In the runup to the election and at recent events, industry insiders and businesses alike have been re-emphasising the importance of up-to-date training for fleet drivers. Fleet News ran an impressive manifesto campaign, with one of the key points being to update standard training. At the recent 2015 Fleet World Fleet Show, there was a special emphasis on education and training with contributors offering workshops in different aspects of driving for business. While training reform is perhaps not likely to be high on the list of governmental actions for the first few months of the election, change might yet be on the horizon over the coming years. Here’s what you need to know about training your fleet:
Beyond the road
Fleet training isn’t just about safety. Ensuring that your drivers are well equipped with the knowledge they need to get behind the wheel and stay safe is important because it affects significant areas of your business.
Training your team affects costs – including maintenance and repair – as well as the amount of insurance your company has to pay. Beyond monetary implications, having an up-to-speed workforce helps to foster a stronger working culture, weeding out bad habits that can put companies and drivers at risk, as well as improving driver efficiency, reducing accidents and driver downtime.
Two other important areas that are heavily impacted by training are fuel consumption – something the new government is focusing on in relation to new tax levies – and reputation. Not having a safe fleet can have a massive impact on the way your business is perceived.
Refreshing training and internal policies
One common mistake that companies make is not refreshing their team’s training frequently enough, with some companies only training drivers annually.
Often driver training takes place on a one-off basis, meaning it’s easy to slip back into bad habits, and you run the risk of not keeping up-to-speed with the latest developments in laws and legislation. Luckily, there are more companies harnessing technology and offering online refresher courses in specific areas. These include speed awareness, road safety, manoeuvring and parking and the use of devices while driving.
Aside from refresher sessions, setting up internal safety policies can foster a positive working culture to keep your team mindful of road safety and behaviour that could affect your business’s finances and reputation.
One thing you can do is book in regular team days to keep your team aware of expectations, build structures around any issues that they raise, and give yourself the chance to get up-to-speed on any developments too.
Useful resources for training
To organise training for your team, we’ve compiled a useful guide of available programmes for you to choose from:
• The AA
The renowned AA offers training with an ‘ABC’ focus – attitude, behaviour and competence. In addition, their training programmes cater to a wide range of different business needs, including specialist workshops for specific areas. Online and flexible one day or half day training is also available.
• Safe Driving For Life
This organisation has useful online training tools for your fleet team to use as a refresher. Safe Driving For Life offers a practical online theory test, which helps drivers stay up-to-date with the Highway code and driving theory. The organisation also offers a ‘Driver Knowledge Centre’, which helps drivers stay abreast of information they need to stay safe on the road. In addition the site has useful information around legal issues, the environment and driving for business.
• RoSPA
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has a useful resource list of training programmes, especially as it looks at training for drivers at different stages of their careers. These modules cater for drivers that are new, or need to develop in different areas (such as defensive or eco driving), and also experienced drivers who need to refresh their skills. The organisation also offers a range of training programmes in areas such as legal, and for specific driving jobs such as chauffeurs.
• Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA)
The government has a useful tool to help you locate accredited driving courses close to your business. You can also find training through the DVSA, but your business must be registered in order to do so. It’s easy to do – you simply fill out your business’s details. There are fees attached, but when you get started there is a multiple choice function that helps you to find the right service for your business needs. Once this is done, you’ll be able to manage your businesses training requirements from an online account with the DVSA.
Content on this page is paid for and provided by Kia Fleet, sponsor of the Guardian Small Business Network’s Accessing Expertise hub.
