FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

FMCSA Contact: Jerry Robin, (202) 366-2985

The Potential Application of

Behavior-Based Safety in the 

Trucking Industry

Introduction

Behavior-based safety (BBS) is a set of methods to improve safety performance in the

workplace by engaging workers in the improvement process, identifying critical safety

behaviors, performing observations to gather data, providing feedback to encourage

improvement, and using gathered data to target system factors for positive change.

Most BBS initiatives have been implemented in industrial environments in which 

workers are in groups; however, a significant number have been successful with 

workers who are in remote locations, using self-observation.

In August 1998, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA; formerly the

Office of Motor Carriers, Federal Highway Administration) sponsored a group of 

seminars on BBS as part of its human factors research program on driver performance

enhancement; the seminars were conducted by Dr. Thomas Krause, CEO, Behavioral

Science Technology, Inc. In particular, FMCSA is interested in ensuring the safe, 

effective use of current and advanced in-vehicle driver performance monitoring devices

(e.g., speed monitoring, headway monitoring, alertness monitoring). Performance 

monitoring offers an opportunity to improve driver safety and productivity by 

measuring and providing feedback to drivers on critical performance variables. The 

use of performance feedback, developed via a team approach, is central to BBS; it is a

powerful tool and has been shown to influence behavior effectively in both short and

long term settings.

Summary

Performance measurement is a critical and essential ingredient in performance

enhancement. BBS looks for ways that safety-critical worker behaviors can be 

measured and managed systematically. Typically, certain “benchmark” behaviors are

identified as critical by teams of workers, supervisors, management, drivers, and 

others. Once established, the organization then employs these benchmark behaviors

for purposes of worker self-management, training, general management, information

data mining, performance evaluations, and awards or corrective actions.

In this manner, organizations may use behavioral benchmarks as a management tool,

as opposed to relying primarily on outcome measures to affect behavior change.

Outcome measures, such as crashes or safety violations, are not always as measurable

or reliable as behaviors, and therefore are not always a sound basis for affecting

behavior changes. However, outcome measures are overwhelmingly used by the 

trucking industry today as the principal measure of driver performance and overall

safety. In BBS, crash rate would be considered a “downstream” measure whereas 

in-vehicle performance data would be “upstream” measures. Upstream measures are

more reliable indices of true safety risk and are the targets of BBS interventions. When

upstream indices (i.e., safety-related behavior) change, downstream outcome changes

Tech Brief

The goal of the Federal Motor

Carrier Safety Administration

(FMCSA) is to reduce the 

number and severity of large

truck-involved crashes

through more commercial

motor vehicle and operator

inspections and compliance

reviews, stronger enforcement

measures against violators,

expedited completion of 

rulemaking proceedings, 

scientifically sound research,

and effective CDL testing,

recordkeeping, and sanctions.

The Office of Research and

Technology manages research

and technology development

and deployment programs for

the FMCSA.

There are eight major research

and technology focus areas: 

crash causation and profiling;

regulatory evaluation and

reform; compliance and

enforcement; HAZMAT safety

and cargo tank integrity; 

driver training and performance management; driver

alertness and fatigue; driver

physical qualifications; and

car-truck proximity. 

Driver training and performance management includes

research on driver recruiting,

selection, training, testing,

licensing, and safety 

performance management.

Office of Research and

Technology

400 Seventh Street, SW

MC-RT; Room 3107

Washington, DC 20590
Researcher

This study was performed by

Behavioral Science Technology,

Inc., 417 Bryant Circle, Ojai,

California 93023. Contract No.:

DTFH61-98-P-00393.

Distribution

This Tech Brief is being distributed according to a standard

distribution. Direct distribution

is being made to the Service

Centers and Divisions.

Availability

The study final report is 

available from the National

Technical Information Service,

Telephone: (703) 605-6000,

Order No.: PB99-157992.

Key Words

commercial motor vehicle

(CMV), driver performance,

behavior-based safety, total

quality management, 

actigraphs, alertness monitors,

electric on-board recorders,

black boxes, highway safety.

Notice

This Tech Brief is disseminated

under the sponsorship of the

Department of Transportation 

in the interest of information

exchange. The Tech Brief provides a synopsis of the study’s

final publication. The Tech Brief

does not establish policies or

regulations, nor does it imply

USDOT endorsement of the 

conclusions or recommendations. The U.S. Government

assumes no liability for its 

contents or their use.

Web Site

All FMCSA Tech and Analysis

Briefs may be accessed at:

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov.

Technical Writer

Hallie Magyar, Avalon

Integrated Services.

inevitably follow. Essentially, BBS will help management practices to shift from reactive

to proactive.

Performance monitoring as a self-management tool requires that an employee be an

active and involved participant in the improvement effort. When this happens, the

effect of performance feedback is to allow for and facilitate positive change. BBS 

principles are supported by management, but implemented with the involvement of

employees from the beginning.

Behavior-based safety methods have been implemented with great success in industrial

settings and have tremendous potential for improving safety and productivity in the

trucking industry. For example, if speed maintenance was identified as a safety-critical

benchmark behavior, speed would be monitored and both drivers and their managers

would receive frequent feedback on drivers’ degree of speed compliance. Drivers

demonstrating acceptable behavior/performance would be recognized and rewarded

so that the overall management atmosphere is positive and facilitative of the desired

behavior. Many new in-vehicle technologies are available, or will soon be commercially

available (e.g., actigraphs, alertness monitors, and electronic on-board recorders) to

potentially provide accurate safety-relevant and productivity-relevant behavior 

benchmarks.

The potential to improve truck driving safety and performance is enormous, 

particularly when BBS principles are used in conjunction with these new technologies.

Unfortunately, such devices may be viewed negatively as “surveillance” and an 

unwarranted intrusion into driver privacy. Driver-involved implementation of these

technologies will help overcome this potential bias by demonstrating to drivers the

benefits of their use and the value of performance feedback as a self-management 

aid and tool for greater autonomy. In most BBS applications, behavioral observations

supporting BBS are separate from the supervisory/discipline process, removing much of

the intimidation associated with BBS observations of worker safety.

Continuing Research

The FMCSA is sponsoring a project to consider existing and emerging on-board safety

monitoring technologies and identifying behavioral management practices that 

facilitate driver acceptance of these technologies, as well as driver cooperation, 

compliance, and positive behavior change. This study will help guide near-and 

long-term FMCSA programs relating to driver performance measurement, performancebased management and regulations, and application of safety technology within the

trucking industry.

Another project with ties to BBS principles is the Canadian Truck Driver Safety Incentive

Program. In Canada, studies have reviewed the potential to improve trucking safety

and profitability through safety incentive programs; a new pilot test of incentive 

programs for commercial drivers will be initiated this year. Although a few elements 

of these incentive programs differ from BBS, there are many similarities and common

concepts. As both approaches are tested, there will be opportunities to compare results

and lessons learned.

The Federal Railroad Administration has also begun a project, using BBS principles, to

demonstrate the applicability of this promising safety-enhancing methodology to 

Yard and Terminal operations and Right-of-Way maintenance. The project will provide

critical information on the jobs/occupations, locations, and behaviors that are most atrisk for accidents in these work settings.

April 2000

Publication No. FMCSA-MCRT-00-009 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety

Administration