At Omnitracs Outlook 2015, Omnitracs Analytics, a business unit of Omnitracs LLC, announced that Dayton Freight Lines, Inc. has implemented Omnitracs Analytics’ sleep management program to improve the safety and health of its drivers. Sleep management is a core component of Omnitracs Analytics’ driver fatigue model that predicts sleep by using data from Omnitracs hours of service on-board application.
Omnitracs Analytics’ vice president, Dean Croke, who has an extensive background in sleep management, has been using electronic log data and fatigue modeling software to educate Dayton Freight’s drivers on proper sleep techniques while on the road. This includes the strategic timing of naps mid-trip to improve alertness through the critical sunrise period. Dayton Freight Lines has cited that more than 90 percent of the drivers who have attended the workshops reported increased alertness behind the wheel, an improvement in the quality and the length of their sleep and, more importantly, in their overall lifestyle.
“Drowsy driving is a major concern affecting highways nationwide, and we applaud Dayton Freight for its commitment to safety,” said Croke. “Dayton Freight is putting their drivers at the center of the safety equation by leveraging electronic hours of service compliance data and predictive models to better manage sleep and prevent fatigue-related accidents. Drivers can be 100-percent compliant with hours of service regulations and still be sound asleep at the wheel. It’s only by understanding the real drivers of fatigue-related risk through predictive analytics and education that the solution presents itself.”
A long-time Omnitracs customer, Dayton Freight Lines uses Omnitracs’ Mobile Computing Platform 200 (MCP200) and hours of service application to enhance driver safety and ensure compliance with the latest FMCSA regulations. Participating in Omnitracs Analytics’ sleep management and fatigue modeling program is just one more way the carrier is working to safeguard its drivers and others on the road.
“At Dayton Freight, driver safety and satisfaction are top priorities,” said Derek Kirby, director of safety at Dayton Freight Lines. “Since the rollout of Omnitracs Analytics’ sleep management program and the use of predictive models to show the value of sleep and napping strategies, we’ve received extremely positive feedback from our drivers who have utilized the program’s tools to change their sleeping habits for the better. In fact, since the start of the program, we have not had any major accidents that can be attributed to driver fatigue.”
