How to Get Your Drivers On Board When Introducing New Technology.
You’ve probably experienced a situation where someone makes a decision that affects you, and does it with little or no explanation or information. Take a moment the think about how that left you feeling- perhaps confused? Resistant? Maybe even defensive?
While it may appear that your drivers are stubbornly refusing to change when you try to introduce new technologies to your business, it might be simply that they don’t understand WHY you are doing it.
Taking the time and making the effort as part of your onboarding process with your drivers to meet with them and explain what the technology is, how it works and why it will benefit them will go a long way to helping them be more enthusiastic about the change.
It should not be a sales pitch, but rather a conversation that shows your team the real advantages and benefits to them. Give them a chance to offer their thoughts, feedback and ask any questions they may have, and ensure they feel listened to. If you are not 100% sure you can answer all their questions, you could ask for a Connect Source rep to be a part of your meeting.
Involving your drivers in the process from the very beginning, through to training and instruction, and listening to their feedback will ensure a higher rate of understanding and compliance, and a happier group of drivers.
Case Study: Introducing Guardian by Seeing Machines at Followmont Transport
Mark Tobin, CEO of Followmont Transport, instantly knew that introducing the Guardian by Seeing Machines technology, was vital. Guardian tracks driver distraction and can alert drivers to fatigue to prevent incidents.
“Once I saw what the product could do, I walked into the business and said, ‘we’ve got six weeks to get an order and get them into the trucks.”
In his excitement to implement the technology as quickly as possible, he does feel that he could have communicated the rollout better. The project management team kept the deployment on track and also worked to keep the drivers informed about the system and help them overcome any misgivings about being monitored.
The project team spent time explaining the technology’s benefits and how the data would be used. Once the drivers understood the reason why Guardian was being installed, they were fully on board.