SmartDrive Systems, a producer of video-based safety and transportation intelligence, announced that The Rasmussen Group has deployed the SmartDrive video-based safety program with SmartDrive 360 and Extended Recording in two of its subsidiary companies, Concrete Supply and JMT Trucking.
“Safety is a top priority and a solid foundation for all of The Rasmussen Group companies, so employing a video camera system with an enhanced coaching workflow was fully in line with our continuous commitment to leverage the best tools to ensure safety,” says Billy Snead, director of safety, Concrete Supply. “We knew that once our drivers gained a better visibility into what was happening on the road and on project sites, coupled with constructive feedback, they’d be armed with the knowledge to enhance their safe driving habits.”
Based in Des Moines, Iowa, The Rasmussen Group represents a variety of design-build heavy construction companies. With businesses specializing in bridge construction, concrete and asphalt supply, paving, heavy hauling, dump trucks, crane operations and steel fabrication, The Rasmussen Group provides diversified experience across many interrelated constructions fields.
When researching a video safety system, the Rasmussen team recognized the need for more than a dashcam or safety program that simply captured video.
The ability to coach drivers was critical to the company’s decision so that it could continue to reinforce its family-first culture and ensure employees are treated fairly.
Rasmussen considered other video safety companies, however the company ultimately selected SmartDrive due to its proven coaching workflow and its experience in, and extensive references from, the ready-mix industry.
The company opted to deploy road- and cab-facing cameras on its dump trucks to protect and exonerate drivers, and added back-up cameras to the ready-mix vehicles to maximize visibility to risk and ensure adherence with standard operating procedures.
“We particularly appreciated SmartDrive 360 and its ability to help our drivers safely back into tight quarters and ensure proper discharge of materials," says Snead. "Since our drivers have gained a higher degree of visibility that allows for more informed and safe maneuvering, we have experienced fewer accidents and less vehicle damage.”
SmartDrive 360 provides fleets with the ability to add cameras on the sides and back of the vehicle, enabling a comprehensive view of the vehicle. The solution delivers insight to the most frequent causes of collisions, such as U-turns, backing, unintended lane changes, roll-overs and close following.
“With the SmartDrive program, along with our concerted coaching efforts, we immediately began to see marked improvement in adherence to a variety of important safe driving habits, including fastening seatbelts, following speed limits, avoiding distracted driving and following too close, which can often lead to costly rear-end accidents,” says Sajid Ordagic, safety manager, Concrete Supply. “SmartDrive has been so impactful that we’ve included the SmartDrive Safety Score in our driver bonus evaluation program, incentivizing drivers to maintain a good safety score, which has helped encourage continued driver buy-in and self-evaluation.”
With a solution uniquely tailored to the requirements of the construction and ready-mix industry, the SmartDrive program includes in-depth insights into high-risk driving maneuvers to reduce a root cause associated with rollovers, back-up collisions and more. With up to eight cameras through SmartDrive 360, as well as Extended Recording and SmartIQ data-driven analytics, SmartDrive.
“We’re proud to partner with The Rasmussen Group and look forward to continued collaboration to ensure the safety of its drivers and the fleet as a whole,” says Steve Mitgang, CEO of SmartDrive. “Our intimate understanding of the unique industry challenges and our unwavering commitment to enabling fleet safety, strengthened by our proprietary video safety technology, are why The Rasmussen Group and many other leading construction and ready-mix fleets choose SmartDrive.”
