{"id":13087,"date":"2022-01-22T10:53:11","date_gmt":"2022-01-22T09:53:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=13087"},"modified":"2022-01-22T10:53:11","modified_gmt":"2022-01-22T09:53:11","slug":"driver-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2022\/01\/22\/driver-12\/","title":{"rendered":"Online training and developing driver trust"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Some fleets might think online training allows drivers to skip courses or have someone else take them instead. But fleets that trust drivers to operate expensive trucks hauling expensive cargo, should trust drivers to learn online too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">When a fleet is evaluating whether to implement online driver training, I\u2019ll occasionally be asked: \u201cHow do you know if the driver actually completed the course?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">It might seem like a logical question since a fleet might be looking to augment or move away from in-classroom training where they know they can get a headcount and document driver attendance. Online means trusting the driver to do the courses. And, for some fleets, they might think online training will open a can of worms where drivers don\u2019t actually go through the courses or have someone else take the courses instead.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Lack of trust<\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Asking \u201chow can you be sure Driver A took the course?&#8221; tells me the fleet doesn\u2019t trust its drivers. When discussing the prospect of delivering training remotely to maximize the convenience and effectiveness of the programs, the questioner jumps to the assumption that if they weren&#8217;t being watched then drivers en masse would get someone else to do it for them (often suggesting their kids as co-conspirators). Several questions immediately spring to mind in response:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Why do you assume they won\u2019t do it themselves? Why don&#8217;t you trust them? Is it normal for your drivers to cheat like that?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Do you regularly have drivers getting others to do their work for them?\u00a0If so, how do you know they\u2019re actually driving the truck?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">If you can\u2019t trust them to take an online course, why are you letting them drive that expensive truck filled with expensive cargo?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Do you have a lot of cheaters and dishonest people working at your company? If so, shouldn\u2019t you focus on solving that problem?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Considering how to make the most of new programs is certainly fine, but if the base assumption is that drivers are going to cheat, it leads to other decisions that make things much worse.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">The solution creates more problems<\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">When fleets assume that they can\u2019t trust their drivers to do online courses, they typically explore a few ways to prevent misuse.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Some fleets make drivers check a box to acknowledge they are who they say they are. That never works. Anyone who\u2019s going to cheat won\u2019t have a problem checking a box (if they even bother to read it).<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Sometimes they make drivers do the courses at the terminal, on a public PC (where office staff can watch over them and ensure they do it). That\u2019s not much better, since it defeats the purpose of online learning (access anywhere, anytime) and treats drivers like children who need constant supervision.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Even for fleets that don\u2019t go to those extremes, the lack of trust can limit the effectiveness of the program. Rather than letting drivers proceed through the content at their own pace, fleets that don&#8217;t trust often implement what\u2019s known as \u201cnavigation lockdown,\u201d forcing drivers to listen to all the narration and click every link before moving on. That removes another benefit of online learning\u2014flexibility to customize the learning path\u2014minimizing the effectiveness and irritating drivers when they have to sit through things they don\u2019t really need. It also sends a clear message that the company has no faith in its ability to self-regulate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Those things can be irritants that hamper the program, but it&#8217;s the long-term impact of that lack of trust that&#8217;s most damaging. If the company demonstrates a lack of trust in their training programs, they&#8217;re likely demonstrating it elsewhere.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">The result? Good people don\u2019t stick around a company that treats them like children instead of trusting them to do their jobs. The people who do stick around will see their performance drop over time as they feel less and less valued.\u00a0Not exactly a recipe for success.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">A better approach<\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">There is a more effective and positive way to approach the situation, creating a much better outcome over time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Going back to the original question: \u201cHow do you know who did the coursework?\u201d The answer is that you don\u2019t know with absolute certainty who went through the training. However, if you implement online training the right way, that won\u2019t be a problem. And, it\u2019s not that hard.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">First, position training properly\u2014drivers need to see it as an investment in their future and a way to help them do their jobs better and not as \u201ccorrective action\u201d\u2014something that implies a chore or punishment. If it\u2019s an investment in them, then they\u2019re more likely to buy-in. Make training a positive and they\u2019ll be interested.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Next, training needs to be scheduled in a way that doesn\u2019t add to their stress. Just be careful; if too much is assigned with too short a deadline, it doesn\u2019t work. Heavy assignments give them one more thing to worry about finishing, as well as taking away their opportunity to think about the content and consider how to integrate it into their work. Lighten the load, extend the schedule, and better results will come.