These new management aides become of special help to the safety supervisor or director by assisting him to evaluate, indoctrinate, and train new drivers as well as to retrain present drivers who have gotten into trouble or are showing indications of driving weakness in some important aspect.
Among his duties, the driver-trainer:
- Checks on the driving skill of new applicants.
- Trains new drivers.
- Trains and retrains in-service drivers on new assignments, in the proper use of new equipment, and those who may be unsatisfactory in some respects.
- Investigates and checks reports on routes, equipment, schedules, and other conditions facing drivers.
- Maintains close contact with the maintenance department and acts as liaison between drivers and shop.
- Performs road patrol and gives on-the-spot training on the highway as need develops.
The driver-trainer really becomes the boss's right-hand man and often, when there is a vacancy, he is one of the few ready to move up into an executive position!
The driver-trainer fills a real need when he becomes the liaison between the safety supervisor or director and the drivers. As fleets grow it becomes increasingly difficult for the management men with those titles to have sufficient direct contact with drivers.
It takes a special type of man, however, to fit into the requirements of this important job. Here's why.
As outstanding as a man may be as a truck driver, and as excellent a record as he has of no accidents, no arrests, no trouble, and the other positive attributes of a top-notch "pro" driver, he must possess at least one special qualification to be a driver-trainer.
He may have the best knowledge of what to do under any and all driving and emergency circumstances and how to do it. He may be the best man in the fleet on maintenance, and on backing his truck into a narrow alley. He may be a friend to every customer, and a valuable asset as a goodwill builder for his company because of his fine attitude and appearance. But he may lack the one valuable ingredient so necessary for a successful driver-trainer.
Do you have the Important Ingredient?
That ingredient is ability to teach--ability to instruct others and the other skills so necessary to handling people effectively and pleasantly and training and retraining them to maintain a high level of performance.
The driver-trainer must also learn and be able to impart to new drivers all of the procedures involved in vehicle operation, what to do in case of breakdown and emergencies, how to handle cargo, the use of special equipment where applicable, and general company policies, rules, and procedures.
However, getting an appointment as a driver-trainer and then satisfactorily doing the job assigned to you and making an outstanding record as a result of the excellent performance of the men you have trained, retrained, and directed really pays off for you.
Not only is there personal satisfaction in the job you are doing and praise from the bosses, but also a really measurable increase in your paycheck. And you can be sure that you are on the first step upward when there are vacancies in the safety department or other departments involved in personnel selection, training, and control.
What Kind of Person Are You?
Now-what kind of person do you have to be, and what are the other requirements that you have to meet? In other words, what are the minimum skills and personality attributes you must have? What about your ability to work with others? Do you have a low boiling point? Can you stay calm and objective when all about you have lost their cool? Can you follow instructions and procedures so that the fleet's training program will be uniform in its methods of dealing with new drivers, and in retraining in-service drivers who have gotten into trouble?
Here are eleven attributes of a good driver-trainer sought by personnel managers, fleet supervisors, and safety directors when checking candidates to fill the position:
- Standout Driver: One who has performed his duties within the company in an outstanding manner.
- Accident-Free Record: This is ideal; however, it isn't always possible to achieve. If the applicant has long experience, but with one or two non-preventable accidents, his record is worthy of consideration. If the applicant has a poor accident record, it will be difficult for him to "sell" accident prevention to others.
- Experience: Should have from seven to ten years' experience. This is sufficient time for him to gain the knowledge necessary to the true professional.
- Age: Should have sufficient maturity to have gained and be able to hold the respect of the other drivers.
- Pleasing Personality: Should be able to meet and greet drivers in a friendly manner.
- Ability to Convey His Knowledge to Others: A professional driver with an outstanding record will be of little value as a driver-trainer if he does not have the ability to communicate his knowledge to others in a manner they are willing to accept.
- Dependability: Since a driver-trainer spends a greater part of his time away from direct supervision, he must be able to plan and carry out his work schedule in an expeditious manner.
- Family: Since a driver-trainer may be away from home several days at a time, it is important that his family adjust to the new venture. A well-qualified driver-trainer will fail if his new job causes a disruption in the family routine.
- Loyalty: Must be loyal to the company and be able to answer questions from other drivers regarding company policy and the reasons thereof. He must also be sincere and loyal in his dealing with drivers. He must be able to gain and hold confidence.
- Ability to Learn and Retain Knowledge: Should have a sincere interest in seeking to learn as much as possible about his duties and teaching methods.
- Interest in People: Must have a sincere interest in working with and helping people. He must know how to handle other drivers and how to create within them the incentive to do a better job.
Many of the above personal attributes needed to become successful as a driver-trainer and on the road to greater responsibilities in fleet operation are characteristics that you may now have or that you can acquire.
First, you must become a top, first-class driver who performs in not only a satisfactory but in an outstanding manner.
You can learn about company policies and procedures and the requirements that the personnel department of your company uses when they select applicants for driver-trainer positions.
Your best instructor can be the safety supervisor or safety director of your company who has taken a special course at a U.S. or Canadian university on selecting and preparing driver-trainers. The course is under sponsorship of the National Committee for Motor Fleet Supervisor Training, with headquarters at the Institute of Public Safety, Pennsylvania State University, and University Park, Pennsylvania.
Some employers will send a promising man who is either being considered for a driver-trainer job, or is already in it, to one of the special one-week courses at a nearby university for "Trainers of Commercial Drivers."
Here are some of the topics in such a course:
The roles of the driver-trainer
Principles of learning
Principles of teaching
How to teach care and inspection of equipment to drivers
The driver-trainer and human relations
What the driver should know about human nature
Physical and sensory instructional devices
Skill-developing exercises
Department of Transportation regulations
Training experienced drivers
Developing defensive drivers
Road testing
The continuing job of driver training
A new technique of using closed-circuit television makes such courses of extreme value because those attending are filmed as they practice teaching, and they learn how to improve their presentation through the comments of instructors and members of the class.
By meeting minimum requirements, driver-trainers have the opportunity to become certified for top "pro" rating by the National Committee. This carries real prestige, raises pay, and gives a man another step up in his career.
So the job of being a driver-trainer can be stimulating, exciting, satisfying, and can be a career job with many personal satisfactions. It can lead to your becoming safety supervisor, safety director, or being another of the top management people in your fleet.
Salaries for driver-trainers range from $7800 to $11,000.
