Alamo Concrete Products, U.S. cement-making subsidiary of Buzzi Unicem, selected the SmartDrive platform as its video-based driver safety program.
In a competitive pilot program across multiple plant locations, Alamo management realized the SmartDrive program delivered actionable data and insight to risk much faster than the competition, enabling the fleet to immediately take necessary steps to improve safety and prevent collisions. Other factors that played an important role in Alamo’s SmartDrive selection included the platform’s superior camera imaging and resolution, intuitive coaching workflow and extended recording capabilities, which provides access to even more data.
“At Alamo, we believe that safety is everyone’s responsibility, from drivers to plant managers to executives,” said Gene Davis, Alamo safety and DOT compliance supervisor. “Safety and productivity are two of our highest priorities, and they go hand-in-hand; when safety improves, so does productivity. The SmartDrive program supports our safety and operational objectives today, and equips us with technology that will continue to meet our needs as the company and industry evolve.”
Due to a year-over-year increase in traffic and the increasing possibility of collisions, Alamo began researching technology to improve safety across its fleet of 445 vehicles. Ready-mix vehicles are uniquely prone to rollovers due to their high center of gravity and rotating drum, and the construction business demands backing and maneuvering in tight environments. These additional challenges require unique video-based safety configurations, leading Alamo to add the SmartDrive extended recording feature as part of its fleet-wide rollout.
“With the additional video footage, we can get even more insight beyond the standard video. We now know what happened before and after an incident, and what led up to it. Additionally, we gain knowledge of the risk level at each site, how long an employee or vehicle has been on a jobsite and the cause of any vehicle mystery damage,” continued Davis.
Alamo fleet managers were drawn to the easy coaching workflow of the SmartDrive program, and were quick to make coaching part of daily operations to improve driver skills and positively impact safety. Company drivers also embraced the program.
“With active coaching, our drivers can see what they’re doing and learn to correct specific actions and reactions that are putting them at risk,” commented Davis. “In today’s litigious society, our drivers understand the program is there to protect them and help them become safer drivers—even our owner-operators see the value of this system.”
Actionable data was paramount in Alamo’s decision to select the SmartDrive program. Standard KPI reports and SmartDrive SmartIQ data provide insight into safety problems and opportunities for improvement across the company’s plants and quarries. Alamo is an active user of Command Alkon’s Five Cubits telematics program; the SmartDrive program easily integrates with Five Cubits to uncover new insights across its organization.
“Alamo Concrete Products Company is an excellent example of a fleet that puts the safety and professional well-being of its drivers first,” said Steve Mitgang, SmartDrive CEO. “Our program is uniquely capable of identifying risk in ready-mix fleets—it’s why this sector is one of the fastest growing in our business. Our intelligent algorithms and ready-mix specific risk reporting will help Alamo fleet operations, dramatically reduce collisions and improve overall fleet safety and operational efficiency.”
