Safety isn’t a standalone initiative — it’s woven into every mile and decision. At Vision 25, physical economy leaders shared how they’re turning safety into a lasting part of fleet culture. These takeaways stand out. Not just because they’re timely, but because they’re timeless.
1. Make safety a competition that drivers want to win
A little friendly competition goes a long way, and Motive fleets are proving it.
When drivers track their Safety Score, see how they stack up, and compete for rewards, improvement feels like something to chase — not something to fear. At Estes Forwarding Worldwide, Safety Director Karol Smith has seen safety incentives work in real time.
“Our drivers are competing. They say ‘Look where I am today.’ I got a call from a driver who was finally the top driver in the fleet. He could see that on his Driver App, and he was so excited. So we do celebrate our drivers. They get recognition every month. The rewards don’t have to be big — positive reinforcement is key.”
It wasn’t always so easy.
“The first month was rough,” says Smith. “Drivers weren’t used to seeing their performance data. We had some tough conversations. But two-and-a-half years in, they’re fighting for the top spot. Our Safety Score now toggles between 95 and 96,” just shy of perfect.
Shoutouts, bracket-style competitions, and small incentives help keep drivers motivated and safety top of mind.
2. Let avatars do the talking (so you don’t have to)
You can’t be in every vehicle or lead every coaching conversation. But in a way, you can.
Motive’s AI Coach uses a lifelike avatar to deliver weekly coaching, personalized to each driver’s performance. It’s consistent, automatic, and designed to reflect your fleet’s priorities.
I’m excited about AI Coach. It will give us the ability to deliver personalized feedback across the board in a consistent, timely way.
Choose from pre-generated avatars or record your own, so feedback comes from someone drivers recognize and trust. That personal touch makes coaching feel more human, and more effective.
3. Customize safety alerts for more meaningful coaching
No two drivers are the same, and their coaching shouldn’t be either.
Motive customers are tailoring alerts to better address individual driver behavior. That means more relevant coaching in the moment and better outcomes long term.
To customize feedback, fleets are:
- Setting in-cab alerts and thresholds by vehicle type.
- Triggering alerts before video is captured, so drivers have a chance to self-correct.
- Choosing which behaviors can be self-coached, freeing up managers while drivers control their own progress.
Customization like this turns safety into something drivers can own. They value being in charge of their own growth, and managers get much-needed time back in their day.
4. Reinforce the good, not just the risky
The best safety programs don’t just flag mistakes. They celebrate progress.
Recognizing drivers for positive behavior builds trust and shows that safety isn’t just about avoiding penalties. It’s about doing the job well and arriving home safely.
With Motive, you can build a program that inspires drivers to perform their best every day. And as engagement builds, you can expect to reap the benefits. Businesses with highly engaged employees have 64% fewer safety incidents, 43% less turnover, and 81% fewer absences than those with low levels of worker enthusiasm.
5. Let drivers coach themselves (and they will)
Self-coaching puts drivers in charge of their own progress, without requiring a sit-down every time something goes wrong.
With the Motive Driver App, managers can assign training videos based on specific behaviors like phone use, unsafe lane changes, or following distance. Drivers review footage on their own time, take it in, and adjust; no need for a manager’s involvement.
With the way we push self-coaching, drivers have started to recognize their own unsafe behaviors, fixing them without anyone having to know.
6. Take your safety show on the road
Fleets are spread out across job sites, cities, and time zones. To reach drivers, some Motive customers are taking safety conversations to them.
In-person roadshows, demos, and onboarding events are building transparency and trust.
We did a road show throughout our organization to get in front of everybody, from managers to drivers. We went to them, reiterating the message ‘We’re here to get you home.’
We were pleasantly surprised. People were excited. Workers even volunteered to trial the technology. There’s real value in being transparent, getting out there, and asking for feedback.
Even if you don’t roll out a full roadshow, in-person demos can go a long way. In onboarding safety technology, Davey Tree put different solutions to the test and let the results spring to life.
We had 100 trucks fired up between Motive and a competitor. Motive worked much better. The acceptance from our drivers is so much better now. It’s awesome for the industry.
Build a safety culture that lasts with Motive
The future of fleet safety is personal. It’s about trust, recognition, and giving drivers the tools to improve on their own terms. These takeaways reflect that shift, and they’re already helping to create safer roads, stronger teams, and better results.
Want help putting these ideas into practice? Let’s talk.
