy priority.

While it can be challenging in the current climate, businesses that cultivate a positive image in this highly competitive labor market position themselves to effectively navigate driver shortages. One of the best ways to do this is to prioritize fleet driver safety.

That is why NexTraq®—a MICHELIN® group company — offers NexTraq Fleet Defender, the newest advanced telematics solution that enables you to effectively combat driver shortages and drastically enhance how your business is viewed by drivers, customers, and the public.

Improving Fleet Driver Safety Is Key to Recruiting and Retaining Drivers

Employees working in trucking industries consider fleet driver safety a top concern, as the job has the potential to put their lives and livelihoods at stake. In 2020, large trucks accounted for twice as many fatal crashes as other registered vehicles. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), unsafe driving behavior is the root cause of 88% of large truck crashes[2].

As a result, it is critical to employ advanced telematics solutions to help empower your crews to reduce unsafe driving behavior, correct instances of distracted driving, and significantly reduce the risk of getting involved in an incident.

With NexTraq Fleet Defender, you can help mitigate human error, improve your fleet driver safety record, and earn a well-deserved reputation as a caring employer to help enhance your brand image.

When you prioritize fleet driver safety, your employees feel valued and are less likely to leave your business, allowing you to attract and retain top performers. Use this information to identify which drivers deserve recognition and reward them for their efforts. By doing this, you will boost employee morale and enhance your image as a desirable employer, allowing you to successfully combat the current driver shortages.

Prioritizing Fleet Driver Safety Boosts Your Reputation with Customers and the Public

The success of your business lies in keeping your customers satisfied. If they do not receive their products or services on time due to adverse incidents on the road, it may impact their willingness to work with your business in the future. It may also cause you to gain an unfavorable public reputation, which will negatively impact your bottom line.

By prioritizing fleet driver safety, you can coach your employees to avoid risky driving behavior. This enables you to prevent incidents before they occur so you can reduce delivery delays, streamline operations, and increase productivity.

By utilizing advanced telematics solutions, you can provide the absolute best in customer service, which will enhance your profitability and safeguard the reputation of your business – ensuring your continued success for years to come.

Use NexTraq Fleet Defender to Improve Fleet Driver Safety

NexTraq Fleet Defender utilizes next-generation technology to help your business improve fleet driver safety so you can boost your earning potential and enhance your brand reputation.

• Distracted Driver Assistance

Get access to the latest Machine Vision + Artificial Intelligence (MV+AI) technology to alert your drivers in real time when they are exhibiting unsafe or distracted driving behaviors on the road. This in-cab alert will be triggered if your employees are eating, drinking, smoking, texting while driving, not wearing a seat belt, harsh braking, hard accelerating, or making sharp turns. This helps to coach your drivers to correct these behaviors to prevent adverse incidents to protect your brand, employees, and vehicles.

• High-Definition Video Footage

With live video streaming from dual, road-facing and driver-facing cameras, you will receive a comprehensive view of what is happening on the road and inside the cabin. This footage is taken and stored in the NexTraq Web Portal, where it is indexed and can be retrieved by vehicle, date, and time. Use this information to identify which drivers need coaching or reward those that are exhibiting positive behaviors behind the wheel.

Enhance Your Brand Image to Promote the Success of Your Business

By prioritizing fleet driver safety, you can effectively navigate the current driver shortages, improve customer service, and enhance your brand reputation to boost your bottom line and make your business successful.

Contact NexTraq today or schedule a demo to learn how NexTraq Fleet Defender can help you improve fleet driver safety and preserve the reputation of your business.

[1] https://www.trucking.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/ATA%20Driver%20Shortage%20Report%202021%20Executive%20Summary.FINAL_.pdf

[2] https://patrafficsafety.org/aggressive-driving-news/aggressive-driving-heavy-truck-enforcement-2019/

The trucking industry is currently facing a driver shortage crisis, and it’s only getting worse.

As a fleet owner or operator, this will drastically impact your business. If you’re seeking a solution to combat this issue, look no further.

NexTraq®—a MICHELIN® group company—offers video telematics solutions that improve driver safety to protect your employees, vehicles, and the future success of your business.

With NexTraq Fleet Defender, you will receive the reporting and insights you need to identify your top performers. By acknowledging and rewarding these drivers, you will make them feel prioritized and boost their morale, reducing turnover and cultivating a satisfied workforce that will stay with your business long-term.

