Though times and technology continue to change, there’s one priority that remains constant when it comes to commercial trucking: driver safety. Every year, the trucking industry sees thousands of accidents on the road, leading to significant financial losses and, more importantly, endangering and costing lives. Providing commercial drivers the tools they need to do their jobs safely and efficiently is critical to fleet operations.
While there may be a number of reasons why an accident occurs, incorporating technology into fleet operations can significantly decrease risks and improve overall safety, no matter the cause. Trimble’s CoPilot navigation application and ISAAC’s ELD solution work seamlessly together to deliver a streamlined workflow and navigation experience when drivers are on the road and using the devices they depend on.
CoPilot is a fleet-wide navigation application purpose-built for commercial trucking, and designed to guide drivers to their destinations on the route best suited to their vehicle’s size, weight and load. Everyone who’s traveled on busy highway systems knows what it’s like to realize at the last minute that the exit they need to take is on the left instead of the right. It’s dangerous enough for a passenger vehicle to maneuver across several lanes of traffic to get to the exit, and the risk is even greater for larger, heavier commercial vehicles.
That’s why CoPilot incorporates a range of safety features, including turn-by-turn directions, lane guidance, slowdown speed alerts and much more, to help drivers avoid risky maneuvers. In the event of a missed turn or a network disconnection, CoPilot quickly and seamlessly re-routes a driver or continues providing guidance without interruption. And for thousands of commercial locations, CoPilot includes polygonal geofences with clearly marked entry and exit gates, helping to avoid confusion and collisions when arriving at a facility.
And when it comes to safety, CoPilot goes above and beyond. Real road signage and proactive, non-intrusive audio and visual alerts about upcoming turns and exits ensure drivers are prepared to avoid dangers before they become problems. With the ability to control the apps that appear on a driver’s device with ISAAC’s ELD, back office support staff can ensure that distractions are minimized. Plus, fleets have the ability to add real-time traffic and weather updates to their CoPilot instance to ensure drivers and fleet managers have the most current information possible regarding conditions on the road and make better decisions about the routes they take.
In addition to its comprehensive navigation capabilities, CoPilot provides fleet managers confidence that their drivers are traveling on truck-legal roads appropriate for their vehicle and load. This not only helps achieve fleet-wide efficiency, it ensures the carrier’s operation is insulated from unnecessary risks in the way of ticketing, litigation and accidents.
How efficiently drivers navigate a route is just as important to your operation as how carefully planned it is. CoPilot’s navigation is built on the same industry-leading Trimble commercial map data and routing functions behind Trimble’s PC*MILER routing and mileage software. These solutions are designed to work together and by equipping your team with both, eliminate miscommunication between systems, reduce out-of-route miles and operating costs and maximize bottom line revenue by reducing risk.
Given the pace of today’s global supply chain and increased customer demand for faster delivery of their goods, it’s never been more important for carriers to prioritize safety. Navigation solutions like CoPilot, purpose-built for commercial drivers and vehicles, are critical to helping drivers avoid risks on the road. By providing heads-up warnings of upcoming turns and traffic conditions and eliminating distractions, CoPilot helps drivers stay in compliance with road regulations, avoid accidents and prevent low clearance collisions.
For all of these reasons, fleet managers who put safety first should consider commercial navigation technology a key ally in that effort, because prepared drivers are the safest drivers. It’s easy to implement CoPilot across the mobile devices that power your fleet. Utilize the tool that saves you time, money and energy, and is already trusted by drivers to keep them safe, compliant and efficient on the road.
To learn more about how CoPilot can help your fleet, visit our site or contact our team.