Driving Lessons Part One: How Linde is Working to Improve Driver Safety and Retention
If air is the lifeblood of Lindeâs merchant gases business, then the 1,000 drivers who make some 650 deliveries of bulk, liquefied gases to customers every day are the beating heart. And Linde is trying to be âheart healthyâ by improving driversâ working environment.
âWe want to create a more driver-friendly culture by focusing on safety, quality and continuous improvement. Itâs an effort to attract and retain the best drivers and to ensure they are able to travel safely over hundreds of miles each day, in some of the most challenging conditions, and return home safely,â said Warren Arenz, head of bulk distribution, Linde North America.
One such tactic seeks to keep drivers safer behind the wheel by preventing one of the biggest driving challenges: fatigue-related incidents. In October, Linde began piloting ActiveVisionÂŽ in-cab technology from DriveCam,ÂŽ a new platform on an existing risk management system Linde uses. It addresses fatigue, which encompasses everything from overall physical tiredness to eye strain, by tracking and monitoring vehicle movement within the lane to determine if the driver is falling asleep.
âA lot of major road incidents occur when people fall asleep for several seconds, something known as a microsleep. People may not even realize itâs occurring, particularly night-shift workers or those who struggle with sleep apnea,â Arenz said.
Since 2010, Linde has used the DriveCam technology, which is installed in 550 trucks. That technology tracks driversâ eye movement, enabling Linde to identify and provide treatment for drivers who are fatigued due to previously unidentified sleep apnea.
The pilot includes 70 drivers in Kittery, Maine; Cherokee, Alabama; and Beloit, Wisconsin. By early 2019, Linde will conduct a formal review of the results to determine if it should upgrade to the new platform.
Linde also continues to invest in vehicle safety technology, such as after-market frontal collision and blind spot warning systems for existing vehicles and equipping new trucks with features that exceed the norm in the tractor/trailer industry, including: automatic braking systems, lane departure warning systems, vehicle stability control, tire pressure monitoring system and tractor/trailer disc brakes for better stopping distance.
But Arenz says that while technology is useful, whatâs more helpful is âmeaningful feedback and coaching from our driver managers, supervisors and driver trainers. We are focused on identifying challenges, offering solutions and providing positive recognition as we strive for continuous improvement.â
Driver trainer Scott Hudson, agreed. At a recent transportation workshop in Stewartsville, N.J., aimed at identifying ways to improve Lindeâs ability to attract and retain the best drivers, Hudson said, âAs a driver trainer, I am able to set an example to drive safe, to be safe, in hopes that other drivers and new hires will follow my lead.â
One lower-tech way Linde is supporting driver health and safety is by helping them understand ways to prevent on-the job strains, sprains and other ergonomic injuries. The Northeast and Central Regions saw a significant increase in personal injuries in early 2018 from incidents occurring as drivers bent over to offload gases at customer sites or while exiting the cab.
After Area Transport Manager Soo Jung flagged this as a concern, he worked with SHEQ (safety, health, environment and quality), zone transport managers and driver trainers in several locations, including Chester (Hopewell), Virginia; Arroyo and Parkersburg, West Virginia; and Buffalo, New York, to encourage drivers, mechanics and managers to perform stretching exercises prior to starting their shift and during their workday.
âSince we began this effort in April, people have continued to initiate their own stretching exercises. Ergonomic injury rates have fallen to zero. We rolled it out to all locations in this region and each has come up with ways to encourage employees to keep moving, ranging from providing gym memberships to investing in exercise equipment at the location, so employees can use it prior to starting their shifts,â Jung said.
Arenz says, âAll of these initiatives help move us toward our goal of leading in safety by creating a driver-friendly culture. Ensuring that our drivers feel supported and valued is essential because Lindeâs business success depends on their ability to deliver our products efficiently to our customers.â