Your Ultimate Guide to Truck Driver Safety Incentive Programs

Keeping drivers engaged can be challenging, especially for small business owners who are stretched too thin. But the risks of ignoring this problem are too great — the monotony of driving can cause drivers to compromise on safety. 

Fortunately, there are a few great strategies that will allow you to maximize driver engagement and safety while reducing your liability and cutting operating costs. One of the most effective approaches involves creating driver reward programs that incentivize safe driving.

This ultimate guide to truck driver bonus programs, with the help of Force Fleet Tracking’s product manager Ryan Hill, will provide some great tips for starting your own program including:

• What is a truck driver safety incentive program?
• Benefits of a truck driver safety incentive program
• How to start a truck driver safety incentive program
• Best practices in implementing truck driver safety incentives

What is a truck driver safety incentive program?

A truck driver safety incentive program recognizes drivers who consistently meet your vehicle operation safety standards. These drivers follow the speed limit, practice defensive yet efficient driving, use all requisite safety equipment, and avoid accidents. 

By rewarding good driving habits, you create a culture of safety within your business. A driver rewards program can also help with driver retention and make your company a more appealing destination for new talent.

Fleet vehicle tracking and monitoring is a foundational element of any driver safety incentive program. By monitoring vehicle performance and driver behavior, you can identify trends and detect potential issues early. 

Hill says that fleet tracking software has replaced the old-school approach of “call and tell me how I’m doing.” Now, you can gain real-time insights about driver behavior and have meaningful conversations about their performance.   

What is an example of a safety incentive program?

The most common example of a safety incentive program involves rewarding safe drivers with quarterly and annual bonus checks. Here’s a basic rundown of how such a program would work:

• The employer tracks driver behavior during each shift (e.g., braking, speeding, idling, etc.)
• The fleet safety manager analyzes performance at the end of the quarter
• Employees who meet the performance thresholds receive a bonus check

If the business also offers annual bonus checks, they’ll average the driver’s performance for the year to decide whether they meet performance minimums. Drivers that do will receive an annual bonus check as well.

One easy way to determine annual bonus eligibility is to consider whether employees received all four quarterly checks. If someone has, they’re also eligible for the annual bonus. Conversely, they’re likely ineligible for the annual payout if they miss one or more quarterly bonus opportunities.

Some businesses take a punitive approach to driver safety. According to Hill, that method creates unnecessary tension without significantly impacting safety and performance. Instead, Hill recommends incentivizing positive behaviors and high road scores through a reward program. 

Who needs truck driver incentive programs?

Heavy-duty fleets with trucks typically use driver safety incentive programs to boost driver morale and minimize liability. However, any business with a fleet of company vehicles can create a driver rewards program.

Benefits of a truck driver safety incentive program

Creating a truck driver safety incentive program will help you accomplish the following goals:

Reduce driver turnover

Drivers who practice good daily driving habits and avoid accidents deserve recognition. When you reward drivers with perks like extra days off or quarterly bonus checks, morale will skyrocket, and driver turnover will decline.

Encourage safe driving practices

Truck driver safety incentive programs don’t just combat turnover. They also encourage your team to maintain safe driving practices.

Those who receive bonus checks or other rewards will want to keep doing so. Likewise, anyone who fell short of your bonus thresholds last quarter will be motivated to step up and earn a reward during the next assessment cycle. 

Reduce insurance costs and liability

A driver rewards program can decrease the likelihood of accidents or traffic citations, reducing insurance costs and insulating your company from liability. If you use GPS monitoring technology to gather insights for your rewards program, you may even be eligible for a discount from your insurance provider.

Motivate drivers

Hill says gamification is a popular strategy among marketers and sales teams across every industry. Such an approach can make exhibiting desired behaviors feel like a game. 

You can apply this concept to motivate drivers and increase participation in your rewards program.

For instance, give drivers weekly updates on their current safety scores so they can see if they’re on pace to earn an incentive. This approach will encourage healthy competition among your team and help everyone stay on track to earn a bonus. 

How to start a truck driver safety incentive program

Getting your driver safety incentive program up and running is easier than expected. Here’s how to get started.

Bring your team into the fold

Let your team know you’re designing a rewards program. Ask for input and make them feel involved in the decision-making process. Be clear that the goal is to reward top performers and create a safety culture, not punish anyone for less-than-ideal performance.

