Safety on the Roads and Security in Electronic Payment Systems

Protecting Your Fleet’s Physical Health Through Regulations and Financial Health through Secure Electronic Payment Systems

Winter weather in February can be brutal, but for the trucking industry it can be downright disastrous. Even driving on dry roads can be a challenge, so winter preparation and safety is paramount to one of the most dangerous professions in the nation. The United States Department of Labor indicates that the trucking industry experiences more fatalities than any other occupation and accounts for 12 percent of all driver deaths, with two-thirds of fatalities resulting from highway crashes. And it does not stop there. Half of the non-fatal injuries were attributed to the trucking industry for the challenges that they face every day on the job — challenges that include the physical labor of loading and unloading, transporting hazardous materials, and vehicle maintenance. That is why OSHA, Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency have implemented strict regulations, training requirements and maintenance compliances to stay on top of the safety of this workforce. Additionally, as the transportation and logistics industries have evolved, they have been faced with protecting their data, technology and electronic payment systems equally as much as they are protecting their workforce.

Compliance and Regulations Helping to Keep the Roadways Safe

Combined, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and OSHA have jurisdiction over both the interstate trucking industry and motor vehicles operated in the workplace. Regulations have been put into place to protect drivers on the roadways at all times, and, along with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, positive results and improvements have been measured successfully. With a mission to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities involving trucks and busses, the FMCSA was established to enforce efficiencies and safety for both commercial drivers and the commuter population. The administration’s mandate includes the following 4 ordinances:

1. Develops and enforces data-driven regulations that balance motor carrier (truck and bus companies) safety with efficiency.
2. Harnesses safety information systems to focus on higher risk carriers in enforcing the safety regulations.
3. Targets educational messages to carriers, commercial drivers, and the public.
4. Partners with stakeholders including Federal, State, and local enforcement agencies, the motor carrier industry, safety groups, and organized labor on efforts to reduce bus and truck-related crashes.

With these mandates in place and since 1980 when the trucking industry was economically deregulated, the number of fatal truck crashes and the rate of the crashes have declined dramatically while the trucking industry has seen safety improve exponentially. Metrics from the ATA show the following:

• From 1980-2015, the number of large truck-involved fatal crashes declined 32%.
• From 1980 -2015, the large truck-involved fatal crash rate per 100 million miles dropped 74%.
• Trucks have an overall crash rate 29% lower than that of other vehicles.
• In 2015, large trucks were almost three times more likely than other vehicles to be struck in the rear in two vehicle fatal truck crashes.
• In 90% of fatal head-on collisions between a large truck and a passenger vehicle, the passenger vehicle crossed the median into the truck’s lane of travel.
• The preponderance of research studies find that car drivers are principally at fault in approximately three quarters (70-75%) of fatal car-truck crashes.
• Drug and alcohol use by truck drivers on the job is very rare. In 2015* only 2% of large-truck drivers involved in fatal crashes had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter (g/dl).

* 2015 is the most recent year for which the data has been reported or otherwise available

“The trucking industry is committed to improving safety. Annually, the trucking industry invests at least $9.5 billion in safety. These investments include safety technologies, safety training, driver safety incentive pay, and compliance with safety regulations”. — American Trucking Association

While it is true that the physical safety for all of us is protected with the help of governed regulations and compliance, that is not quite the case for the safety of financials in the trucking industry where error, fraud and breach can be almost as devastating. That is why the trucking industry relies on expert partners for the safety of their financial supply chain and the security of their data, technology and electronic payment systems. Companies like EFS have made it their business to become experts in protecting these financial transactions within the trucking industry. EFS provides tools and secure systems that protect electronic payment systems and mitigate fraud. They can also provide visibility to see transactions accurately in real-time which means unauthorized purchases can be detected faster and prevented. The company also delivers regulatory and compliance solutions to help in capturing and preparing required IFTA, IRP and individual state fuel tax reports so you are protected from penalty.

Secure Electronic Payments and Card Solutions are Critical in an Industry Always on the Go!

Credit card fraud has always been an issue but seems to be magnified in the trucking industry where card holders are particularly at risk as they are constantly moving through locations. Even with the new chip technology, credit card theft seems more prevalent than ever before. Credit card skimming has become an everyday occurrence, especially at fueling locations which is where truck drivers are most susceptible and exactly why companies like EFS have developed fraud prevention strategies for fuel and fleet cards specifically. These fleet cards deliver robust fraud prevention along with financial and authorization controls. The EFS Mastercard Fleet Card leverages superior controls for purchasing, combined with the safety and security of the Mastercard brand. But it is not just the cards that are susceptible to fraud, which is why EFS has addressed fraud prevention in all aspects of electronic payment from payroll and smart funds cards to the Securefuel technology, which provides complete transparency into how the fleet is purchasing fuel. SecureFuel uses big data to help identify purchase irregularities, trigger real-time alerts and ultimately help to better manage and control a fleet’s second largest variable expense.

“When fleet managers establish controls across the fleet and for individual drivers, they can restrict the types of purchases, the number of transactions, the dollar limits, frequency per day or per cycle, and even the hours of purchase. These proactively help to prevent fraud and misuse, but also protect the bottom line,” — Marie LeMoine, senior vice president in the corporate payment global transportation group at U.S. Bank Voyager.

In addition, EFS fuel audit and reconciliation tools provide greater transparency for tracking and reporting and can also ensure you are receiving accurate pricing and negotiated discounts so budgets are met, expenses are managed, and you are protected from overcharges.

While the trucking industry may rely on the help of DOT, OSHA and FMCSA for physical safety on the road, fleet managers across the country are turning to partners like EFS to help with financial safety, especially in electronic payments. Even better news is that not only are these solutions helping to mitigate fraud and maintain security, they are also providing efficiencies and transparencies that are strengthening the financial supply chain and bolstering the overall health of the company.

Resources:

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/trucking_industry/hazards.html

http://www.trucking.org/ATA%20Docs/What%20We%20Do/ATA%20Grassroots%20Program/Safety_Facts.pdf