If your employees drive for a living in any capacity, they can benefit from driver training. Training also delivers advantages to your budget, insurance, HR department, and more. Simulators and instruction can increase employee driving skills and even build new capabilities.
Driver training can benefit your company and drivers in the following ways:
1. Save Time and Money
If you’re going to train your drivers, you want it to be quality training. This involves using modern technology, so drivers truly learn best practices.
You also want to have an involved instructor who can create the best scenarios to prepare drivers for real-life circumstances. Afterwards, drivers need thorough reviews and feedback. This isn’t meant to criticize drivers. Rather it’s to help them improve.
All of this takes hours of focus and dedication. You’re focused on building your business and may not have time to design and continually improve/update a training program. Outsourcing this function frees up your time, and helps you focus on your core business.
Preparing your drivers with a training program also saves your business money. Drivers learning effective driving and truck handling skills will save on fuel costs, not to mention vehicle repairs, the avoidance of accidents, and wrongful deaths.
Safe drivers also aren’t as expensive to insure. This all adds up to significant savings, both immediately and further down the road.
2. Explain Laws
Traffic laws and regulations are necessary to keep our roads safe for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. Your drivers must understand the relevant state laws that govern their driving and know how to stay in compliance to protect themselves and the company.
Each state is unique. Drivers have to understand what’s expected of them when they get behind the wheel of a truck. Such awareness reduces the likelihood of getting into an accident. Drivers should also understand the importance of using turn signals, driving in proper lanes, and knowing where and when to pass other vehicles.
Knowing speed limit laws and the importance of full stops can save your driver’s life and the lives of others. Simply being aware of state and local traffic laws will help your drivers avoid breaking those laws. This reduces the risk of drivers getting into an accident.
This knowledge also helps drivers maintain a good driving record and enjoy a more successful driving career over time.
3. Prepare for Emergencies
All drivers face emergencies and stressful driving scenarios. Driver training courses ensure your employees know the smartest and safest ways to operate their vehicles. They are drilled to use these new skills automatically, even in tense situations.
Good training simulates all kinds of treacherous conditions in a risk-free environment. Drivers feel more confident navigating snow or rain when they have already practiced it first-hand.
Proper training can also help drivers learn what to do when dealing with sudden stops or erratic pedestrian behavior. They will better understand what to do after an emergency happens and how to help others in need.
4. Lower Training Risks and Costs
Simulators give your drivers access to the controls they use in everyday work, giving them a sense of the size and movement of their vehicles.
These kinds of lessons took a toll on the trucks used in training in the past. Wear and tear—plus maintenance costs—add up quickly. Now, with modern technology and simulators, drivers can make their mistakes without damaging a real vehicle.
Good driver training is practical. It increases relevant knowledge in a classroom setting and gives trainees enough hands-on training time to develop their skills. Drivers will be more likely to respond correctly when hazardous situations occur on the road.
Contact L3Harris for Customized Training
Nothing improves driving skills faster than interactive, intensive training courses. We customize our courses to your specific needs, industry, driving conditions, vehicle types, and more. We at L3Harris even have separate simulators for each vehicle type for a more realistic experience.
Contact us today for a custom quote or view our best-in-class driver training products and services!