Bacton Transport engages drivers and reduces risk

Reducing risk and improving driver engagement

Headquartered in Stowmarket, England, Bacton Transport Services is a third-generation, family-owned business with almost 90 years’ experience. Having established a successful driver performance team in 2019, the company were keen to explore the opportunities from a technology solution that would help reduce risk and engage drivers.

The challenges

Before implementing the Lytx^® Driver Safety Programme, Bacton Transport faced three challenges. Firstly, the company was keen to enhance its safety culture and further raise overall driving standards across the workforce. Secondly, fleet managers needed to engage drivers and have the tools in place to facilitate better conversations and coaching sessions. Finally, Bacton wanted to adopt a reliable, easy-to-use solution that would give direction with actionable insights to the company’s programme.

Nick Newman, General Manager of Fleet at Bacton Transport, said: ‘‘We trialled a handful of suppliers but Lytx was the only solution that prioritised the coaching of drivers. Other solutions focused on telling us what had already happened – whereas Lytx could tell us when something was about to happen, allowing us to review risky behaviours and prevent them from escalating. This, coupled with the ability to enable a method of risk management that makes coaching and training drivers our top priority, sealed the decision for us.”

"Lytx was the only solution that could tell us when something was about to happen, not just when something had happened.”
- Nick Newman, General Manager of Fleet, Bacton Transportation

The solution

The Driver Safety Programme, which harnesses machine vision and artificial intelligence (MV+AI), has allowed Bacton Transport to reduce risk by identifying distracted and risky driving behaviours including handheld mobile phone use, smoking, eating or drinking while driving, and not wearing a seatbelt.

Lytx’s solution also offers drivers the ability to self-correct risky driving behaviours via in-cab alerts^†. Using MV+AI to determine if a risky behaviour has taken place, the technology will produce an audio and/or visual alert, helping drivers prevent a momentary slip-up from become anything more.

360-degree video is also helping Bacton Transport to problem solve in the moment. With Bacton Transport’s main depot based in a rural setting, drivers often face situations where their vehicles may not be able to proceed due to tight bends in the road, as well as inclement weather conditions. Rather than rely on verbal descriptions over the phone, their manager can tap into the live feed to evaluate the situation and collaborate with their drivers in real-time to create a solution.

The benefits

With Bacton Transport using performance insights gathered from Lytx to fuel its driver recognition and reward programme, the reception from its drivers has been incredibly positive. The company also has been able to use the programme to facilitate better conversations and coaching sessions between manager and driver. 

“We know from employee engagement surveys how much our drivers are constantly looking for better feedback and communication. The response from them to Lytx has been overwhelmingly positive. Driver engagement like this is definitely the reason why we chose Lytx over the competition. For what was initially ‘just a camera,’ it has exceeded all our expectations. I cannot recommend Lytx enough!’’ added Newman.

"The response from the drivers to Lytx has been overwhelmingly positive. Driver engagement like this is definitely the reason why we chose Lytx over the competition.”
- Nick Newman, General Manager of Fleet, Bacton Transportation

Previously a driver himself, Shaun Appleby, support operations manager at Bacton Transport has experienced the system first-hand and now works closely with the company’s drivers to deliver coaching and training support.

‘‘Like any change project, there was initial scepticism from a handful of drivers,’’ explains Appleby. ‘‘But, as soon as I sat down with them and showed them what we see – and that the camera isn’t recording all of the time – they were completely converted.’’

Something that has helped increase driver engagement is the ability to self-correct via in-cab alerts. ‘‘The footage shows us that, if an in-cab alert goes off, drivers are very quick to self-correct,’’ adds Appleby. ‘‘Our drivers really like that quick reminder, and the feedback has been that it’s easy and not at all disconcerting, which can be a challenge.”

"The footage showed us that, if an in-cab alert goes off, drivers are very quick to self-correct. Our drivers really like that quick reminder, and the feedback has been that it's easy and not at all disconcerting, which can be a challenge."
- Shaun Appleby, Support Operations Manager, Bacton Transportation

Addressing insurance claims

In a first for Bacton Transport, the distributor has integrated Lytx’s technology with its insurer to provide them with complete visibility to the company’s safety data, as well as access to live, real-time footage.

Newman adds, ‘‘I have a monthly meeting with our insurers, and, in the first three months of using the Lytx programme, we were completely clear of issues. They have an obvious interest in anything that can help to reduce risk and have been super impressed with our commitment to investment in safety technology. As well as helping to reduce claims and costs, the whole process is also more streamlined, with our insurers able to access reports more quickly and easily.’’

A streamlined approach

The solution is also helping Bacton Transport make better decisions, more quickly, thanks to its ability to identify only the most relevant data and video clips which are then sent to Bacton Transport for review and use in driver coaching.

Moving forward, Bacton Transport is looking to use the Lytx system to help comply with the increased safety standards required of operators today, including the Direct Vision Standard.