Identify the rewards you plan to offer

It’s important to offer rewards that are enticing to drivers without putting too much strain on your budget.

If you plan on issuing bonus checks, determine the payment amount and frequency (e.g., annually or quarterly). When running your calculations, assume that every driver will earn a check to ensure that your budget can handle the extra expense. 

If you’re looking for a more cost-effective option, consider awarding employees extra PTO days, gift cards, or more enjoyable routes. For instance, you could award one PTO day per quarter and one at the annual assessment threshold for a total of five days per year.

Choose your tracking platform

If you want your rewards program to make a meaningful impact on safety, you need a reliable way to track driver behavior and performance. It is important that the solution you choose is:

• Cost-effective
• Reliable
• Easy to install
• Versatile

Force Fleet Tracking checks all these boxes. It comes with a simple plug-and-play device that you can install in seconds. It costs just $20 per vehicle per month, making it the perfect option for small businesses and fast-growing companies alike. Plus Force can track a variety of important data, including location, idle time, and vehicle health.

No matter what safety metrics you want to track, Force can help.

Set clear expectations

Hill believes that setting clear expectations is one of the most important steps to creating a driver safety program. He recommends setting clear guidelines regarding:

• Where vehicles can be driven
• What your defined service area is
• How trucks are driven
• What areas are off-limits

Additionally, Hill suggests identifying the problem areas that are most important to your company. Do you want to reduce harsh braking? Is reducing fuel waste your top priority? Once you know what your goals and expectations are, you can relay them to your team. Together, you and your team can make impactful safety and performance improvements.

Determine what metrics to track 

Next, you need to decide what counts as safe driving. Look beyond accidents and consider factors like idle time, on-time delivery rate, speed, acceleration, and braking. Then, set these expectations with the team. 

Create a comprehensive safety checklist

Create a checklist that outlines the expectations and requirements of your program. Your checklist must include pre-trip concerns, post-trip tasks, and on-the-road requirements.

Roll out the program

Once everyone is on the same page and you’ve implemented some performance-tracking tools, it’s time to roll out your program. You’re bound to encounter a few unexpected challenges, especially in the first quarter.

When remedying these issues, always err on the side of caution and do what’s in the driver’s best interests. For instance, if a driver barely misses the threshold for a bonus due to some obscure performance requirement (like exceeding idle limits by a few minutes), consider issuing the bonus anyway as a sign of good faith.

Make sure your program is fine-tuned by quarter two to limit confusion and tweak your thresholds as needed to make them attainable.

Best practices in implementing truck driver safety incentives

These proven best practices will help you build a successful truck driver rewards program. 

Be transparent

Truck driver rewards programs shouldn’t be mysterious. Be transparent from the outset and convey why you’re creating the program, what you hope to accomplish, and how you’ll track performance. 

Get your team involved in program creation

Ask your team what types of rewards they’re interested in and what safety factors they consider most important.

For instance, if the overwhelming majority of your staff is interested in extra PTO days, consider offering time off as a reward as opposed to bonus checks. Also, be honest about your financial limitations to keep their expectations realistic. 

Make goals attainable 

Receiving a truck driver safety bonus shouldn’t feel like an impossible task. Make goals attainable while motivating drivers to do their best every day.

Put your staff in a position to succeed

Providing your team with high-quality equipment and properly maintained vehicles will go a long way in promoting the kind of safety culture you’re after. Additionally, keep them informed about their progress toward quarterly and annual awards.

Implement fleet-tracking and vehicle health-monitoring tools

Fleet-tracking solutions allow you to monitor a wide range of driver and vehicle metrics, such as speed, location, idling time, and more. Implement a user-friendly solution like Force to gather data for your rewards program and monitor vehicle health. 

Make the most of your driver incentive program with Force

Safety incentive programs make truck drivers more mindful of their driving habits and motivate them to embrace your safety culture. If you want to make the most of your new program, however, you must put drivers in a position to succeed.

Enter Force Fleet Tracking, the leading vehicle maintenance software for growing fleets.

With Force, you can support your fleet and safety managers by providing real-time insights into the state of your vehicles. In turn, your fleet-management personnel can take a proactive approach to vehicle maintenance, reducing your long-term costs and helping drivers stay safe on the road.