The Issue: Driver Shortages

The American Trucking Association has estimated that the current driver shortages have reached historic highs. More than 80,000 drivers are needed to make up the shortfall in 2022, and this estimate is expected to surpass the 160,000 drivers needed by 2030[1]. These drastic shortages are attributed to many factors including high demand for drivers, a retiring workforce, and a lack of new employees joining the industry.

As a result of this issue, you must implement strategies to help you recruit and retain drivers for your fleet business. With the use of video telematics, you can prioritize driver safety to enhance employee morale, reduce costs, and streamline your operations.

Video Telematics Play a Critical Role in Combating Driver Shortages

NexTraq’s video telematics provides mobile workforce solutions that give you a comprehensive view of how your fleet is performing on the road.

Using advanced technology, these telematics monitor driver behavior to detect and discourage distracted driving behind the wheel. Using advanced technology, these metrics and insights are uploaded and stored in the NexTraq Web Portal.

Use this information to coach your drivers on safer practices. This will not only improve their performance but will also make them feel that their safety is a priority. This not only boosts their morale and decreases employee turnover, but also reduces the costs associated with hiring and training new drivers.

These metrics can also be used to recognize drivers that are performing above and beyond expectation. By acknowledging and rewarding the employees that are exhibiting safe behaviors, you will make them feel valued and motivate them to stay with your fleet and continue performing at their highest capacity.

Use NexTraq Fleet Defender to Help Your Business Thrive

NexTraq Fleet Defender is the newest video telematics offering that employs next-generation technology to prioritize driver safety, optimize operations, and enhance the profitability of your business.

Using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Vision (MV+AI) technology, NexTraq Fleet Defender comes equipped with driver- and road-facing cameras so you will receive a comprehensive view of what is happening on the road and inside the cabin.

This high-definition video footage will be taken and stored in the NexTraq Web Portal so you will have the actionable insights and data you need to identify which drivers need additional coaching or reward those that are exhibiting exemplary behavior behind the wheel.

NexTraq Fleet Defender also comes equipped with an alert system that is designed to correct driver behavior in real-time. This includes the detection of smoking, eating, drinking, texting while driving, speeding, hard cornering, and harsh acceleration.

When incidents occur, drivers will receive a notification to correct their behavior. If the behavior persists, they will receive a second alert and a ten-second video will be recorded and made available for you to view in the NexTraq Web Portal.

This information will be indexed and can be retrieved by vehicle, date, and time so you will receive a detailed view of what happened on the road and how your drivers reacted to the event. This information will also be organized into safety reports so you can review fleet performance by driver, vehicle, or fleet.

With this comprehensive data available right at your fingertips, you can use this information to prioritize driver safety, retain top-quality employees, and reduce turnover to ensure you maintain a strong workforce.

NexTraq Provides Top Video Telematics Solutions Your Business Needs

By implementing NexTraq’s video telematics solutions, you can combat the driver shortage, reduce costs, and optimize operations to secure the prolonged profitability and success of your fleet business.

Interested in learning additional information about NexTraq Fleet Defender? Contact NexTraq or schedule a demo today to get started.

[1] https://www.trucking.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/ATA%20Driver%20Shortage%20Report%202021%20Executive%20Summary.FINAL_.pdf

NexTraq provides the best fleet tracking solutions so you can get a comprehensive view of your entire fleet.

You can drill down to the diagnostics and monitor the performance of each vehicle to ensure it is operating at maximum efficiency. Optimize routing based on real-time driving conditions to reduce fuel consumption. And let your customers know your drivers’ ETA so your business can deliver first-class services.

But what if you could have eyes inside the vehicle and see what your drivers see?

Imagine the difference it would make to have the power to view road conditions and monitor driver behavior without leaving your desk — or even from your smartphone.

NexTraq®—a MICHELIN® group company—brings you its best fleet tracking solution. With NexTraq Fleet Defender, you can improve driver safety and enhance the performance of your fleet operations.

Promote Driver Safety with Intelligent AI-Powered Cameras

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics, in 2019 over 3,100 people were killed and close to 424,000 people were injured in crashes involving distracted drivers in the United States[1]. That is why any effort to reduce distracted driving has the potential to save lives.

NexTraq Fleet Defender utilizes next-generation technology powered by machine vision and artificial intelligence (MV+AI) to help detect unsafe driving behavior.

NexTraq Fleet Defender uses advanced algorithms to determine when drivers are engaging in distracted driving, including using their smartphones, eating, drinking, smoking, or not wearing their seatbelts. When these behaviors are detected, two in-cabin alerts are triggered to encourage drivers to cease these activities and refocus their attention on the road.

