SmartDrive Systems, a leader in driving performance solutions that reduce collisions and improve fuel efficiency, announces that O&G Industries, Connecticut’s largest privately-held construction company, one of the country’s Top 400 Contractors ranked by Engineering News-Record (ENR) and a recognized safety leader, is deploying SmartDrive’s video-based safety program across its entire fleet of 225 vehicles. As part of the rollout, 45 of O&G’s concrete mixers will be equipped with SmartDrive 360, integrating with those vehicles’ existing back-up cameras. Following a competitive assessment, O&G selected SmartDrive based on the platform’s ability to equip management with accurate operational and safety metrics related to collisions and incidents, robust video telematics data, and immediate offload and access to video. Because of the immediate positive results, O&G decided to end the pilot early, moving to roll-out within 30 days of starting the pilot.
The addition of a video-based safety program has helped widen O&G managements’ field of view, providing the “driver’s perspective” of what is happening on the road and the challenging working conditions at job sites. By delivering an integrated video view of driver performance, vehicle telematics and driving environment, SmartDrive provides a complete picture of safety and operational situations.
Only SmartDrive delivered this level of insight. One of the unexpected outcomes of the pilot was a strengthening of the relationships between drivers, management and executives. With long-tenured driver employees, some of whom spend their entire driving career with O&G, this level of cultural improvement was an unexpected and significant win for the company.
O&G attributes its rapid success with the program to SmartDrive’s onboarding program and customer success team. Leveraging SmartDrive’s experience rolling out video safety successfully, O&G began with engaging drivers well before installation. By addressing driver concerns about the technology early, O&G was able to separate fact from fiction. This set the foundation for the successful pilot. The pilot also demonstrated the value of a managed service program with a fair and consistent video review process conducted by driving experts. O&G will leverage the safety program, as well as the SmartDrive performance metrics and KPIs, as a core component of its new driver incentive program. These factors gave O&G the confidence to shorten the pilot from 90 days to 30 days and move to full roll-out across the fleet.
SmartDrive is the industry's only multi-tiered video-based safety program that identifies unsafe driving with an extensible platform, integrating video, vehicle data, audio and driving data for a unified and comprehensive view of risk. SmartDrive 360 enables up to a four-camera view of the vehicle and insight to the most frequent causes of collisions—such as U-turns, backing, unintended lane changes, roll-overs and close following—delivering an unprecedented level of coverage and complete visibility to risk.
“Our company operates at a fast pace. SmartDrive proved its ability to keep up—delivering insights within minutes, versus the days we waited with other solutions,” states TJ Oneglia, Vice President at O&G. “SmartDrive’s program made an immediate impact on our fleet safety—identifying risky driving while also highlighting the many positive examples of our professional drivers avoiding dangerous, distracted or aggressive motorists. The ability to integrate to our back-up cameras extended our technology investment, making the decision to completely roll-out a no-brainer.”
“The positive effect that SmartDrive and the addition of video safety has had on our company culture has come as an added bonus. Initially, we assumed the benefits would be limited to video and the associated data. However, the level of engagement as a result of the open communication and focused coaching sessions has generated a positive shift that we value and will continue to cultivate,” says Mike Ferry, O&G Corporate Safety Director.
“O&G is a perfect example of how even the safest fleets can benefit from video. Not only can it improve safety, but it can provide a new engagement platform to enhance driver and management relationships across the company,” comments Steve Mitgang, CEO of SmartDrive. “By having information at the right time, with an integrated view of performance and insightful data and metrics, fleets can make breakthrough performance gains. We are proud to welcome them to the SmartDrive rapidly growing family of customers.”
