Safety Takeaways from NAFA 2025

When Fleetio surveyed fleet managers on their primary responsibilities, 71% of respondents indicated that promoting a culture of safety was one of the most important aspects of their job. To learn more about how fleet managers inspire their drivers to take safety seriously, I decided to spend much of my time at this year's NAFA Institute and Expo in safety-focused educational sessions.

After three days of hearing from many of the finest fleet managers in the country, here are my key takeaways:

1. Driver-facing dash cams can be revelatory

Given the sophistication of modern telematics devices, it's easy to understand why fleet managers might not feel the need to add driver-facing dash cams to their telematics-equipped vehicles. If the hardware they already have is capable of monitoring for speeding, harsh braking and other signs of reckless behavior, what's the point in bringing in technology that many drivers view as intrusive? You could argue that it's like putting a hat on a hat.

I held similar reservations going into a panel I attended on fleet safety, but walked out with a changed perspective. During the session, three fleet managers shared how driver-facing dash cams revealed things about their personnel that standard telematics devices could never have.

• Unauthorized passengers: One fleet manager was surprised by how often their drivers brought along unauthorized passengers while on the job.
• Phone use while driving: All three panelists agreed that phone use behind the wheel was far more widespread than they had realized.

Notably, one of the fleet managers highlighted how several of their drivers who had impressive safety scores pre-dash cams were among the worst offenders when it came to these sorts of infractions. And while it's true that those drivers wouldn't have had such stellar safety scores if they weren't being attentive while on the phone or chatting with an unapproved companion, that doesn't excuse those behaviors.

Distracted driving claims thousands of lives each year in the United States and cell phone use is a leading contributor to that tragic statistic. And as for unauthorized passengers, their presence can expose fleets to serious liability concerns in the event of an accident.

There's no denying that driver-facing dash cams are unpopular with those they film, and their privacy concerns shouldn't be dismissed. But when it comes to ensuring that safety protocols are being adhered to on the road, they bring a utility that can't be achieved with other technologies. For fleets that have the budget and the willingness to convey their purpose to their personnel, driver-facing dash cams can help fleets make our roads meaningfully safer.

We’re going on tour

Join us at the biggest trucking events of 2025 and see the latest tools we’ve built to make fleets like yours run smarter.

Find Fleetio

2. Safety incentive programs have ROI data

Getting people to do the right thing (instead of the easy thing) can be really tough. Just ask any fleet manager.

Usually with little to no guidance on how, fleet managers are expected to inspire their drivers to consistently follow safety protocols (even when unsupervised). But as most fleet managers will tell you, persuading drivers to take safety seriously is often an uphill battle.

To overcome this challenge, some fleets use rewards to provide their drivers with an additional reason to be at their best when behind the wheel. At a session led by construction engineering firm Volkert, I learned how the company rolled out a safety incentive program where drivers earn points for achieving high driver safety scores and attaining OSHA certifications. Once they accrue enough points, Volkert personnel can exchange their points for prizes from a curated catalog.

While I don't have any survey data to back up this hunch, from talking with fleet managers, I get the sense that safety incentive programs aren't quite popular enough to be called fully mainstream within the fleet industry. Whether this is due to skepticism about their efficacy from fleet managers (or upper management) or a lack of budget, I get the impression that advocates of safety incentive programs are commonly asked about the return on investment they can achieve.

But during their talk, Volkert shared that their safety incentive program resulted in:

• A 21% reduction in auto accidents
• A 40% reduction in incidents per mile
• Improved monthly driver scores (despite making their scoring criteria stricter)

They also attribute the incentive program for inspiring their drivers to attain 64 more OSHA 10 certifications and 51 OSHA 30 certifications.

And perhaps most importantly to fleets as a whole, Volkert shared how preventing a single accident per year covers the expense of the incentive program. While accident and incentive costs obviously scale to different degrees for fleets of different sizes, that point shows how these programs are not only good for safety, but financially justified as well.

3. Themes can keep safety messaging fresh

If you've ever lost count of how many times you've seen the same commercial, you probably know that, after excessive exposure, messages tend to go in one ear and out the other. This phenomenon applies to all kinds of instructions, including vitally important tips related to driver safety. After being told to buckle up 100 times, the 101st reminder is beyond unlikely to have any effect on a driver's behavior.

To prevent their guidance from becoming background noise, one fleet manager at a panel I attended recommended that fleets take a themed approach with their fleet safety programs. Instead of randomly jumping between safety topics as they come up, he advised organizations to focus on topics one at a time via deliberate campaigns. Once a safety issue has been measurably improved, fleets can move on to their next focus.

In terms of fleet safety themes, you could consider focusing on:

• Distracted driving
• Seasonal driving preparedness
• Cargo securement/load safety
• Emergency response protocols
• Vehicle inspection best practices

This rotational approach keeps things fresh for drivers, which significantly improves the memorability of safety guidance. It's also much easier for fleet managers to convey the importance of one topic versus multiple subjects, which further improves the efficacy of safety campaigns.

Upgrade your fleet safety program

Reduce accidents due to component failure and comply with safety & compliance regulations effortlessly with Fleetio’s comprehensive fleet maintenance solutions.

Find out more