Dual driver- and road-facing cameras capture high-definition footage, which is analyzed by AI in real-time to detect unsafe driving behavior. A live view is then fed into the NexTraq Web Portal, so you get a complete picture of what is happening.

Use this information to coach your drivers on safer practices. By installing NexTraq Fleet Defender, the best fleet tracking solution, you can enhance driver safety.

NexTraq Fleet Defender Adds Visibility and Transparency to Your Fleet Operations

With so many commercial fleets on the road, it is inevitable that incidents will occur from time to time.

When this happens, you want to be prepared with all the information you need to understand the moments before, during, and after an incident so you can best protect your drivers and your business.

With NexTraq Fleet Defender, you will be provided with HD video footage from the road and inside the vehicle. This can go a long way towards helping you gain a comprehensive understanding of what caused the incident.

This video footage, plus the GPS location of the incident, can then be used to help protect your drivers against false accusations.

With NexTraq Fleet Defender, your drivers will have access to a driver upload button that gives them the autonomy to begin recording an event. They can upload video of relevant events that may not have been uploaded automatically for situations including being late on a shift, incidents, etc.

This footage is automatically archived, then made available via the NexTraq Web Portal. The footage can then be used send to your insurance company. Many managers even share incidents of unsafe driving events with drivers for coaching opportunities. This is especially helpful to show them what actions need improvement to sharpen their driving skills.

Get the Fleet Tracking Solutions You Need with NexTraq — a MICHELIN Group Company

By investing in NexTraq Fleet Defender, you can measure, manage, and improve your fleet performance to enhance driver safety, boost visibility, and increase the profitability of your business.

Contact NexTraq today or schedule a demo to learn how NexTraq Fleet Defender uses advanced technology to enhance the capabilities of your fleet tracking system.

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/distracted_driving/index.html

Where are trucks and crews? Fleet management platforms have greatly evolved in just the last few years.

Today, telematics solutions utilize GPS technology, diagnostics, and smart mobile apps to harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI). With these advancements, you can implement top-of-the-line fleet management technology to streamline your operations and enhance fleet productivity.

NexTraq®—a MICHELIN® group company—integrates the latest technological innovations in its solutions to provide you with the optimized tracking, routing, and driver safety features you need to make your fleet business a success.

Fleet Management Platforms Pair with Smart Apps for Improved Visibility

Whether you’re in the office or on the go, mobile apps on your smartphone or tablet enable you to track your entire fleet and view the location of your vehicles in real-time. All the while, the smart apps on your drivers’ mobile phones provide them with the up-to-the-minute data they need to maximize their productivity.

These apps, along with several third-party software solutions, are powered in part by the data provided by the NexTraq fleet management platform. These integrations are made possible via APIs.

Armed with this information, you can easily communicate route or job schedule changes to your drivers, as well as ETAs to customers. These smart apps are powerful enough to provide you with a metrics dashboard with detailed information for complete visibility.

Track your fleet at all times using the most advanced fleet management platforms straight from your smartphone with the NexTraq^® Connect^TM app.

Fleet Management Platforms Link with GPS Systems for Optimized Routing

NexTraq utilizes GPS technology, along with satellite and 4G LTE cellular networks, to communicate the location of fleet vehicles and other assets. This enables the system to calculate the best route based on distance and traffic conditions to minimize fuel consumption, reduce vehicle wear and tear, and decrease travel time.

With NexTraq fleet management solutions, your drivers will be assigned optimized routes. Powered by Google™ Maps, the most efficient route will automatically be sent to their Garmin^® devices and the NexTraq^® Connect™ app. If a delay or a traffic jam is detected, they will easily be rerouted as determined by real-time conditions to save money, time, and fuel.

Fleet Management Platforms Use Advanced MV + AI Technologies to Enhance Safety

We all use AI technology every day when we ask Siri®, Alexa®, or Google to answer a question or play music. Machine Vision (MV) technology provides the ability to document specific unsafe or distracted driving behaviors using one or more HD video cameras. These can include eating, drinking, or texting while driving.

In essence, AI is used as the brain behind the camera’s eyes to analyze video footage and identify specific patterns or driver behaviors.

Advanced technologies such as MV+AI work together to detect undesirable driving behaviors in real-time. These fleet management platform technologies enable fleet managers to provide coaching that encourages driver safety.

How NexTraq Fleet Defender Mitigates Distracted Driving

NexTraq Fleet Defender is the latest addition to NexTraq’s advanced and easy-to-use telematics tools aimed at promoting safer driving. NexTraq Fleet Defender identifies problematic driver behavior in real-time to help reduce risk and avoid mistakes on the road.

