Updated Feb 5, 2025
In the construction industry, vehicle and equipment-related incidents are a leading cause of workplace injuries and fatalities. Drivers of heavy machinery and vehicles must navigate complex terrains, on and off road, often under tight schedules.
Unsafe driving practices lead to accidents, vehicle damages, and costly project delays—in addition to risky situations for employees and others on the road. But, by implementing a robust driver safety program, fleet managers can mitigate risks and keep crews, vehicles, and businesses safe.
So, what does a successful driver safety program look like for construction companies? In this post, I’ll outline the multiple pillars of driver safety programs in construction and demonstrate the technological and systematic resources available to enhance protection for individual drivers and vehicles—as well as your business.
What Is a Driver Management System?
A driver management system is a technology-driven solution designed to oversee and enhance driver safety and performance. Driver safety management falls under the umbrella of fleet management.
Modern driver safety programs require attention to every element of vehicle operation (not just drivers) to ensure visibility into all components of fleet vehicle operation and equipment maintenance. This includes, but is not limited to, preventative vehicle maintenance and inspections, driver behavior monitoring and coaching, and tracking safety metrics through telematics, driver scorecards and camera footage.
A holistic fleet and driver management system provides visibility and ensures vehicles and drivers are safe and efficient. Just like air-traffic controllers have a system to monitor flights, construction businesses with a fleet of vehicles must coordinate movement and behavior. This includes leveraging data to implement improvement plans that address specific risk factors identified through monitoring.
Implementing Fleet Safety Solutions
Habits work well on an individual level; however, it can be difficult to motivate an entire workforce to embrace safety requirements. For a successful fleet and driver safety program, there should be 100% adherence—or at least 100% enforcement of procedures.
Thankfully, many of the enforcement issues operations and safety managers face can be solved with increased visibility and technology. With the right tools, companies can automate vehicle tracking and driver safety monitoring.
Here are several automated checks and balances that improve driver safety:
- Driver vehicle inspection reports
- Appropriate rest periods
- Preventative maintenance schedules
- Video monitoring and real-time feedback
Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIR) to Identify Safety Risks
All drivers of USDOT (U.S. Department of Transportation) vehicles must complete a daily inspection form. This is wise in principle, as it ensures vehicles are checked for all the major safety features (tires, oil, and exterior damage, etc.) before the vehicle goes on the road.
The problem? Some still use a paper form for their DVIRs. Paper copies are inefficient to track and make it easier for the inspector to “pencil whip” when they are in a rush, leaving potential gaps in the inspection and safety risks.
Companies can solve this problem with modern tools in a driver management system like Tenna’s DVIR system. This tool is app-based and incorporates QR codes and photographs, ensuring the inspection gets done and done right. Failed inspections automatically create maintenance requests for timely attention and resolution of any points of failure. Plus, fleet managers can access records of vehicle inspections at any time to ensure regular completion and compliance.
Ensuring Accurate Rest Cycles with ELD Tracking
The hours of service regulations dictate that drivers must take breaks after driving for a specific period. Ensuring drivers get adequate rest has a direct correlation to improving driver safety. Anytime a company vehicle (subject to the ELD mandate) is making a trip over a certain number of hours, the driver needs to stop for a break.
Increasing visibility through automatic vehicle tracking, such as Tenna’s ELD tracking product, helps keep drivers within their hourly limit and allows them to get rest when needed. Plus, it ensures safety and compliance with transportation regulations.
Fleet Safety with Preventative Maintenance
In addition to regular driver vehicle inspections, it's imperative to keep vehicles running in tip-top shape. 
Vehicles will break down, and this can have a direct impact on performance and driver safety. If a vehicle breaks down on a busy road, it places the project, the vehicle, the driver and the traveling public at risk.
Equipment management systems enable contractors to schedule preventative maintenance on their fleet assets based on the number of miles they are running, or other custom, time-based, automated triggers depending on the service type.
Contractors can then apply a proactive approach to vehicle safety and maintenance. Tenna, for example, offers intuitive equipment maintenance software that provides a detailed breakdown of the repair and maintenance needs of any fleet vehicle.
