Most drivers in Teletrac Navman’s survey already receive some form of performance feedback. The more useful question for fleet operators is how that feedback is delivered, and whether data is being used to develop drivers or simply record mistakes.
Fleet safety technology can identify events quickly, but a dashboard does not decide what happens next. That decision sits with the organisation and, often, with the Fleet Manager, safety team or operational supervisor responsible for turning data into a driver conversation.
The Teletrac Navman 2026 Driver Coaching report suggests most fleets already have some form of feedback process in place. It found 99% of drivers receive feedback of some sort. The more revealing result is how differently that feedback can be used.
Just over half of drivers surveyed, 51%, said they receive recognition for positive driving actions. At the same time, 32% said they receive disciplinary action. That split gives Fleet Managers a useful prompt to review whether their safety program is designed primarily around compliance or around improvement.
Not every event needs to become discipline
“Disciplinary action should be reserved for misconduct, not everyday mistakes.”
Teletrac Navman, 2026 Driver Coaching Edition
That distinction is important when systems can generate large volumes of event data. An alert may show that something happened, but an effective coaching process still needs to establish context, help the driver understand the event and identify what should change next time.
A disciplinary response will still be appropriate for some behaviours and repeated or serious breaches. The report’s argument is that routine coaching should not automatically begin from a punitive position. Instead, the data can be used to show what happened, discuss why it happened and track improvement over time.
Scorecards may matter more than cash incentives
One of the more useful findings for Fleet Managers is how drivers say their behaviour is influenced. The report found 52% of drivers said detailed performance breakdowns and visible scorecard improvement had the greatest impact on their driving style. Financial bonuses were nominated by 21%.
That result suggests fleets do not necessarily need elaborate incentive schemes to make performance data meaningful. A clear scorecard, regular feedback and visible progress may be more important than turning every safety initiative into a financial reward program.
Recognition also appears to have a retention dimension. The report found 37% of drivers said “more recognition for good driving” was a significant factor that would keep them at their company.
Transparency is part of fair coaching
The way data is shared also affects trust. The report found 47% of drivers said easy access to their own safety data would build confidence in the technology. A further 43% nominated fair and consistent use of data across all drivers, while 42% wanted a clear explanation of how data is used.
This has practical implications for policy. If the fleet is going to coach drivers using event data, drivers should understand which events are reviewed, what thresholds apply, who has access to the information and whether the same rules apply across teams and locations.
Teletrac Navman also found that 60% of drivers preferred a driver app as the route to their own performance information. The broader point is not that every fleet needs the same interface, but that giving drivers access to the information behind a coaching conversation can make the process easier to understand and challenge when necessary.
Coach the good as well as the bad
A safety program built only around exceptions can create a distorted view of performance. If the only time a driver hears from management is after an alert, the system can become associated with mistakes even when the wider objective is prevention and development.
Recognising improvement, reviewing scorecards and acknowledging consistently good driving can help balance that process. It also gives Fleet Managers a way to use existing telematics investment without assuming that more hardware is the next answer. In many fleets, the opportunity may lie in improving the management process around data that is already being collected.
The report’s central coaching message is therefore less about technology capability and more about management behaviour. Data can support fair and objective conversations, but only if the fleet establishes clear rules, makes performance information understandable and uses coaching to help drivers improve rather than simply documenting every mistake.
