The second annual Fleet Safety Conference made a return visit to Schaumburg, Ill., from June 25 to 27, attracting nearly 300 fleet and safety professionals from the U.S. and Canada. Topics ranged from case studies about implementing a safety program to the nuts and bolts of running a successful safety audit, to how to effectively use the plethora of safety data fleet and risk managers have at their fingertips.

Note: You can click the top image to see a complete gallery of photos from this event.

Keynoters Joseph McKillips, CSP, senior manager, Commercial Program Support at Abbott, and David Teater, senior director of transportation strategic initiatives for the National Safety Council (NSC), covered the dangers of cell-phone use and driving to packed crowds at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center. McKillips outlined how Abbott implemented a U.S. and worldwide ban on cell-phone use while driving, which was based, in large part, on material available from the NSC. Teater also tackled distracted driving, with a special emphasis on cell-phone use while driving.

Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) Executive Director Jack Hanley outlined how fleets can use benchmarking techniques to help reduce collisions, injuries, and costs.

Among conference highlights were sessions on how to perform a successful safety audit, integrating personal use and fleet safety; how to effectively use predictive analytics to identify and help at-risk drivers; how to legally and ethically obtain MVR records; the legal implications of using black box technology; an overview of new and emerging safety technology from the major OEMs; how to use red light cameras to effectively identify at-risk drivers; and the presentation of the Fleet Safety Award to Johnson & Johnson’s Director of Worldwide Fleet Safety Sandra Lee (see page 42 for more details on this year’s Fleet Safety Award winner.)

In addition, there were sessions specifically geared to truck fleets, covering the connection between driver health and safety, an update on CSA regulations, and medium-duty truck safety.

Networking also played a big part at the Fleet Safety Conference with evening receptions each night.