Walton, KY: Verst Group Logistics, a leading third-party logistics (3PL) provider for packaging and supply chain solutions, has implemented numerous safety and sustainability initiatives – including software, processes and certifications that improve driver performance and support governmental and environmental compliance.
Pioneers in transportation, Verst has been continually proactive in upholding Compliance, Safety and Accountability (CSA) standards – even implementing the latest guidelines months before they were a mandate. An initiative of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), CSA standards are designed to improve road safety, by reducing crashes, injuries and fatalities related to commercial motor vehicles.
The leading 3PL company has also proactively implemented the Vigillo CSA monitoring system, which collects data from inspections and crash reports and weighs the severity of violations within seven different categories: unsafe driving, fatigued driving, driver fitness, controlled substances/alcohol, vehicle maintenance, cargo, and crash involvement.
"We're extremely proud of our safety record at Verst," says president and CEO Paul Verst. "As a family-owned business, we know the importance of holding ourselves accountable and safeguarding our drivers, vehicles and customers' products. And in addition to saving lives, we also focus on saving fuel. For example, earning SmartWay certification from the EPA is just one way we prove our commitment to reducing impact on the environment."
Administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), the SmartWay Transport Program recognizes freight companies whose vehicles score excellent ratings for reduced air pollution and greenhouse gases. As a SmartWay partner, Verst agrees to assess their freight operations, calculate their carbon footprint, and track their fuel efficiency and emission reductions every year.
On the safety front, other Verst initiatives include installing:
- The SmartDrive Event Recording System – a unique video-based system that captures a driver's performance on the road and sends the recorded events to a team of safety analysts for evaluation. The system has proven to reduce risky driving an average of almost 60 percent in the first year, with continued improvement to 75 percent in the second year.
- Driver Management OnlineTM (DMO) – an online dashboard that offers regulatory guidance and critical insight into a fleet's compliance and operations, issued through automated alerts and reminders.
- PeopleNet Fleet Manager – a leading-edge system that provides real-time automated tools such as Onboard Event Recording, eDriver Logs, Vehicle Management and Speed Monitoring. This allows Verst to more easily pinpoint risk exposure, determine events leading up to an accident, and coach drivers before bad habits develop.
"We're seeing dramatic results with these innovative systems, and they've been extremely easy to implement and well-received by our drivers," says Verst VP of transportation Chris Cusick. "They've helped us significantly improve compliance and reduce our risk of accidents – while still ensuring that our customers get their products to market quickly and cost-effectively."
