{"id":10991,"date":"2021-05-05T13:42:11","date_gmt":"2021-05-05T11:42:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=10991"},"modified":"2021-05-05T13:42:11","modified_gmt":"2021-05-05T11:42:11","slug":"driver-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2021\/05\/05\/driver-training\/","title":{"rendered":"How much driver training is too much?"},"content":{"rendered":"

How can fleet managers structure an ongoing safety improvement program that shows results, is more dynamic, and is still manageable to develop and deliver?<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

How much training is too much? That\u2019s a question I never thought I\u2019d be considering, but it turns out that there is such a thing as too much driver training.<\/span><\/p>\n

With a business that sells driver training, I acknowledge that it seems odd for me to be saying that. But there is a point at which assigning too much training ultimately loses its effectiveness.<\/span><\/p>\n

The \u201ctoo much training\u201d situation normally comes up when fleets are doing monthly training assignments for drivers. They assign some block of training every month, and drivers need to complete it by month\u2019s end.<\/span><\/p>\n

Assigning safety training for drivers every month without fail is counterproductive. It isn’t an effective strategy for improving driver knowledge, fleet safety, or workplace culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s why: You can\u2019t just drop content onto people and be done with it. You need to take time to review what happens after that content goes out, adjust the plans, work on any lingering gaps, and get drivers involved.<\/span><\/p>\n

To maximize the effectiveness of training, it\u2019s important to watch the effect over time and make decisions based on those effects. Maybe the training worked beautifully and solved a problem, maybe it didn\u2019t do much at all. If new things just keep getting assigned every month, there won\u2019t be time to see if the training is actually working.<\/span><\/p>\n

On top of that, not everyone develops at the same pace. There are some people who may love having something new to learn every month, but refreshing their memory of existing regulations and best practices isn\u2019t really going to fit the bill for that. Other people need more time to assimilate new knowledge and skills, so bombarding them with monthly assignments robs them of that opportunity. Of course, with drivers having different experience and skill levels, it\u2019s also unlikely that they\u2019re all going to need exactly the same content every month.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, if it\u2019s something that happens every month, it becomes a chore. There\u2019s no way that people are going to find every monthly assignment timely and valuable, so it will just become one more thing they \u201chave to do\u201d at work.<\/span><\/p>\n

A better approach<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

So what should you do instead? How do you structure an ongoing safety improvement program that shows results, is more dynamic, and is still manageable to develop and deliver?<\/span><\/p>\n

First, think of it in terms of a monthly activity instead of monthly training. Training is one of the elements, but there are other activities that can be incorporated to support that training that are just as effective.<\/span><\/p>\n

Start with a quarterly cycle of monthly activities centered around a specific topic area:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n