So, You’ve Signed That Contract – What Should You Expect Next?

We catch up with Iron Mountain to find out…

Iron Mountain, UK installed GreenRoad in February 2011 and went live that March.

Q1. Why did you decide to go for it with GreenRoad?

We deployed GreenRoad’s service across our fleet of 430 HGVs and LCVs in the UK and Ireland in partnership with our insurance provider, Zurich – and Transport for London (TfL)’s Freight Operators Recognition Scheme (FORS), with the aim of cutting driver risk. GreenRoad offered exactly what we were looking for.  Using mobile and cloud technology, GreenRoad helps drivers self-improve. It provides drivers with instant feedback about unsafe maneuvers using the traffic light LEDs on the dashboard as well as detailed analysis and recommendations for drivers, depot managers and insurance partners online.

Q2. How was the project implemented?

GreenRoad provides its clients with change management experts who advise on how to change driver behavior. Rory Morgan, our National Logistics General Manager, led a campaign to educate drivers about GreenRoad and secure buy-in to ensure they would maximize results. This included group meetings and open discussions providing insight into GR and the objectives. These were supported by GreenRoad and additional FAQ and fact sheets were administered and backed up by a poster campaign.

Communications have continued with league tables, success stories around individual and/or location. Drivers have received individual rewards and recognition for continued excellence.

Rory and his team have weekly conference calls with their GreenRoad account manager to discuss results and new development. These are communicated via internal conference calls carried out regionally on a fortnightly basis.

GreenRoad suggests that a driver recording a score of below 20 from his/her duty time will have driven in a far more safer and defensive manner. Rory and his team introduced a subset of the ‘Green’ score to further embrace the system and whet drivers’ appetites. We consistently have circa 75% of drivers scoring an average of less than 10.

We are now working with GreenRoad to create an international ‘Elite’ driver table built over a year’s record of low scoring to assist in further engagement of drivers and reward their enthusiasm.

Q3. How was the success of the project measured and what were the tangible results?

Iron Mountain recorded vehicle incidents down by 10.68% on the previous 12 months and own-damage costs by £28,000 (24.63%) year on year. Third party claims were also reduced by £72,000 (15%) over the same period. Comparing the 2nd half of 2011 with the previous year the incident reduction was over 20%.

Moreover, the figures are still improving with own-damage and third party costs reduced more dramatically in the second half of 2011 compared to the previous year – by 36% and 43% respectively.

We were one of the first fleets to deploy GreenRoad’s Speed by Speed Zone feature across its fleet to highlight any speed violations by drivers. Violations reduced from March to December 2011 by 44% with the average speed violation going from one violation every 105 miles to one every 189 miles.  We now have a target of getting this to zero.

GreenRoad have informed us that we can claim to be their lowest risk customer with a phenomenal 95% of its 443 drivers consistently green and blue. Of the 23 drivers who are not in this category at the moment, all but one are amber.

To top it all, while working on these change management initiatives, we did not lose sight of our focus on the customer and maintained an on-time service level of 99.97%

Q4. What resources were used, e.g. how much time/financial input was required – and, if resources were scarce, how was this surmounted?

We completed a pilot with GreenRoad on 20 vehicles based in the South West during 2010. Results of 14% MPG improvement and just three very minor vehicle incidents were recorded. Thus a business proposal was presented to the senior team with the aim of duplicating those results, and thereby providing a fast return on investment whilst recording huge operational benefits through fuel use, vehicle incident / off road and maintenance reductions.

Driver and system management training was provided and a continual focus is required to ensure the company benefits to the maximum. Regular refresher training and/or development updates are carried out along with fortnightly review calls held regionally to ensure focus.

Rory states that the underlying message is that yes the GreenRoad system has to be managed and would fail without management focus, but the time and subsequent stress saved by employing the system and using it to its maximum is overriding. With the vast majority of drivers consistently recording low scores day in day out means that the management teams and regional driver trainers need only concentrate on other areas.

Reduction of vehicle incidents, reduced driver stress levels and an excellent customer service record mean increased work time  for management teams where previously time would be taken up from subsequent incident investigations etc

Q5. Is there any other information you would like to add?

Since working with GreenRoad, Iron Mountain has been recognized with a number of awards including:
·   2012 Fleet Safety Forum’s Safe Vehicles Award from Brake.
·   2011 Fleet News ‘Fleet of the Year 250-500 vehicles’
·   2011 Brake Awards for Excellence
·   2011 Motor Transport ‘Van Fleet Operator’ –  Highly commended
·   Member of Van Excellence Governance committee
·   GreenFleet Magazine Private Sector Fleet (250-500 vehicles) of the Year Award 2010 and 2011
·   The GR system has full support top down within Iron Mountain and Rory was presented with the company’s ‘International Presidents’ award for 2011 for his work on driver and risk reduction initiatives and particularly the introduction of GreenRoad

Iron Mountain management is reviewing how to use the results to further encourage a continuous improvement culture amongst the drivers.

“Managing work-related road risks is not a short-term fix, and has to be reassessed on an on-going basis to ensure that any reductions in claims and collisions are sustainable, and so that further improvements can be made,” said Andy Price, Practice Leader – Motor Fleet, Zurich Risk Engineering and Iron Mountain insurance partner. “With Iron Mountain’s investment in in-house driver trainers, and a wide range of risk reduction strategies in place or being planned, the business remains focused on ensuring that the impressive reductions continue.”

Iron Mountain is also looking at expanding the deployment internationally.