Seven years of partnership, one shared goal: getting everyone home safely
When Mainfreight Australia first partnered with AutoSense in 2019, the objective was simple: find new ways to support drivers and strengthen safety across its growing transport network.
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Seven years later, that commitment remains unchanged. What has evolved is the scale of the partnership, the sophistication of the technology and the depth of insight available to help protect drivers and everyone sharing the road with them.
The challenge
Mainfreight’s domestic transport business operates across full truck load, metro, dangerous goods and logistics services, with close to 950 branded vehicles operating nationally. Because the business largely operates through a sub-contractor model, supporting these operators requires a strong focus on safety, wellbeing and giving drivers the tools and support to manage fatigue and distraction.​
The solution
Mainfreight Australia's journey with AutoSense began in 2019 after the business reviewed its existing telematics approach and explored how emerging fatigue detection technology could strengthen its safety program. Mainfreight New Zealand was already successfully using AutoSense solutions.
Since then, the partnership has expanded significantly. In October 2024, Mainfreight Australia had 158 Guardian cameras installed across its fleet. In 2026, the fleet now operates 815 AutoSense systems, including a combination of Guardian by Seeing Machines cameras and AutoSense Vision cameras, making Mainfreight AutoSense Australia's longest-standing and most engaged customer. A number of Guardian units have been paired with AutoSense Vision cameras, providing real-time incident review and supporting driver exoneration, while further strengthening fleet safety outcomes.
Implementation and continuous improvement
Implementation doesn’t stop once a new system is installed. Mainfreight places a strong emphasis on ongoing driver education and transparency, helping drivers understand how the system works, when events are triggered and how privacy is protected. Footage is reviewed and only used in cases of fatigue and distraction events causing significant concern.
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Fleet Safety and Transport Compliance Manager Brooke Bailey works closely with drivers and contractors every day.
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"Our drivers soon realise we're not sitting there watching them all the time. A lot of it comes down to education and trust. When further intervention is needed, we'll review the footage with the driver's sub-contractor so they can have a meaningful conversation together. It helps drivers understand their own fatigue indicators and reinforces fatigue is normal and manageable."
With many drivers starting their shifts at night and spending long hours on the road, Mainfreight combines Guardian's 24/7 monitoring centre with its own dedicated 24/7 monitoring team to provide multiple layers of protection. When a fatigue or distraction event is detected, it is first reviewed and verified by Guardian's Seeing Machines monitoring centre before being escalated to Mainfreight's team, which conducts welfare checks, oversees follow-up actions and provides real-time support where required. Working together, the two teams help ensure fatigue and distraction events are identified and addressed promptly.
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"We get the monthly Guardian report, which shows us trends and performance over the previous 12 months," says Brooke. "It's really useful for understanding what's working well, where we can continue to improve and the progress we're making. It's also something we share with our sub-contractors, because it shows the value of the collaborative approach we're taking and the results we're achieving together."
"We're always trying to see what we can do better to assist our drivers. The main priority is to ensure everyone can go home safely. Not just our own drivers and our own team, but that anyone can feel confident driving down the road, passing a Mainfreight vehicle and knowing they can do that in a safe manner."
Ashley Taylor - National Support, Mainfreight
Going beyond alerts with Fatigue 5
One of the most significant developments in the partnership over the past year has been Mainfreight Australia's adoption of AutoSense's Fatigue 5 program.
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Mainfreight became the first AutoSense customer to participate in the initiative, which reviews the five highest-risk drivers each month and works to identify the root causes behind fatigue-related events.
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Delivered in partnership with sleep and fatigue specialist Katrina Aubrey, the program moves beyond simply recording fatigue alerts and focuses on understanding why they occur.
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Ashley and Brooke review the monthly Fatigue 5 Triage Report before engaging directly with sub-contractors and drivers. The report highlights the drivers and vehicles with the highest verified fatigue risk and provides tailored recommendations to support early intervention before fatigue escalates into a serious safety issue.
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The approach has helped create more constructive conversations around fatigue, while encouraging drivers to seek further support when needed. Several drivers have since undertaken health checks and sleep assessments after participating in the program.
Results and impact
The results demonstrate the combined impact of technology, education and a strong safety culture. Over seven years, fatigue events fell by more than 94%, from 15.48 (July 2019) to just 0.85 (May 2026) events per 10,000km driven.
Continuing to raise the bar
For Mainfreight, the value of the AutoSense partnership lies in its ability to continually evolve alongside the business, ensuring its safety technology keeps pace with changing operational needs and emerging risks.
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"The Guardian cameras have always provided real-time fatigue and distraction detection, but Gen 3 can now catch a fatigue event before it becomes a microsleep. That's been a game changer because it gives us the opportunity to intervene before it is too late," Ashley says.
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"You can always do better. You can always do more. We're constantly reviewing our processes. We're still learning every day, but that's the benefit of working with good people and trusted providers like AutoSense."
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Seven years into the partnership, that shared commitment to learning, improvement and driver wellbeing continues to drive results. Because for both Mainfreight Australia and AutoSense, the goal remains the same: helping every driver get home safely.