NexTraq Fleet Defender’s AI-powered intelligent cameras detect events such as:

• • Use of handheld devices
  • Lack of seatbelt
  • Smoking
  • Eating or drinking
  • Distracted driving behaviors

If these incidents are detected, they trigger real-time alerts to the driver to correct their behavior. As the fleet manager, you will receive a pop-up notification regarding the incident with the ability to review footage and additional information through the NexTraq Web Portal.

Use this information to coach your drivers on safer practices so you can simultaneously protect your employees and your business.

Utilize NexTraq Fleet Management Platforms to Improve Visibility and Driver Safety

Over 6,000 companies use NexTraq fleet management platforms in the United States and Canada. The NexTraq Fleet Defender now brings the most advanced MV+AI technology to provide the best risk prevention technology across all fleet industries.

To learn additional information about how you can utilize NexTraq fleet management platforms to improve operations and enhance the profitability of your business, contact NexTraq today or schedule a demo.

The role of a fleet manager is equal parts conductor and juggler.

You must direct the fleet drivers to their destinations, providing optimized itineraries and updated routes whenever necessary. You must also balance speed of delivery and customer satisfaction with fuel economy and driver safety.

If a vehicle breaks down or gets delayed, you must locate the nearest backup vehicle and get it there, fast.

With NexTraq®—a MICHELIN® group company—you can implement the latest telematics system in cars and fleet vehicles for maximum fleet productivity and to promote driver safety.

Installing a Telematics System in Cars and Trucks Improves Routing and Dispatching

Fuel prices have reached a record high with no respite in sight. Fleet managers cannot afford to waste fuel through poor fleet routing. But with many vehicles on the road making multiple stops each day, or with itineraries subject to change, improving the dispatching and routing of your fleet vehicles is easier said than done.

Installing the right telematics system in cars and trucks can make all the difference. A comprehensive GPS fleet tracking and mobile workforce management solution allows you to optimize routing and dispatching in real-time, saving money on unnecessary wear and tear of your fleet vehicles, as well as on fuel prices.

With NexTraq® Dispatch™, you can easily schedule jobs and communicate them to your drivers. With NexTraq® Fleet Routing, drivers receive destinations and work tickets using a GPS tracking system to calculate the best itinerary.

Stops are scheduled for each vehicle and optimized routes are communicated to drivers’ in-vehicle Garmin^® devices or through the NexTraq^® Connect^TM mobile app on their tablet or smartphone. NexTraq fleet routing allows your crews to complete more jobs in one day, increasing revenue. Workers can even capture photos and signatures as proof of delivery using NexTraq® Verify™.

NexTraq telematics systems are powered by Google Maps™ and provide up-to-date map and traffic information, helping drivers avoid delays to maximize productivity. Using NexTraq telematics systems in cars and trucks helps you track your drivers throughout the day and improve customer service with more accurate ETA information.

A Telematics System in Cars and Trucks Improves Driver Safety and Fleet Visibility

Since 2017, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) electronic logging devices (ELDs) mandate may require on-board recording devices in your vehicles to track hours of service.

While excessive tiredness is a safety issue, so is distracted driving. NexTraq helps our customers prevent drivers from texting on company-issued mobile devices when they’re behind the wheel. In-cab buzzers are utilized to remind drivers to correct their behavior if they are driving too aggressively.

Driver safety is a key component of every NexTraq telematics system in cars and trucks to ensure your drivers and vehicles are always protected.

Introducing NexTraq Fleet Defender

NexTraq Fleet Defender takes driver safety and accountability to the next level.

As with all NexTraq products, the NexTraq Fleet Defender is designed for ease of use. It includes a windshield-mounted, high-definition camera that seamlessly connects to the NexTraq Web Portal to access footage of events on the road. Real-time video is also available for times supervisors need visibility of driving conditions, situations at the job site, and more.

Along with automatic detection of harsh braking, aggressive acceleration, sharp turns, or jolts, NexTraq Fleet Defender also reminds drivers to refrain from eating, drinking, or smoking while driving.

With the use of a trigger button, NexTraq Fleet Defender allows the drivers the ability to start recording video manually. With this feature, you can view live footage or retrieve archived video recordings directly from the NexTraq Web Portal.

In addition to encouraging safer driving, video provides your employees with footage of specific events that occur while they’re on the road.

