How Bluetooth Can Improve Your Life While Trucking
Technology in the transportation space has been constantly evolving over the last decade. Specifically Bluetooth, has been a quickly adapted answer for communications, preventing accidents and more, though some issues still exist with Bluetooth.
Extreme examples of distraction do exist, like a trucker that’s facing murder charges in Kentucky after court records revealed he was watching a video at the moment he fatally rear-ended the driver of a Jeep who was in stopped traffic.
Bluetooth & Zero-Tolerance Driving
Most fleets have adopted zero-tolerance policies toward distracted driving and its rare that a driver would be perfect at this. Randy O’Neal, a safety analyst at a trucking company in Georgia, sees a huge need for better proactive training.
“The first thing we do is show the drivers all the capabilities of their onboard Bluetooth speakers,” said O’Neal, “We teach them how to do voice-to-text so they can do all that hands-free. We teach them how to select music using vocal commands only.
“Also, we make certain there’s a phone mount in every truck. That way, the phone can be operational at all times. Most of our guys use the onboard Bluetooth system provided by Volvo. Those that don’t provide their own.”
Telematics in Trucking
O’Neal recognizes the need for ongoing training in an age of rapid change. For those who don’t have the luxury of an onboard Bluetooth system, a state-of-the-art device could pay for itself many times over in the trouble it can save.
Couple Bluetooth communications with GPS tracking as an example and fleets will enter the a new technological world of telematics. Telematics integrates improved communication tools with GPS devices. It allows fleet managers to monitor driver information in real time, including the driver’s location, traveling speed, and behaviors (i.e. hard braking, speeding, etc.). This allows fleets to target and monitor the overall success of their safety initiatives. But fleet managers also need GPS telematics solutions that are safe, effective and simple to use – and drivers need to spend less time on their phones to help reduce the potential for accidents to occur.
The “One Touch” Rule
With scrutiny on drivers’ mobile phone use on the rise, the federal guidelines include the ” one-touch rule.” The rule basically states that you’ve got to able to place a call, select a song, or send a text with a single touch of your mobile device. The FMCSA states wants you to:
- Make sure the mobile telephone is within close enough proximity that it is operable while the driver is restrained by properly installed and adjusted seat belts.
- Use an earpiece or the speaker phone function.
- Use voice-activated dialing.
- Use the hands-free feature.
To comply, a driver must have his or her mobile telephone located where he or she is able to initiate, answer, or terminate a call by touching a single button. The driver must be in the seated driving position and properly restrained by a seat belt. Drivers are not in compliance if they unsafely reach for a mobile phone, even if they intend to use the hands-free function.
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