Fatigue management for truck fleets

Navman Wireless has released its driver fatigue management system with Transtech Driven, just as fatigue management has come under the spotlight.

As the new Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws have come in, there has been debate around safety issues and driving behaviour in the trucking industry.

Although transport operators have renewed interest in safety and are starting to recognise that long working hours and night shifts can result in safety risks around fatigue, they had limited systems to help manage these risks.

So it was a case of the right place at the right time for Navman’s strategic partnership with Transtech Driven to provide a driver fatigue management system.

Ian Daniel, Vice President of Navman Wireless Asia Pacific, believes the transport industry is facing increased scrutiny by law enforcement, government and the general public and felt it made sense for Navman and Transtech to provide a solution.

“Driver fatigue is one of the greatest safety risks the transport industry is currently tackling. This is why we have partnered with Transtech to provide an affordable yet effective solution for improving fatigue management practices.”

Transtech’s Sentinel fatigue management system can be integrated into the Navman GPS fleet management solution, enabling businesses with vehicle fleets to better manage and monitor adherence to their driver fatigue policies.

“The system includes all the information in regards to drivers, licence types, the types of vehicles that they have, etc. It is essentially an electronic work diary. Navman’s GPS information can integrate with Sentinel, so when the driver turns the key over and starts driving, the operators can tell if the driver is driving or taking a rest break,” said Daniel.

The system works by alerting drivers when to pull over for a rest break. When a driver first hops into his vehicle, he or she has to log in to either an M-Nav or MDT console and identify whether he or she is working or resting. The data will then be exported to and processed by Sentinel, which will determine when the next rest break is due.

Sentinel will then issue rest break alerts which appear on the console as a text message. Violation notices can also be issued to both the driver and the fleet manager, should the driver fail to stop for a rest break.

“It can govern the driver hours, the OHS of their driver and push an alert two ways; to the driver to tell him he has got to take a break, and back to the operations person to tell them he either is or isn’t taking a break. It is a proactive approach to safety by management,” said Daniel.

Fatigue management is governed by the Heavy Vehicle Driver Fatigue laws, which set work and rest limits designed to prevent driver fatigue.

These regulations apply to all drivers, unless they are working for an operator with Basic Fatigue Management (BFM) or Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM) accreditations which allow greater flexibility around rest times.

In addition to issuing alerts, integration with Sentinel allows businesses to monitor compliance with fatigue management regulations covering fitness for duty, education and record keeping.

Businesses can pull compliance reports directly from Sentinel, enabling them to track how effectively their fatigue management responsibilities are being met.