Fleet Training: Let’s Talk About Holiday Parties

The next few weeks will be extremely hectic for the transport and haulage industries. The Christmas and New Year’s holidays put the biggest demands on the industry every year; this year will be no exception, especially under the additional strain of a profound driver shortage. In light of that, it is important for companies to remind their fleet drivers and managers during fleet training sessions about the wisdom of exercising prudence at holiday parties.

The biggest concern with such parties is alcohol. Why? Because the temptation during the holidays is to have ‘just one more for the road’. However, drivers should think long and hard before imbibing. Consuming just a few drinks the night before a driver’s next shift could be enough to impair driving abilities. Even after having 6 to 8 hours to sleep it off, some drivers still experience reduced alertness, fatigue and other symptoms that impair ability.

As HGV UK explains, police agencies around the UK have just begun implementing their local ‘drink-drive’ campaigns intended to discourage drivers from getting behind the wheel after drinking. Yet the effectiveness of such campaigns is somewhat limited inasmuch as they can only deal with drivers who are caught after the fact. The transport and haulage industries need to make sure drivers do not ever get behind the wheel if there’s any question regarding their abilities to safely drive.

According to consultant accident analyst Andrew Drewary, extra vigilance over the holidays is not just the responsibility of drivers. Supervisors need to be firm about making sure none of their drivers begins a shift if there is any possibility that he or she is impaired. Non-supervisory workers have an obligation to inform their supervisors if they have reason to believe a driver should not be behind the wheel.

Quality Fleet Training

Providing quality fleet training for your company drivers is one of the best ways you can improve your company’s safety record while increasing efficiency at the same time. The HGV Training Centre can provide you with that quality training throughout the year. Whether you are looking to reinforce road safety principles during the holiday season or provide an ongoing source of CPC training for your company drivers, we can help.

Since our founding, we have been working with motoring companies of all sizes across the UK. Our fleet training programmes can be customised to meet the demands of your company, regardless of your budget and the scope of your needs. Do not hesitate to contact us for more information regarding our fleet training classes.

If you are an individual driver looking to earn a commercial driving licence, you have come to the right place as well. The HGV Training Centre offers classes for LGV, HGV and PCV licences. We can have you fully trained and looking for work faster than you might think. What’s more, our training classes are affordable and convenient. If you want to earn your commercial driving licence, we are the training company to work with.

Sources:

1. HGV UK – http://www.hgvuk.com/?p=18217