How to Implement a Driver Safety Training Program

An effective driver training program will drastically reduce your accidents and injuries. In fact, your driver training program should save you more money than you spend on it. So, why are companies often hesitant to invest? It’s because people think it’s difficult to get started.

We have good news – training your drivers can be easy. There are high-quality corporate driver training programs out there that are straightforward, easy to use, and incredibly cost-effective.

We’ll show you how to save yourself time, headaches, and frustration when it comes to preventing accidents.

What Are The Benefits of a Company Driver Training Program?

If you want to reduce accidents, save money, and protect your people, you want a driver training program,

The average non-fatal fleet accident for a company is $16,000. If it’s a fatal collision, you could be paying $500,000 or more. That could put you out of business.

Worse yet, accidents are common. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, vehicular accidents were the number one cause of fatal injuries for employees in 2022.

The good news is you’re not helpless. Accidents are easily prevented when you implement a company driver safety training program. And best of all, you’ll save more money than you spend by reducing your cost of loss and insurance premiums.

The Steps to Implementing Effective Corporate Driver Safety Training 

We’re going to share four key steps you need to take in order to make your company drivers safer. However, before we do so, let’s make one thing clear: you do not have to do it on your own.

Many companies try to create their own program from the ground up. The problem is, you might not be happy with your results, and it can actually cost you more time and money in the long run.

There are many off-the-shelf and plug-and-play options available. These will save you time, guarantee you success, and provide a positive return on your investment. The four steps below will help you decide how to choose your program and get the most out of it.

1. Decide on Your Training Cycles

One of the first steps to take is deciding what the cycle or schedule will be for your driver safety training.

Driver training is not an event. It’s a process. If you don’t make driver training a continuous part of working for your company, you won’t see the results you’re after. That’s why we recommend following this training cycle:

• Assign self-directed online driver training at the point of hire
• Conduct in-person training within the first week of hire
• Host monthly safety meetings focused on loss-leading indicators
• Conduct follow-up/remedial training after someone has an accident or incident

Make sure you choose a safety training program that will meet all of these needs. A program like The Fleet Safety Course makes it easy to conduct online, in-person, and follow-up training. 

When you follow this cycle, you’ll have a world-class training program that drastically reduces accidents and injuries.

2. Focus on Preventing the Top Causes of Accidents

In the section above, we mentioned the term “loss leading indicators.”

Loss leading indicators are the unsafe behaviors that lead to your most common and costly accidents. The best safety training programs for company drivers focus on preventing loss leading indicators for your company.

Some of the most common loss leading indicators for corporate drivers are:

• Failing to maintain a safe following distance
• Failing to Look Ahead and Look Around while approaching an intersection
• Backing without a spotter
• Distracted driving

These are a good place to start, but you should use telematics solutions such as drivecams to uncover your specific loss leading indicators. Then, focus your training on preventing those unsafe behaviors.

3. Assign Training Management to One Employee

When training belongs to everyone, it belongs to no one. Nothing gets done until one person is singularly responsible for the outcomes and implementation of training.

You need to assign training management to one person at your company. It could be you, it could be another executive/manager, or you could hire someone new altogether. 

Of course, this person should lean on other members of your company for help, but your training manager should be responsible for:

• Overseeing and scheduling all parts of your driver training cycle
• Setting and tracking safety/training goals
• Implementing safety training

When you have someone who “owns” your company’s driver training program, you will experience fewer challenges in your implementation process.

4. Change Management Campaign

People hate change. Just like your company might avoid the pain of switching to a new driver training program, your drivers might resist a new training process.

However, it’s possible and crucial to get buy-in from your drivers. It’s all about how you pitch it to them.

You need to run a change management campaign with your managers and drivers before rolling out the new initiative. This campaign should focus on how the new training program will make life better for your employees. Get them to see what’s in it for them to go along with the new plan. You need to send out communication in the weeks leading up to the new training roll-out. 

This can include:

• Emails
• Texts
• Posters
• Meetings

Not only do you need to explain why the training program is going to make life better for your employees, but you also need to explain what the process looks like. Transparency is key. Be upfront about what is expected of them, when training will happen, etc.

Don't Do It All Yourself

Implementing a company driver training program seems like a daunting task. In reality, it can be extremely simple. 

Find a cost-effective off-the-shelf option that takes the burden off your shoulders. You can save yourself time while reaping the benefits of lower accident numbers and reduced cost of loss. Remember, every moment you delay implementing safety training, your company drivers are at risk. Be proactive. Take action now rather than reacting to an accident that should have been prevented.