bob lovf - toll - initiatives to combat the risks of driver fatigue – toll’s experience

Initiatives to Combat Driver Fatigue –

Toll’s Experience

Bob Lovf

Chain of Responsibility Conference 2013

2 December 2013

2 Initiatives to Combat the Risks of Driver Fatigue – Toll’s Experience

Presentation Overview

Managing and monitoring fatigue

Managing driver welfare and health

Case Study: Dubbo Interchange

3 Initiatives to Combat the Risks of Driver Fatigue – Toll’s Experience

Managing and Monitoring Fatigue

Why is fatigue management so important to us?

In Toll Linehaul & Fleet Services we travel

1,200,000 kilometres per week

A few weeks back we had two single vehicle

accidents that resulted from 6 seconds of

inattention caused by fatigue

That is 6 seconds in 43.2 million seconds if the

trucks travelled at 100kph!

4 Initiatives to Combat the Risks of Driver Fatigue – Toll’s Experience

Managing and Monitoring Fatigue

From the time we clocked on in this room you are

now half way through your shift

So lets go through to midnight and start again at

9am tomorrow and do that every weekday not just

one day

Now is the hard part – concentrate every second

that I am up here

That is what we can and do ask of our drivers!

5 Initiatives to Combat the Risks of Driver Fatigue – Toll’s Experience

Managing and Monitoring Fatigue

Fatigue is complex – it is not just about being tired

Downtime is not the same as it was years back

Being constantly contactable is fatiguing in itself

Managing expectations can be fatiguing

How do YOU switch off?

6 Initiatives to Combat the Risks of Driver Fatigue – Toll’s Experience

Managing and Monitoring Fatigue

There is no silver bullet for fatigue so a range of

options need to be explored

We work under

Chain of responsibility

Transport legislation

WHS legislation

These often have competing directions, but in the

end you have to manage past the compliance and

develop a culture of safety, change and proactive

management

7 Initiatives to Combat the Risks of Driver Fatigue – Toll’s Experience

Managing and Monitoring Fatigue

Understand the total task that we are asking our drivers to

perform

Investigate and identify the risks involved from a fatigue

perspective

Develop proactive real time management

Do not rely on compliance after the fact

Safe Driving Plans become a tick & flick

Difficulty in determining the real accuracy of Work Diary

Train the operations staff to manage, but not exert subtle

pressure on the driver

Drivers supporting and reporting to each other

Educate, communicate and support

8 Initiatives to Combat the Risks of Driver Fatigue – Toll’s Experience

Managing and Monitoring Fatigue

TLFS developed a unique system, FMAS to monitor all aspects of the

route and trips and in particular driver compliance

9 Initiatives to Combat the Risks of Driver Fatigue – Toll’s Experience

Managing and Monitoring Fatigue

TLFS has set up 24/7 monitoring for driver welfare,

customer alerts, breakdown and emergency response

Monitor against system created safe driving plans

Expand FMAS to alert changes in driver rest habits

Change communication habits – take phone numbers off

customers

Keep communications simple and calm

Encourage drivers (especially new) to pull up for fatigue

breaks – if you snooze you lose!

KPI departure times with your customers and educate them

on compounding fatigue effects

10 Initiatives to Combat the Risks of Driver Fatigue – Toll’s Experience

Managing Driver Welfare and Health

Be vigil to identify drivers with personal issues or something

happening in their lives – good or bad

These pressures can lead to stress and poor quality sleep

They may breach work or rest hours to get back early

I am yet to identify a fatigue related accident not linked to issues

outside the work environment

Make sure that you address any concerns you have so it is

out in the open

If concerned that sleep apnoea may be an issue (and it is)

then send for testing

Engage with as much information on relevant topics

Supply better accommodation and facilities

11 Initiatives to Combat the Risks of Driver Fatigue – Toll’s Experience

Managing Driver Welfare and Health

Fortnightly

publication

keeps the

communication

consistent with

focus on safety

12 Initiatives to Combat the Risks of Driver Fatigue – Toll’s Experience

Managing Driver Welfare and Health

The regular

publication

allows us to

reinforce

issues affect

fatigue to

raise

awareness

and hopefully

change

attitudes to

make healthy

changes

13 Initiatives to Combat the Risks of Driver Fatigue – Toll’s Experience

Managing Driver Welfare and Health

Driver Training Centre

Have developed a driver training

centre based in Melbourne

Two full simulators have been

added and 250 scenarios

developed

These form part of a total training

program

Training ranges from

assessment, driving skills, on-

road attitude and accident

avoidance

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Case Study: Dubbo Interchange

Rest areas between West Wyalong and Dubbo Is there a better way to get quality rest?

15 Initiatives to Combat the Risks of Driver Fatigue – Toll’s Experience

Case Study: Dubbo Interchange

Managing quality sleep

Decision to create all routes into walkovers, changeovers, direct or shuttles except

where two-up operations are required

Create driver accommodation in all areas where stopovers occur and drivers are

away from home to eliminate having them try to get good sleep in truck stop bays in

the sleeper cab

Where possible develop specific soundproof rooms to enable sleeping during the day

Select specific motels where needed with assessment of daytime noise

Continue to fit sleepers to all trucks in case a power nap is required while en route

Strive to change two-up operations into shuttles

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Case Study: Dubbo Interchange

The old changeover area on the Newell Highway was unsafe and congested

with drivers having to get taxis to the rental houses or motel

17 Initiatives to Combat the Risks of Driver Fatigue – Toll’s Experience

Case Study: Dubbo Interchange

Top class facilities

separate to the sleeping

wing and outdoor living

areas with BBQ and

lawns. Just like home,

but without the shed!

18 Initiatives to Combat the Risks of Driver Fatigue – Toll’s Experience

Case Study: Dubbo Interchange

24 bedroom facility with soundproof, air-conditioned and windowless rooms,

airlocks and good amenities

Thank you.