DHL awarded the nine couriers from across the U.S. with the highest scores in its long-term driver safety competition, the Safe-Driving Rodeo, a real-time test of the couriers' defensive driving skills. (Photo: Business Wire)
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DHL awarded the nine couriers from across the U.S. with the highest scores in its long-term driver safety competition, the Safe-Driving Rodeo, a real-time test of the couriers' defensive driving skills. (Photo: Business Wire)
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PLANTATION, Fla.—DHL, the world’s leading international express services provider, is now also the world’s first delivery company to hold a long-term driver safety competition and to tap Smith System®, the premier organization in driving safety, to be its judge.
The Safe-Driving Rodeo Competition that DHL designed for its drivers, who are called couriers within the company, culminated on October 20 in Dallas but began on April 4 at DHL locations nationwide. Hundreds of couriers volunteered to be part of the ongoing, real-time test of defensive driving skills. Central to the competition was GPS-based Geotab monitoring. The system keeps real-time, “real-street” tabs on couriers’ driving habits so that they get immediate reinforcement on how to fine-tune driving behaviors where needed.
On October 20, the top nine couriers in the competition competed in the final leg of the safety rodeo in Dallas, driving in DHL vehicles that underwent a thorough inspection as part of the competition.
“A lot of companies with driver fleets stage one-day rodeo events on a closed course, but we view safe driving as an everyday event at DHL,” said Mike Wagner, DHL Express U.S. Director of Safety. “We wanted to have a program that was sustainable and at the same time exciting for our couriers. Having Smith System partner with us has helped to achieve both these goals. And most important, it’s also resulting in fewer accidents and higher safety scores.”
The Smith System 5 Keys to Space Cushion Driving® have figured prominently in the competition from the beginning. They are: Aim High In Steering®, Get The Big Picture®, Keep Your Eyes Moving®, Leave Yourself An Out®, and Make Sure They See You®.
The nine drivers who competed on the final day had scored the highest number of points among the contestants from across the U.S. Each driver took a safe-driving written exam administrated by Smith System. Then, they hit the road, for a driving test in city traffic and the same again on the highway.
Because of the ongoing nature of the safety rodeo, the event drew DHL couriers from all parts of the country.
“Another advantage of our rodeo’s structure is that it means all DHL couriers are driving to the same safety standards and methods, no matter where they are in the United States or where they originally learned to drive,” said Wagner. “This kind of standardization makes for safer roads.”
DHL officials presented Roger McGowan, courier based in Chicago (ORD), with a $5,000 cash prize.
“We like to think that, in addition to all our great contestants, the other winners of this long-term safety rodeo are our customers and the other drivers on the roads with our couriers,” said Cain Moodie, VP and Head of Operations, DHL Express U.S. “When it comes to being safer drivers, DHL is ready to rodeo every day.”
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DHL – The logistics company for the world
DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. DHL’s family of divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With more than 325,000 employees in over 220 countries and territories worldwide, they connect people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including e-Commerce, technology, life science and healthcare, energy, automotive and retail, a proven commitment to corporate responsibility and an unrivalled presence in developing markets, DHL is decisively positioned as “The logistics company for the world”.
DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 56 billion euros in 2014.
About Smith System
Smith System Driver Improvement Institute, Inc. was founded in 1952 as the nation's first fleet driver safety training organization with on-road, hands-on safety education techniques for experienced drivers. Smith System delivers behind the wheel instruction to more than 35,000 fleet drivers each year and has presented their program in 100 countries and in 22 languages. In the past decade, Smith has provided services to more than half of the current Fortune 500® fleets and is the only company in the industry that guarantees the quality of its training. In addition to its on-road training and extensive video and DVD library, the company offers web-based education and fleet monitoring, through telematics and operational risk management software.
Contacts
DHL Express U.S.
Communications
Robert Mintz, +1-425-984-4249
robert.mintz@dhl.com