Stefan Pertz looks at the benefits of having regular training sessions for truck drivers and asks the question, 'what kind of driver do you want?'

Among the many other things that we at Asian Trucker discuss with transport companies and their drivers is driver training. Today, there are various modules, approaches and techniques available to train drivers on how to be a safe and efficient driver. It is quite surprising that many companies seem to be content with the knowledge that has been transferred to the commercial vehicle drivers when they first went through their tests to obtain their drivers license. Sometimes we hear from drivers that they “Don’t need this non-sense after some 20 years of driving.”

Dear Santa
Some 20 years ago, the PC was replacing the typewriter. I actually remember tapping out a letter to Santa Claus (Address: The North Pole) on an old Adler. Obviously, this column is being written on a laptop. A brand new one at that.

It might not surprise you to hear the introduction the kind sales person gave me when I bought my new PC: “This is where you switch it on, the rest is easy.” That really isn’t sufficient to operate this piece of equipment. What have I done since I posted the letter to the North Pole? Correct! I have upgraded my skills, gone to computer courses and have kept abreast with the latest developments concerning the use of laptops and the software they use.

Adapting to Change
If you look around your office, I am sure that there are no more typewriters. Or matrix printers. All these have been replaced and upgraded and with that the staff has been trained on how to use the new equipment. So why is it that drivers don’t receive training or don’t want to participate in trainings?

Just thinking about the fact that trucks have become bigger, heavier and more powerful would warrant training, don’t you think? Wouldn’t it make sense for someone transporting steel coils to be trained on how to load the truck, secure the load and manoeuvre the vehicle given the physical implications of the type of load when breaking, turning and accelerating?

New Ideas
I have done a course in defensive driving and I must say, for me it was 90% new ideas that I have never heard discussed in driving school. I mean, we have heard, you must be a 'defensive driver,' but nobody really explained what it meant to be a 'defensive driver'.

And let’s just wait till the ASEAN Economic Community really kicks in. Drivers will need to be trained in how to operate vehicles in various countries, with different laws, regulations and languages. How do you, as a fleet owner, how do you as a driver, plan to prepare for that?

Value Your People
Legal aspects are another area that a driver should be trained in. Naturally, laws change and drivers need to be aware of these changes. This may not require weeks of training, but obviously, you would ensure that your drivers are operating within the legal framework. Interestingly, whenever Asian Trucker runs workshops for members of the Asian Trucker Drivers Club, there are several participants that state: “This was something new, something that will help me in my job!”

Yes, training improves the skills of the drivers. Besides, it may give your staff a confidence boost as they see you valuing people as being worth investing in. Not only that, eventually, well-trained drivers will be seen in a more positive light by others outside the industry. We may actually start to attract more people to work in transport companies.

Yes, surely there is the cost of training, but I would rather spend some money on training and reap the benefits as opposed to saving a few dollars in the short run and having to deal with unsafe behaviour or drivers that don’t take care of themselves or their equipment.

Regular Training
Constant and scheduled training will also be less expensive than haphazardly organised and unspecific sessions. One may be afraid that a driver may leave the company once trained. However, time and time again, studies have proven that staff is more likely to stay if they receive training. And if you don’t train them, then you eventually end up with drivers that are inefficient, ineffective and potentially dangerous. Wouldn’t that be worse?

I encourage everyone to have regular training sessions for drivers. These don’t have to be the most expensive, but since we humans also tend to forget what we learned, it is crucial to have refresher courses. Start with this: when your child goes to driving school, try one of the tests yourselves! And then ask if you want your drivers to be a typewriter on the road, or a sleek notebook.