Get Fit for Fuel Economy with PedalCoach
Fuel economy is a big deal in trucking. Just ask any Fleet Manager. Odds are, if you’re a Fleet Manager you’ve spent time reviewing it and are always trying to improve upon your collective MPG. Even the slightest enhancements in MPG can mean millions of dollars in savings for your fleet.
The key, of course, is engaging your drivers. It takes work to get them to see the value of being a fuel efficient driver when the cost isn’t coming out of their paychecks. One of the best ways to do so is to offer performance based incentives. But how do you go about doing so? Well, that’s the question that Arrow Paper Co. was trying to answer when they discovered PedalCoach – an app developed by LinkeDrive.
About PedalCoach
PedalCoach is an application that leverages a cloud-based platform to provide real-time, adaptive feedback for improving fuel efficiency and safety. The solution’s proprietary algorithms set a unique fueling target for each driver communicated in a simple red-yellow-green interface that allows drivers to earn “points” for achieving optimal behaviors and patterns.
The nice thing about PedalCoach are its pay-for-performance capabilities. This makes it easier for driver to receive incentives based upon meeting goals related to fuel efficiency as well as safety. But do drivers using this tool seem happy with it? That’s another important question.
What Drivers Are Saying…
“PedalCoach has made me a more engaged and positive driver,” says Mike Scammon. “Similar in nature to how one may use a Fitbit device for tracking their exercise and weight loss, PedalCoach encourages me to drive within a range that saves fuel and increases efficiency. By following the screen’s simple-to-read gauge, I am able to quickly achieve compensation for driving well. It’s really setting up a win-win solution for everyone.” These are just one driver’s thoughts from this FleetOwner.com article.
Fuel Efficiency Performance Results
It all sounds great on the surface, but does PedalCoach make a difference when it comes down to the bottom line? Scott Penna, president of Arrow Paper Co. said, “LinkeDrive’s PedalCoach is helping us to achieve up to a 19% increase in mpg on our trucks, while also providing incentives to our drivers for driving in a manner that saves fuel.”
Going back to the Fitbit analogy, the beauty of the PedalCoach system is that it provides feedback on performance in real time. And much like the Fitbit, you are in essence competing with yourself. The end result is a more aware driver who is focused on a specific goal within his/her daily duties.
Implementation
PedalCoach can be setup and installed in under 15-minuters per truck on Android devices. This allows fleets to securely access driver and truck analytics to track trends, compare drivers, assess differences in truck models, and evaluate regional and seasonal variances in performance. Plans have not yet been released on when this technology will be available to iOS devices, but it’s sure to follow if adoption of this technology continues to increase.
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* PedalCoach photo from FleetOwner.com