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Third, follow up after drivers complete the course and discuss it with them. That discussion gives them a chance to interact with the content in a different way (talking about it), so it helps ingrain the material and make it part of their normal workflow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">To be clear, I\u2019m not suggesting fleets should blindly trust their drivers and leave it at that. \u201cTrust but verify\u201d applies, so it\u2019s important to find ways to prevent cheating while also minimizing the intrusions or babysitting for the honest people. The steps above do that\u2014positioning it as something that&#8217;s valuable for them, giving them ample time to embrace and complete it, and discussing it afterward to (gently) confirm they did it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">For the most part, drivers have to be honest people who are trusted to do their jobs. They\u2019re hauling valuable cargo and tasked with driving across a city or across the country, dealing with unknowns all along the way. If that\u2019s the foundation of the relationship, and online training is rolled out in a way that reflects that trust, then there are rarely issues with people cheating.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><i>Mark Murrell is co-founder of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.carriersedge.com\/\" data-feathr-click-track=\"true\">CarriersEdge<\/a>, a provider of online driver training for the trucking industry, and co-creator of Best Fleets to Drive For, an annual evaluation of the best workplaces in the North American trucking industry produced in partnership with the Truckload Carriers Association.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>By <span data-v-d60371b0=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fleetowner.com\/21704573\" data-v-d60371b0=\"\" data-feathr-click-track=\"true\">Mark Murrell<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"posted-by\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fleetowner.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/www.fleetowner.com\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"g-cols wpb_row type_default valign_top vc_inner vc_custom_1585038969469\">\n<div class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column vc_column_container\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"w-post-elm post_content\">\n<div class=\"g-cols wpb_row type_default valign_top vc_inner vc_custom_1585038969469\">\n<div class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column vc_column_container\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"w-post-elm post_content\">\n<div class=\"g-cols wpb_row type_default valign_top vc_inner vc_custom_1585038969469\">\n<div class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column vc_column_container\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"w-post-elm post_content\">\n<div class=\"g-cols wpb_row type_default valign_top vc_inner vc_custom_1585038969469\">\n<div class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column vc_column_container\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"w-post-elm post_content\">\n<div class=\"g-cols wpb_row type_default valign_top vc_inner vc_custom_1585038969469\">\n<div class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column vc_column_container\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"w-post-elm post_content\">\n<div class=\"g-cols wpb_row type_default valign_top vc_inner vc_custom_1585038969469\">\n<div class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column vc_column_container\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"w-post-elm post_content\">\n<div class=\"g-cols wpb_row type_default valign_top vc_inner vc_custom_1585038969469\">\n<div class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column vc_column_container\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"w-post-elm post_content\">\n<div class=\"g-cols wpb_row type_default valign_top vc_inner vc_custom_1585038969469\">\n<div class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column vc_column_container\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"w-post-elm post_content\">\n<div class=\"g-cols wpb_row type_default valign_top vc_inner vc_custom_1585038969469\">\n<div class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column vc_column_container\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"w-post-elm post_content\">\n<div class=\"g-cols wpb_row type_default valign_top vc_inner vc_custom_1585038969469\">\n<div class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column vc_column_container\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"w-post-elm post_content\">\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/who-we-are\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>KNOW WHO WE ARE<\/strong><\/a><\/h1>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/who-we-are\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-11695\" src=\"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/07\/AFMC4000-300x150.jpg\" sizes=\"(max-width: 430px) 100vw, 430px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/07\/AFMC4000-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/07\/AFMC4000-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/07\/AFMC4000-1536x768.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/07\/AFMC4000-2048x1024.jpg 2048w\" alt=\"\" width=\"430\" height=\"215\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Some fleets might think online training allows drivers to skip courses or have someone else take them instead. But fleets that trust drivers to operate expensive trucks hauling expensive cargo, should trust drivers to learn online too. When a fleet is evaluating whether to implement online driver training, I\u2019ll occasionally be asked: \u201cHow do you&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":13088,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[133,362],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13087"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13087"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13087\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13089,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13087\/revisions\/13089"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13088"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13087"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13087"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13087"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}