Midland pioneers bespoke driver training
Leicester-based Midland Transport Training is offering clients in the sector a free bespoke course-writing service for Driver CPC, to help fleets tailor driver training to their specific needs.
The free course-writing service takes DCPC a step further, says Midland, warning that off-the-shelf courses may not provide everything fleets are looking for in their driver training, while some content may be irrelevant to drivers’ or companies’ needs.
This could mean drivers are unengaged and switching off, the firm adds – which may prove unconducive to driving up compliance.
“That’s why we are now taking Driver CPC to the next level,” said Midland director, Perry Preston.
“Why are we still showing container drivers all about curtainsiders and box vehicles when they don’t drive them?
“Why are we showing Hiab drivers all about roll cages when they have nothing to do with them at all, and it doesn’t form part of their working day?
“Why are we showing coach drivers all about round-town service work and handling cash when all they do is school runs?
“We are now writing courses specifically for customer’s needs.”
The first step is to discuss goals via telephone, then a face-to-face meeting is scheduled and an outcome agreed.
“We take statements, pictures, and videos of what you are looking for and want to address,” said Perry.
“We put a course together from scratch, [then] we meet again to see that we are all on the same page and in line with what’s required.”
The course is then put together and approval gained from JAUPT, which is the customer’s only cost towards the writing of the course. The training can then be rolled out to all drivers.
“There are no hidden extras,” said Perry. “All you pay is for the accreditation and the drivers to sit the course.”
A bespoke course is more engaging for drivers, Perry contends, because the visual material features vehicles and colleagues from the customer’s own fleet, with videos and images tailored specifically to the customer’s operations.
By way of example, a recent client placed a training order for 87 drivers, says Midland, having asked for a driver daily checks course approved for Driver CPC by JAUPT. This followed an incident in which a driver of one of the customer’s key clients was stopped at the roadside by DVSA, during which driver errors were identified.
“As a company we are now on our twentieth customer asking for this and for some it’s their fourth and fifth course,” Perry continued.
With limited capacity available for the free course-writing service, Midland is encouraging customers to get in touch for a no-obligation chat to discuss their options.
Midland Transport Training has also recently launched a bespoke Driver CPC module dedicated to training drivers of electric buses. Topics covered include safe charging, battery longevity and regeneration, fast and slow charging, environmental benefits and issues, daily inspections and hazard perception.
