Fleet Driver Training and Risk Management Necessary for Safety

Earlier this week we addressed the question of whether or not increased regulation could be leading to fewer new drivers entering the haulage and transport industries. That blog post was prompted, in part, by a number of high-profile accident cases resulting in the tragic deaths of innocent victims. Regulatory questions aside, one transport industry expert said that fleet driver training and risk management should be considered as part of the equation as well.

It is true that the haulage and transport industries have to rely on younger drivers because older drivers are retiring at a fairly constant rate. Yet it is also true that younger drivers lack the experience and skill to handle challenging jobs that older drivers have taken years to get comfortable with. Even as the industry struggles to deal with the driver shortage, it must do something to better prepare younger drivers for more challenging work. Consultant accident analyst Andrew Drewary says some of that responsibility lies at the feet of fleet managers.

Drewary told HGV UK that it is necessary to regularly review risk management policies at the fleet level. Policies should be looked at in terms of how driver behaviour is controlled, what types of knowledge and training drivers receive, and how often training is updated. The evolution of a risk management policy review will ultimately lead to timely fleet driver training that will act as both a refresher course and a skill building exercise.

The long and short of it is that companies owe it to their customers and the public at large to do everything they can to maintain excellent safety records. If fleet driver training and risk management review can help, and it generally does, it should be routine practice for any company in the haulage industry. It is just common sense.

We Provide Training

The HGV Training Centre cannot help much where risk management policy review is concerned, but we can help with fleet driver training. Such training is just one of the many services we offer through our 45+ training facilities scattered around the UK. For years we have been offering remedial training classes to companies of all sizes, custom tailored to each one’s unique needs.

In addition to standard fleet driver training, we also offer ongoing CPC training classes as well. As you know, CPC is now the law of the land. All HGV and PCV drivers must undergo 35 hours of classroom training every five years in order to continue working. Drivers who were last trained in 2010 will have to receive a second round of training this year. We can train your drivers individually or train your entire fleet at one time.

For more information about our fleet driver training options, please do not hesitate to contact the HGV Training Centre at your earliest convenience. If you are an individual hoping to undergo HGV or PCV training, we can help you as well. Contact us for information about our individual training classes.