Every professional HGV and PCV driver has to undergo a minimal amount of training in order to be licenced and certified under the Driver CPC scheme. Yet the operative word here is ‘minimal’. Just because a driver has met the requirements for minimal training does not mean he or she is fully prepared to be a safe and productive driver. This is one of the primary reasons we promote fleet training for company drivers. Fleet training is an effective tool that motoring businesses of all sizes use to minimise risk and financial loss.

What is fleet training, exactly? It can be whatever a company wants it to be. Consider a waste management firm as one example. That company may employ 50 drivers to operate its fleet of bin lorries. But are all those drivers really fit to serve? The fact is that there are lots of little things about operating a bin lorry that are not addressed in primary HGV training. The firm’s company drivers really need routine fleet training to fill the gaps.

Haulage and transport companies all over the UK have come to learn, through our training programmes, that regular training of company drivers:

• reduces accidents
• creates more confident drivers
• increases efficiency
• increases regulatory compliance
• saves money in the long run.

Reducing Accident Risk

You could easily make the case that the most important reason for developing an ongoing fleet training programme is that of reducing accident risks. Consider the fact that the number of fatal accidents involving HGVs has fallen more than 40% since 2005. That sharp decline is no coincidence. It is the result of more than a decade of improved training standards and equipment.

Regular training reduces a company’s accident risks in a number of important ways:

• Driver Skills – Drivers need to have their skills tested occasionally to make sure they are still performing up to standard. Our training programmes can point out any deficiencies as well as ways to address them.
• Driver Knowledge – A veteran driver’s familiarity with regulations and company policies can lead to forgetfulness over time. Routine fleet training can refresh one’s knowledge and bring back to the forefront any regulations or policies previously forgotten.
• Safety Mindset – Regular fleet training can be used to instil a safety mindset in company drivers. When safety is a top priority, drivers are less likely to be involved in accidents.

What company with a fleet of drivers would not want to reduce accident risk? We cannot imagine there being any. Yet so many companies do not provide the regular training their drivers need to accomplish this very worthy goal. If you are among them, you can change that by working with HGV Training Centre to provide regular fleet training programmes.

Creating Confident Drivers

Anyone who drives for a living can tell you that the most dangerous driver on the road is the one who lacks confidence. Regardless of the vehicle being driven, a driver not confident in what he or she is doing is likely to make poor decisions when under pressure. It only takes a little bit of bad weather or moderate traffic congestion to cause an unconfident driver to do something rash.

Regular fleet training for your company drivers addresses the confidence issue. How? By imparting the knowledge and skills necessary to be an excellent driver. A driver who knows what he or she’s doing is a driver that trusts his/her knowledge and training and, subsequently, makes better decisions under pressure. Confident drivers are much less likely to have accidents.

Increasing Proficiency and Efficiency

Professional drivers do more than just move vehicles down the road, as you know. They do all sorts of additional things such as loading and unloading vehicles, backing trailers into loading bays, applying tarps to flat-bed trailers, interacting with customers, planning routes, and so on. The company wishing to be as efficient as possible need drivers who are proficient in all of these skills. Once again, it comes down to training.

We help companies devise training programmes that are appropriate to the skills their drivers need. We can then implement those training programmes ourselves or in partnership with our client. The result is a fleet of drivers with a level of proficiency that makes them as efficient as possible. And when drivers are efficient, they make the entire company more efficient.

Increasing Regulatory Compliance

Few things are as dangerous to a motoring company as a lack of regulatory compliance. Between vehicle inspections, roadside checks, and other means of law enforcement, companies and their drivers are routinely subjected to an incredible amount of scrutiny. Employing a fleet of drivers unfamiliar with regulations is a risky move. Regular training takes care of that.

An additional concern with regulations is the fact that these are constantly evolving. It is normal for the haulage and transport industries to have to deal with new regulations every single year. Fleet training focused on regulatory compliance keeps drivers abreast of rule changes so that compliance can be assured.

Save Your Company Money

Finally, developing a comprehensive fleet training programme for your company will save you money in the long run. While there is a definite investment involved in training, a well-designed training programme pays for itself over time. Utilising the four points made previously, consider the following:

• Insurance Costs – Reducing the number of accidents that your company vehicles are involved in will also reduce your insurance costs. What better way to save on insurance than to invest a little bit in the kinds of training that will make your drivers safer? Along with reduced insurance costs will be an associated reduction in claims made against your company.
• Repair Costs – Proper training saves your company money by reducing repair costs as well. You will have fewer repairs relating to accidents and fewer repairs as a result of not treating equipment properly. Both translate to less money spent on equipment.
• Reduced Fuel Cost – Company drivers who know how to maximise fuel efficiency behind the wheel will obviously save you money by saving you fuel. It comes down to simple things such as learning how to accelerate gradually and make maximum use of gear shifting.
• Increased Productivity – Efficient drivers who know how to make the best of their time and equipment produce more over the long haul. Greater production combined with efficiency means increased profits. Investing a little bit in proficiency training can go a long way toward improving the bottom line.
• Reduced Fines and Penalties – Every instance of regulatory non-compliance is likely to result in some sort of fine or penalty. Those fines and penalties can quickly add up over time. By increasing regulatory compliance, you will be reducing the amount of money you lose to fines and penalties.

We believe it is easily demonstrated that regular fleet training is vital to the success of your company. Any business utilising company drivers for either haulage or transport should have a comprehensive training programme in place. If your company does not, you need only call the HGV Training Centre to change things. One of our expert consultants can sit down with you to devise a custom fleet training programme that meets the needs of your business.

Please know that we are committed to making fleet training as convenient and cost-effective as possible. We operate dozens of training centres throughout the United Kingdom. Furthermore, we can work with you to create a training programme that minimises the downtime of your company drivers without sacrificing the quality of their training. And as an added bonus, we can design a fleet training programme that meets all of the goals stated above while also helping your company meet its Driver CPC obligations.

When you partner with the HGV Training Centre, there is no need to put drivers on the road who are not truly performing at their best. Our fleet training is just what you need for a team of drivers that gets the job done safely, efficiently, and to the satisfaction of your valuable clients.

Additional Fleet Training Information.

If you would like to know more about any aspect of our fleet training services please click on any of our articles below or call or email us for instant help and advice from our team of industry experts.

Further Information

If you would like to find out more about HGV driving the following articles may be of assistance:

• Looking For a Career as a Well Paid Professional HGV Driver?
• The Best HGV Driver Training for Less – Top Trainers – Low Prices
• HGV Driving Careers Start Here – Top UK Training and Job Advice
• UK’s Top HGV Driving Schools Revealed – Best Discounts Online!
• Get HGV Lessons from the Best Lorry Driving Schools in the UK
• A Guide to Passing the HGV Test and Driving Trucks for a Living
• Low Cost – High Quality – Nationwide The HGV Training Centre Courses
• What Does The HGV Training Centre Cost And What Do I Get For My Money?
• Find the Best The HGV Training Centre Course in Your Location Today
• Your Fast Track to a Full UK HGV Truck Licence
• UK Truck Driving Academy – The HGV Training Centre and Career Assistance
• Truck Driver Training – The Road to Your Success as an HGV Driver
• Lorry Licence Shortcut – We Show You the Best Way to Get There
• Looking for a Career in Lorry Driving? Begin your Journey with Us
• What Can You Expect From A Career as a Lorry Driver?
• HGV Theory Test Training -Practice Exams – Help and Advice
• Everything You Need To Know About the HGV Medical Exam