Teletrac Navman is set to launch its Sentinel electronic work diary (EWD) in the Australian market after submitting the software to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) for approval.
After releasing its final consultation report, the NHVR began accepting applications to approve EWDs for use on May 28.
An EWD is an electronic device or system used to monitor and record the work and rest times of a driver and is a voluntary alternative to the written work diary.
Through a public consultation period on the draft EWD Policy Framework and Standards, the NHVR received majority support for going ahead with the technology.
The NHVR has begun assessment and approval of electronic recording systems.
Teletrac Navman transport solutions vice president Andrew Rossington says the EWD product received a lot of attention and many questions from fleet operators at the recent Brisbane Truck Show.
“People are asking, ‘when can they have this? What are the benefits and what is it going to mean to them?’.
The EWD will create a “much more simpler” system for transport operators, leading to more efficient work management and cost savings, Rossington says.
At a recent fatigue-related hackathon put on by the Australian Trucking Association and sponsored by Teletrac Navman, the use of EWDs was put under the spotlight.
“Two big takeaways from the hackathon are that work diaries are just one piece of the puzzle in understanding fatigue by tracking work hours and secondly, the driver should be more able to determine his or her own state of fatigue.
“Hearing from people outside the transport industry revealed that we also need to use technology and other methods such as health and social initiatives to tackle the physical and mental side of fatigue, not just in terms of compliance,” Rossington says.
“It certainly resonates with our approach at Teletrac Navman; we’re passionate about producing an EWD that also offers a full telematics solution along with other value-added services such as driver navigation to give businesses the full picture of driver safety.”
Teletrac Navman’s Sentinel is set to be one of the first solutions to be considered and approved by NHVR.
The application was initially developed over ten years ago, and has already been deployed across thousands of drivers and subcontractors around Australia.
Government statistics show 20% of fatal road accidents in Australia are a result of driver fatigue, according to the Transport Accident Commission.
Also, 80% of truck drivers claim to work more than 50-hour weeks, with one in six feeling unable to refuse an unsafe job due to external pressures of the industry.
Teletrac Navman says fatigue solutions should offer additional value other than simply counting time.
This includes features such as providing historical data and forward looking views to assist drivers and operators in managing work.
Changes to chain of responsibility legislation mean that all people in the chain need to be focused on compliancy obligations.
“Safety has always been one of our top priorities and with the new legislation expected to make EWDs an alternative to traditional work diaries, Teletrac Navman is ready with an approved offering for our customers,” Rossington says.
“When paired with other Teletrac Navman software, Sentinel provides an ecosystem of solutions that leverage the National Telematics Framework to create a safer, more trustworthy and more compliant fleet.
“Our goal is to continue to leverage our strong integration with freight management systems for better scheduling and timesheeting, and by providing further value-added features such as guiding drivers to nearby available rest stops through GPS data.”
Hornby Transport managing director Adam Hornby has put the Sentinel system to use in his fleet and says it’s become an important component.
“While our drivers are skilled and responsible, the excessive amount of time spent behind the wheel creates risk.
“Certifying driver compliance with fatigue management policies and keeping them safe are equally important, so having Sentinel in our fleet is essential for achieving both,” Hornby says.
Hornby Transport has been working with Teletrac Navman since deploying its GPS fleet management technology in the early 2000s.
Following a successful Electronic Work Diary (EWD) trial, it became the second organisation in NSW to install fatigue management technology.
