Description

EPISODE SUMMARY:

Fleets have safety policies everywhere—but drivers make real-time decisions about whether to follow them. Nancy Bendickson reveals how systematic gap assessment transforms disconnected safety programs into accountability structures that actually stick, turning telematics alerts into behavioral change through collaborative implementation, not top-down mandates.

With 40+ years of experience in safety leadership and risk control, Nancy has shaped safety programs for multinational corporations, led global fleet audits, and investigated everything from routine crashes to complex international incidents. As Aon's GRC thought leader for transportation safety, she partners with large clients to analyze loss data, uncover risk drivers, and build strategies that meaningfully reduce risk.

In this episode, we explore what separates fleets that transform their safety outcomes from those stuck in compliance theater—and the collaborative, data-driven approach that actually works.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

[2:59] How a dietetics degree led Nancy into insurance risk analysis and why her unconventional path shaped her safety approach

[5:11] Why people stay in safety careers for decades—and what makes the work truly rewarding

[6:12] The gap assessment framework: Your starting point for meaningful safety improvement (what to evaluate, why it matters)

[10:54] The most common safety gaps Nancy finds across fleets (and why they systematically undermine programs)

[12:30] Why management buy-in is non-negotiable for safety program success (and how to build it)

[15:15] How telematics transformed fleet safety monitoring—and why data without action creates liability

[18:45] The critical difference between telematics data (what happened) and fleet cameras (why it happened)

[20:22] Building accountability structures when drivers make real-time safety decisions in the field

[30:51] Creating collaborative safety implementation that gains genuine organizational buy-in

[36:56] How to reduce total cost of risk through strategic loss prevention and targeted initiatives

[40:29] What's next: Making telematics implementation truly effective in 2025 and beyond

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The gap assessment process examines 8 critical areas: management support, driver selection, training, vehicle management, substance abuse programs, incident management, driver monitoring, and accountability/role clarity
• Many organizations implement telematics but fail to maximize impact because they lack processes around data management, coaching protocols, corrective action, and continuous monitoring
• Effective safety programs require collaborative planning, not consultant prescriptions—genuine organizational buy-in separates successful programs from those that fade
• Forward-facing cameras provide critical context that telematics alone cannot—showing not just what happened, but why and who was at fault
• The real gap in fleet safety isn't data collection; it's turning data into driver behavior change through structured coaching and accountability
• Safety leaders who succeed are those who remain flexible, learn continuously, and adapt their approach as organizational needs change
• Total cost of risk reduction involves frequency management, severity management, documented loss control practices, and sustainable safety culture

GUEST BIO:

Nancy Bendickson is a Managing Consultant at Aon with over 40 years of experience in safety leadership, risk control, and strategic loss prevention. She partners with large casualty clients to analyze loss data, uncover key risk drivers, and implement targeted strategies for meaningful risk reduction across fleet operations, occupational safety, and general liability exposures.

Her career spans diverse roles including 14 years in insurance loss control, leadership at Minnesota Safety Council, corporate safety management at Cargill (where she led global fleet task forces), and 29 years at Aon. She has conducted safety audits for multinational corporations, investigated incidents internationally (including a notable truck accident in Papua New Guinea), and contributes expertise to the EMS Safety Foundation.

As Aon's GRC thought leader for transportation and food safety, Nancy brings rare combination of operational insight and technical mastery. Her work demonstrates that effective safety leadership requires honest assessment, collaborative implementation, and unwavering focus on reducing risk.

QUOTABLE MOMENTS:

• "When I get a new assignment, I need to figure out what's the current state. Where are their pain points? What are their trends for losses?"
• "We have telematics data now. How well are you managing that data? Do you have a process in place to help you make sure that events are being handled?"
• "As a consultant, I can only go so far, but if we can gain some buy in and have this ongoing strategy, we're going to have more success."
• "Now we have a true picture of what happened. Where did it happen? And we can know, yep, I need to definitely settle that one right away, because we know we've got fault there."
• "The big lot in life for us in casualty risk control is, how can I impact that total cost of risk for a client?"
• "You got to be flexible and just kind of be ready to move and change as the client is providing focus for you."

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

#FleetSafety #SafetyLeadership #Telematics #GapAssessment #RiskManagement #DriverTraining #FleetManagement #BehavioralChange #CasualtyRiskControl #InsuranceSavings #SafetyCulture #AccountabilityStructures #FleetCameras #LossPrevention #Aon #ImprovedLearning #SPIDER

CONNECT WITH NANCY:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-bendickson-cds-csp-arm-54616714/

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Aon Risk Solutions - Transportation: https://www.aon.com/en/solutions/transportation
• EMS Safety Foundation: https://www.emsafe.org/
• SPIDER® Driver Training - IMPROVLearning: https://www.improvlearning.com/fleet-training/
• Minnesota Safety Council
• Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS): https://trafficsafety.org
• National Safety Council (NSC): https://www.nsc.org