Here at Fleetcoach, we have a new way of training drivers, which has been built on years of research and experience. We often get questions from people about how it works and why we’ve done things the way we have, so we thought we’d start collecting these up and putting them together into a series of blog posts.
You might have a question and find it answered here, or maybe some of the below answers give you an insight into the kind of training Fleetcoach provides.
Why is on-going training so important?
Start driver training with your staff as soon as they start with you. This achieves several things: It inducts them in the right way, makes them feel valued, shows them the safety culture of your organisation and cements the fact that safety is taken seriously. It also means that they build up the right skills systematically before they get into a risky situation and need them.
Ongoing training helps you spot your riskiest drivers too, and allows you to be proactive about it, satisfying your health and safety obligations. More on the Health and Safety reform here.
Some people think they can just wait for an accident/incident to happen, and then get started on employee training. Have a read of this blog to find out why that’s not such a good idea!
What do I do if my employees don’t spend a lot of their workday on a computer?
Most workplaces have computers available for their employees to use, but if a driver is on the road for long periods of time, they may find it difficult to get to one. Luckily, Fleetcoach works on iPads, so these can be taken on the road and used between drives. The course doesn’t have to be completed all in one go, which helps as well. It’s only around 1.5 hours long, so we think it’s important that as an employer, you make it easy for your staff to complete it. This might include setting aside a computer for them ready to go at the office or depot, or helping them feel like it’s really important to complete, and expected that they’ll do it within work time, without having to fit more work into their day to make up for it.
My employees aren’t computer-savvy, does that matter?
Fleetcoach is no more difficult to use than basic internet browsing or sending email. We have a great ‘getting started’ guide if people get stuck, and we’re here to answer questions at any time. We find that often it’s the thought of a new piece of software that scares people, but once they get started most people are completely fine. Even if they don't have an email address, we have a way around that too!
Why do employees have to do the whole programme? Why can’t they just do a small piece?
The Fleetcoach curriculum is carefully designed to be cumulative, meaning that users will get much more out of it if they follow from start to finish. They’ll learn in small increments, so each new piece of training is embedded before moving on to the next. See this blog for more on our teaching methods.
What does ‘a coaching approach’ mean?
Coaching is a way of teaching which is not ‘top down’, or ‘dictatorial’. It means that people have an investment in their own learning, they can make decisions about what they need, and they’re then much more motivated to continue. Teaching is personalised by being linked to areas individuals need more practice in, and progress is constantly reported back to the user, so they always know where they are at. See this blog for more on the coaching approach.
Who founded Fleetcoach? And what is eDrive?
Fleetcoach has a long history behind it. Dr Robert Isler (you can read more about him here) produced an interactive training programme called CD-DRIVES, which was on a CD ROM. This was eventually developed into an online driver programme for young drivers, called eDrive. Fleetcoach is our state of the art answer to professional driver training for fleet managers.
Got any more questions? Ask us!
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