A Telematics System in Cars and Trucks Promotes Safer Driving and Improves Fleet Performance

Your telematics system should instill confidence in the way you manage your fleet. NexTraq Fleet Defender brings peace of mind to you and your drivers by prioritizing fleet safety and maximizing driver performance.

Ready to make the most of the latest technology from NexTraq? Contact NexTraq today or schedule a demo to learn how you can maximize the productivity and safety of your fleet operations.

As fleet businesses face increasingly challenging operational environments, NexTraq®—a MICHELIN® group company—is dedicated to breaking new ground in fleet management technology.

By incorporating the latest technological advancements in its fleet management systems, NexTraq products continue to lead the way in both features and functionality.

When you invest in NexTraq technology, you will improve driver safety, enhance fleet visibility, and prolong the life of your fleet vehicles to optimize operations and increase your profitability.

Improve Driver Safety

There is no greater priority than the safety of your drivers and fleet vehicles. With NexTraq driver safety solutions, you will always know when your vehicles are being driven aggressively—whether the issue is speeding, hard braking, harsh cornering, and more.

• Receive alerts if a vehicle has been idling for an extended time.
• Know if a vehicle is speeding or braking too hard.
• Track aggressive driving behavior.
• Monitor seat belt usage.

Along with detecting dangerous driving behaviors, you can also monitor for signs of distracted driving and coach your employees to protect them while preventing adverse incidents on the road and minimizing liability risks.

Enhance Fleet Visibility and Productivity

Fleet management technology is increasingly focused on utilizing data to find solutions that improve efficiency. As your vehicles are the backbone of your business, you must understand where your fleet is and who is behind the wheel at all times.

With NexTraq fleet visibility and productivity solutions, you will always have a complete picture of your fleet operations, from routing and dispatching coordination, driver behavior monitoring, and geofencing and mapping capabilities.

Receive real-time alerts and access to critical data through the online dashboard and mobile app so you are empowered to make better decisions that improve productivity and reduce costs.

Mobile Workforce Management

Before the rise of mobile workforce solutions, fleet management companies were limited in the type of reporting and information they could access. Now, with the NexTraq mobile workforce platform, you will have all the information you need to manage your fleet easily and effectively from a computer or smartphone app.

With innovative mobile workforce management solutions, you can monitor vehicles and drivers from wherever you are to ensure operations are always running smoothly.

Manage Maintenance and ELD Compliance

Proper maintenance is essential to prolonging the life of your fleet vehicles. However, keeping up with inspection schedules can be challenging, especially if you manage a larger fleet.

With NexTraq maintenance and ELD compliance solutions, you will receive the suite of tools and modules you need to simplify vehicle maintenance. These solutions will help you avoid costly repairs by alerting you to potential issues before they become real problems.

With NexTraq maintenance and compliance solutions, you can:

• View vehicle health status in real-time.
• Receive diagnostic alerts that identify engine issues.
• Monitor maintenance schedules.

NexTraq ELD compliance solutions help fleet management companies meet the requirements of the ELD mandate.

Some of the key features of the ELD solution include:

• Simple installation and use.
• Hours of Service (HOS) compliance.
• Texting capabilities for drivers and dispatch teams.
• Ability to integrate with other telematics systems.

NexTraq Fleet Defender—The Ultimate Fleet Management Solution

The NexTraq Fleet Defender is the latest advancement in the NexTraq suite of fleet management solutions. The NexTraq Fleet Defender provides a new and superior level of visibility into road conditions and driving behavior.

Designed to protect both drivers and employers, the NexTraq Fleet Defender combines real-time video and archived footage to enhance driver safety, improve visibility, and mitigate risks.

The NexTraq Fleet Defender provides:

• Driver-facing views to better understand driver behavior.
• Forward-facing views for awareness of road hazards, traffic delays, or weather conditions.
• Advanced AI-powered, HD cameras to detect unsafe driving.
• GPS tracking to show where unsafe driving occurred.
• Downloadable HD videos to show precisely what occurred on the road and in the vehicle—before, during, and after an incident.
• Video evidence to help protect the company and drivers from fraudulent claims.

Receive the Fleet Management Solutions Your Business Needs with NexTraq

NexTraq continually looks to the future, providing innovative solutions to help your business thrive in a demanding, evolving environment.

The NexTraq Fleet Defender offers another layer of protection and visibility into your drivers’ performance and incidents involving your vehicles to enhance operations and protect the profitability of your business.

Contact NexTraq today or schedule a demo to see how you can bring your fleet into the future with advanced fleet management technology.