ATRI’s 2021 survey also listed driver retention as the industry’s second biggest concern, while driver compensation ranked third on ATRI’s annual list. The report could leave one feeling pessimistic about the industry’s future, but we at ISAAC are encouraged by several of the suggested strategies discussed in the report to tackle these challenges. For example, survey respondents expressed a desire for the industry to better quantify the relationship between technology deployment and driver satisfaction and retention. Likewise, there is growing interest to research the effectiveness of carrier retention programs that financially incentivize drivers for performance in the areas of safety, fuel economy and trip productivity.
ISAAC’s commitment to drivers
At ISAAC, we have always strived to serve our fleet clients by developing solutions with the truck driver in mind. Our endless focus on automation and streamlining the workflow process is aimed at keeping the wheels of the truck turning. By reducing the number of times a driver needs to touch the screen of our devices, the faster they tend to embrace the technology and remain with the carrier for the long term.
Likewise, many fleets utilizing the ISAAC Coach system have already implemented incentive-based compensation packages to reward top performing drivers. The real-time coaching system provides instant feedback on drivers’ behaviors such as throttle shifting and cruise control use. The result is an ISAAC score that disregards factors outside drivers’ control, and the ability for fleets to fairly reward their most safe and efficient drivers, while encouraging others to constantly strive for better results.
A Conference Season to Remember
Entering the U.S. market during a global pandemic has been as exciting an achievement as receiving third-party ELD certification in Canada. While we believe the features of our driver-centric solution speaks for itself, we sought to make a splash at the three events in the United States we attended during the past few months. That not only included a large booth presence in the exhibit halls, but also a genuine desire to go meet with American fleets in order to start a real dialogue with them.
We are flattered and honored by how many people stopped by our booth during these events, and maybe even caught a few minutes of live NFL games on our big screen. It was an inspiring two months that has us even more excited for the next steps in 2022.
During the ATA show, we were invited by Transport Topics to discuss the features of our electronic logging devices (ELDs) and achieving third-party certification in Canada. Our interview was recently released at part of Transport Topics’ RoadShow podcast. You can listen to the interview at this link: https://roadsigns.ttnews.com/roadshow-episode-five/.
About the author
Neil Abt
VP Public Relations, ISAAC Instruments
Neil Abt, Vice President of Public Relations at ISAAC Instruments, is a veteran journalist with over 25 years of reporting experience, including 20 years spent covering the trucking industry. A graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., he began his career covering sports for The Washington Post, followed by a position in the newsroom of America Online (AOL) and then both reporting and leadership roles at Transport Topics and Fleet Owner. Neil is based out of Portland, Oregon.
