Beeline to safety

Mapping, mileage technology extends from office to cab

Schneider National is implementing Maptuit NaviGo on its Qualcomm MCP200 in-cab computers.

Getting lost is a major source of stress and anxiety for truck drivers, and stress increases the chance they could be involved in an accident. “We definitely know that when drivers are lost, they make bad decisions,” says Don Osterberg, senior vice president of safety at Schneider National.

The Green Bay, Wis.-based company has taken several steps to address the problem of drivers getting lost. Schneider designed a simulation training program for drivers to learn how to get “unlost” while keeping their composure, or “situational awareness.” Experiences in the simulator and in the real world have proven that drivers are less safe when trying to reorient themselves, Osterberg says.

Drivers who are lost make bad decisions.

Schneider recently implemented the Maptuit NaviGo in-cab navigation service that integrates with the company’s operations software and onboard computing and communications system to provide drivers with turn-by-turn spoken directions.

When a truck is in motion, a driver sees an arrow on the screen of his Qualcomm MCP200 in-cab computer that indicates the location of the next turn and distance to it. “We believe that being able to provide better, more granular directions will reduce anxiety,” Osterberg says. “Less anxiety means fewer crashes.”

NaviGo also reduces in-cab distractions such as maps and handwritten directions, as well as looking for road signs. “All of those become tertiary tasks that are not related to driving,” Osterberg says.