Posted by Fleet Safety
Driver training programs are a necessity for many Canadian businesses. A lot of companies swear by their local provider of in-vehicle training. However, online driver’s education is gaining popularity every year. Have you ever wondered if you should try it at your workplace? Let us help you answer some basic questions about online driver’s ed and how it stacks up against traditional in-vehicle training.
What we love about in-vehicle training
First, let’s talk about the reasons many businesses with fleets prefer to train in-vehicle. In-vehicle training means that your team goes on-site to attend a course. The course must be scheduled ahead of time and usually includes a mix of classroom time and time with a coach in a vehicle. The coach’s full attention is on your staff members and he or she can provide personalized advice according to the student’s own strengths and weaknesses.
In-vehicle training has been proven to improve driver safety in the workplace. With hands-on training and personalized recommendations, there’s no doubt that students get the coaching they need to become better drivers.
Why do people choose online driver training?
Now, because of Covid-19, many companies are opting for online training for health & safety. However, since making the switch many of them are finding reasons to stick with it. Some of these positive attributes include:
COST
Online training can provide significant cost savings. In-vehicle training can be expensive because you need to pay for a professional driver coach and for your team’s time. Not to mention the vehicle, gas, and office administration to help schedule everyone. Online training is simply a more affordable option.
CONSISTENCY
When taking an online course, no matter the circumstances you are always getting the same message across to your staff. While a personalized spin can be helpful in some cases, you’ll never have to worry about inconsistencies between the teaching styles of each trainer. Everyone will get the exact same lessons.
FLEXIBILITY
Booking an entire team in for training is a tedious task. First of all, most driver training companies do not operate on a 24/7 basis. Secondly, everyone’s individual schedule varies and usually at least a ½ day of work is spent in training. With online classes, your team can take the course according to their own schedule. The lessons will be available at any time as long as they have an internet connection.
The best of both worlds
Both methods have significant positive qualities. Therefore, the ideal solution may be to provide a mix of both. Some of our courses at Fleet Safety International have replaced the classroom portion with online training, while still providing separate in-vehicle coaching. That way, an online course can be completed, and students can enjoy the cost and flexibility perks for that portion of the curriculum, but they still will receive the unique experience of in-vehicle driver coaching.
Sometimes a company may choose to alternate training types by year: Where they used to provide in-vehicle training each year, they may provide it every second year. On the years without in-vehicle training they offer online courses instead.
A mix of these two methods can mean the best of both worlds for companies trying to maintain a high level of workplace safety while lowering operating costs. Call us today for more information and we can help you find the most effective training for your company!