Bulkmatic Transport extends SmartDrive video-based program with multi-year contract

Nov. 29, 2017
Bulkmatic Transport extends SmartDrive video-based program with multi-year contract

SmartDrive Systems announced that Bulkmatic Transport, one of the largest dry bulk carriers in North America, has renewed its SmartDrive video-based safety platform contract through 2020, citing tangible and significant safety improvements experienced as a result of adoption.

Since initial implementation of the SmartDrive program in 2014, Bulkmatic has experienced a 50% reduction in the number of DOT-recordable accidents, and now maintains a DOT-recordable accident rate 40% below the national average. In addition, the SmartDrive program has exonerated Bulkmatic in more than 90 incidents.

“Based on both the immediate results we achieved following our initial rollout of the SmartDrive system, as well as the sustained safety improvements we’ve realized, the decision to  continue our partnership was an easy one,” said Terry McAdams, vice-president of safety at Bulkmatic Transport. “The SmartDrive program has allowed us to proactively identify risky driving behavior, coach our drivers and eliminate associated risk. The results are indisputable; you need only look at the significant reduction in our accident rate.”

A privately owned company founded in the 1970s, Bulkmatic has nearly 500 vehicles and world-class operations in the United States and Mexico. The largest food companies and plastics manufacturers rely on Bulkmatic, making it the leading bulk logistics solution for bulk food grade, plastics and dry chemical products.

“When we initially installed the SmartDrive program, the numbers were eye-opening,” McAdams said. “Three years later, the numbers still remain reduced. That’s invaluable. Without a doubt, SmartDrive was the best decision we’ve made from a safety perspective. If we had to do it over again, we would. In fact, we did with this renewal.”

Bulkmatic’s enduring safety culture is widely recognized, and the company has received the National Tank Truck Carriers Safety Improvement Award for the past eight years. Several of the fleet’s customers emulate Bulkmatic’s safety policies and practices and have adopted similar procedures. The SmartDrive program reinforces Bulkmatic’s safety culture by helping to ensure drivers adhere to company rules and standards.

“Many companies have policies concerning speeding, following distance, etc, but unless you have something in place to actually assess how you’re doing, the effectiveness of the policy can’t easily be evaluated,” McAdams said. “For example, we have a prohibition on texting or dialing when driving. Cameras allow us to monitor actual behavior and confirm the many behaviors our drivers are doing right, and work with them on correcting any behaviors that pose a risk.”

In addition to providing insight regarding whether an accident could have been prevented, the SmartDrive solution offers a number of added benefits to Bulkmatic. Relying on the SmartDrive dual-camera configuration, with both cab-facing and road-facing cameras, the fleet is able to exonerate its drivers in collisions when they are not at fault. The video-based safety program has also supported the company’s new business development efforts, by helping to ensure compliance with customers’ rigorous safety standards.

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