You Need a Driver Scorecard

Driver scorecards, are they useful? They have been all the rage lately. Most of the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) providers have some sort of a driver measurement. Are these driver scorecards useful, and do they add any benefit? There are other companies that are providing even more information and metrics than just the ELD device manufacturers; companies such as Fleetmetrica.

What is the purpose of a driver scorecard? It is to provide feedback to the company’s safety department and to the drivers in the fleet. Most of the scorecards are a comparative tool, meaning that they measure one individual driver and compare that driver to the rest of the fleet.

An example could be fuel economy or efficiency. Most of the scorecards will tell one driver’s ‘score’. The scores that I have seen are usually displayed as a number or percentage and they are often comparing the driver’s performance to the rest of the fleet.

Is it fair and is it accurate?

For the accurate question, my experience is yes – it is very accurate. Is it fair? That is a much more complicated question. I think it comes down to how the safety department interprets the results and then applies those results. By way of an example, it can be very hard to compare fuel efficiency when the equipment is not the same. A five-year-old tractor being compared to a brand-new piece of equipment might create a problem. The same truck and trailer that goes to New York may get very different results than when in Montana. So, I believe that this score would have to be used cautiously. Remember that many of the companies using scorecards are also paying a bonus based on the results. Which is why I ask, are they useful? Is this the best way to pay a driver a performance bonus? I think that it can be a great way to pay a bonus. For those drivers that are successfully contributing to the company’s bottom line, they should be rewarded.

I do think that scorecards can be improved in two major ways. First, include as many metrics or items of measurement as reasonably possible. Many of the ELD providers scorecards don’t include items such as driver violations and tickets. Few include a crash. Shouldn’t tickets and crashes be included in a scorecard? Don’t they also contribute to the company’s profitability? I believe so.

The second area of improvement is by way of portability. Why can’t a driver take their scorecard with them? Wouldn’t it be a useful bit of information when applying for a new position? I certainly think so. If I was a recruiter and looking for a new driver, I would love to know about the many measurements provided by a driver scorecard. It would make a driver more attractive for the hiring process. If you are in the top ten or twenty percent of your current company, that indicates to me that you are a professional. You care about safety, fuel economy and your career. You want to make the most of your time on the road and you want to help the company make a profit.

What a great addition to your application for a new position. Your personal performance data.

So, what can you do if your company has a driver scorecard program, and you want a new position?

You see an advertisement that catches your eye, and you really want that job. You know that you could make your application stand out by including your driver scorecard. Not many applicants will do this to make their application look special. How can you do this when your scorecard is not shareable? What you can do is take screenshots of your scores. If you can show some history, it would be added value. Your scores over a one-year period would be wonderful.

But what if we think ahead? What if you started collecting your driver scorecards now before you wanted a new position? In this way, if you decided that you needed a new company you would have your history ready. I know that getting a new position now is easy, but the best companies are still very selective. By using a driver scorecard, it is separating you from the rest, so that you can always work for the best. Just an idea…

Stay Safe!

Chris Harris
Top Dawg, Safety Dawg Inc.
905-973-7056
chris@safetydawg.com
@safety_dawg (twitter)