Training should be a priority for any fleet manager or company that relies heavily on its fleet. Bad drivers open companies to all sorts of risks. They can get involved in accidents and these accidents can be extremely costly. And things are even worse when they involve heavy vehicles.
Just one bad driver on your team could lead to you facing massive lawsuits that could spell doom for your business. If you’ve been neglectful with training lately or never understood the importance of it, let’s take a look at a few reasons why training is essential for fleet drivers.
Protect Your Business and Brand Image
The main reason why your drivers must be well trained is that they are a direct reflection of your brand. When people see a company driver do a bad maneuver, they don’t think only about the driver, but the company as well. As a matter of fact, they may blame the company first for hiring bad drivers.
This is why you need to make sure that you don’t only train your fleet driver but monitor them properly. Keep a close eye on their driving habits and use driving data to identify outliers. Using telematics tools properly will allow you to judge who should be seen for an evaluation and who could benefit from getting one-on-one driver coaching. If you’re looking for a great fleet driver coaching service that will help bad drivers work on their weaknesses, DrivActiv is a great place to start.
Bad Drivers Cost Money
You may not realize it, but your employees driving habits can have a much more significant effect on your bottom line than you think. A driver that accelerates too fast or uses the gas pedal irresponsibly on highways will cost you more in fuel, which is something no business can overlook these days. Even the way they brake and maneuver could add to your costs. A driver that has the bad habit of breaking too abruptly, for instance, or oversteering will add to maintenance and repair costs.
Bad drivers are also more likely to cause damage to their vehicles, other vehicles, and public property. They’re more likely to get you tangled up in a costly lawsuit as well or cause damage to merchandise.
It Protects the Public
Having one of your drivers involved in an accident that resulted in a loss of life can be disastrous for you on a personal level. No one wants to have a death on their conscience. But if a deadly accident happens and it was because of a driver you know wasn’t the safest, you’ll feel partly responsible. We can only imagine if it was a truck driver and the accident resulted in multiple deaths. So, if you care about the safety of the public, training needs to be on the top of your list.
It Shows that You Care
You might assume that your drivers will be annoyed by continuous training, but many of them will actually appreciate that you care about their development. You could also provide incentives for drivers to complete certain classes. This will motivate them to always get better.
Your Employees Will Feel Safer
One of the many reasons why drivers get out of the business is because of bad accidents or because they were close to being involved in one. This is why many drivers quit during wintertime. But if you train your employees to drive in bad conditions, they will not dread bad days as much. This will make them more confident in their abilities and could boost their morale as well.
Few people would think that training could affect retention rates, but it was shown that companies that spent more time and resources on driver training were able to retain more of their employees. So, if you’re noticing that a lot of your employees are leaving, then you might want to institute a training program in your organization.
Lower Insurance Costs
If you’re overpaying for insurance right now, you should know that lots of insurance companies will reward companies that offer training to their employees. And, since your employees are less likely to get into accidents, your premiums will even be lower.
Conclusion
These are all reasons why your business should spend more money and attention on your fleet driver training. This is a small investment to make when considering the possibly disastrous consequence of bad driving, so start looking at how you could implement a real training program in your organization starting today.
