TBHC Delivers, a food service distribution company headquartered in Nashville, saw driver texting drop 75 percent in the first 45 days after deploying SmartDrive Systems’ video-based safety program across its entire fleet.

Moreover, driver excessive speeding declined 60 percent and the fleet’s overall safety score rose 39.8 percent during the same period, SmartDrive said.

“We’ve been extremely impressed with TBHC’s unique approach to driver performance management and are very excited about the opportunity to work with them to deliver tangible results that advance the effectiveness of their safety program,” said Steve Mitgang, CEO of SmartDrive.

TBHC provides sales training and food service products to more than 3,000 convenience stores in 14 states in the South and Midwest. TBHC is also the largest distributor of Hunt Brothers Pizza to convenience stores.

When considering a driver safety improvement program, TBHC sought a solution that wasn’t punitive. Rather, the company hoped to promote active team collaboration and to better align driver performance and management objectives.

As part of the company’s safety program, TBHC has designated a driver mentor who works with each individual driver to determine what went wrong during an event and what could be done to prevent a repeat occurrence. The objective is to coach away the poor performance instead of dismissing or punishing employees, said Doug Sanford, TBHC’s vice president of strategic initiatives. Some employees might not realize there was a safety issue in the first place.

“With SmartDrive technology, we know exactly what happened in the lead-up to a risky event,” noted Brett Pulley, TBHC’s safety coordinator. “We’re then in a much better position to direct resources toward addressing the issue – in a non-punitive way – so that drivers receive appropriate coaching. This has already shown positive results, such as reductions in texting and excessive speeding – ultimately increasing our fleet safety score.”

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