Video Monitoring and Real-Time Driver Feedback
Safety cameras, particularly AI dash cams, play a crucial role in monitoring driver behavior. Advanced dual-facing vehicle camera systems offer a comprehensive view of trips and driver actions.
AI-powered fleet dash cameras can predict imminent collisions and send instant in-cab feedback to give drivers enough time to react and avoid accidents. Additionally, dash cam footage provides performance insights for driver coaching programs and overall safety programs.
Dash cam systems provide businesses the opportunity to proactively reduce the recurrence of unsafe behavior through targeted driver coaching based on actual driver footage. This approach helps shed light on the riskiest and most inefficient drivers for measured improvement, and highlight instances of model performance for recognition, transforming the overall safety culture within the organization.
Most construction businesses have already implemented GPS fleet trackers in vehicles to monitor not only location but also hard brakes, speeding, rapid acceleration and more in the form of driver scorecards. Some providers like Tenna incorporate fleet dash cams as part of an interconnected system to provide video telematics in addition to traditional telematics data.
This power combination offers fleet managers access to more data for driver performance tracking and truth behind driving incidents. This information goes far beyond the use cases of driver training.
Driver Scorecards to Monitor Driver Performance
Many companies have internally chosen to follow a safe driving structure that mirrors common laws. For example, in some states, if you receive two traffic violations in the same year, you are required to take a driver's safety course.
Contractors can do the same, motivating safe driving behavior by mandating continued training and implementing a driver scorecard program. Driver scorecards are an essential component of driver coaching programs. They provide a measurable way to assess driver performance by scoring key metrics such as speed adherence, braking patterns, acceleration, and compliance with safety protocols. Contractors can use an onboard monitor to gather this data with telematic technology.
By analyzing these scorecards, fleet managers can identify high-risk drivers and high performing drivers. Some companies offer a rewards program to incentivize drivers to maintain a safe driving record. Recognizing and rewarding safe driving behaviors helps build a culture of accountability and safety within the organization.
Learn more about driver rewards programs in our guide to leveraging driver scorecards.
What Are the Benefits of a Holistic Approach to Driver Safety?
- Reduced Accident Rates: Continuous monitoring and real-time feedback help in identifying and correcting unsafe driving behaviors, leading to fewer accidents.
- Lower Operational Costs: Preventing accidents reduces repair and maintenance costs, as well as potential legal liabilities.
- Risk Reduction: Implementing driver safety programs, in particular fleet dash cams, reduces risks to businesses with invaluable exonerating evidence for insurance, law enforcement, and safety records.
- Improved Driver Performance: Targeted coaching programs enhance driver skills and promote safer driving habits.
- Enhanced Fleet Efficiency: Efficient management of vehicles and equipment leads to better utilization and productivity.
- Compliance with Regulations: Implementing safety measures ensures adherence to industry standards and legal requirements.
Implementing a Successful Driver Safety Program
Once you have all the technology in place to address fleet and driver safety, it’s time to tackle the human element of driver behavior.
Drivers should have exposure to and understanding of company fleet safety requirements before operating company vehicles. But training is more effective when good safety behaviors are modeled at all levels of the company, and drivers know they will be continually evaluated while on the road, not just through tests.
Embracing a culture of safety from the top down and implementing a combination of thorough training and technology facilitates and ensures continued safety.
Choosing the Right Technology Partner to Keep Your Fleet Safe
Selecting the right construction technology partner is crucial for the successful implementation of driver coaching solutions. Companies like Tenna offer integrated platforms that combine asset tracking, fleet management, and safety features tailored for the construction industry on a single, fully integrated and interconnected platform for holistic fleet and safety management.
Our solutions offer real-time insights into equipment utilization, driver behavior and maintenance needs, enabling construction businesses to make informed and data-driven decisions and enforce operational safety of fleets.
A holistic approach to fleet safety not only mitigates risks but also enhances overall efficiency and productivity. By investing in advanced technologies and implementing comprehensive safety programs, construction companies can ensure the well-being of their drivers, their vehicles and their projects.
Contact Tenna to learn how your business can improve fleet and driver safety by implementing a driver management system.
