In-Person vs Online Truck Driver Training

You know your drivers need training, but how do you make that happen most efficiently? When it comes to in-person vs online truck driver training, how are you supposed to determine what will have the most impact on your safety record?

When it comes to adding a new tool to your safety plan, you want to make sure it will make a difference. So, what benefit can online driver training add to your safety measures?

The Benefits of Online Training

One of the hardest parts of completing training is getting all your drivers together. With online training this isn’t a factor. Drivers can access online truck driver training from any device with an internet connection. This means you can assign training for drivers to complete when it’s convenient for them.

This means you don’t have to pull drivers off the road and disrupt routes. Online training also reduces your training costs as you don’t have to pay for food, travel, and hotels to get your drivers and trainers together in one place.

Online truck driver training allows you to provide consistent, ongoing training to keep important safety measures fresh in your drivers’ minds. You can provide orientation training and set it up for new hires to complete before they start their first day to help determine which drivers are going to be dependable.

You can also assign corrective action training immediately after an incident to show your efforts to maintain safety. All training documentation is stored in one place, so you have easy access to it whenever you need it. With a training management system like Infinit-I Workforce, you have date and time-stamped proof of your safety efforts to protect you in litigation or help with insurance negotiations.

You can even provide training for contractors to keep everyone on the same page about safety and protect your company from litigation. Online training helps you react to unexpected circumstances and identify trends that could lead to problems so you can react to these issues as well. You can also personalize your training program to the needs of individual drivers.

Online training takes less time for drivers to complete, which increases engagement and comprehension of the training materials. The Infinit-I system also allows you to communicate important messages immediately with your drivers. You can put communications in the platform for drivers to access no matter where they are.

Online training doesn’t completely remove the need for some in-person training, but it can take care of the bulk of your training needs.

When is In-Person Training Better?

Some trucking companies like to bring their drivers in at least once a year to check in and do in-person training. Incorporating online truck driver training doesn’t keep you from having yearly, quarterly, or monthly meetings if that’s important to you. Online training just helps you fill in the training needs for the rest of the time.

Some training does require in-person meetings though. Any training that requires student feedback or a more hands-on approach to learn is best done in person. It’s also valuable if you are implementing new technologies to help with safety measures to bring your drivers in to learn how to use these tools.

When is Online Training Better?

Online training works best for frequent awareness training and for training that needs to be consistent. Really, 80% of training can be completed online more effectively while taking one quarter of the time it takes to complete in-person training.

Online truck driver training reduces the training time because it

Requires less travel time to and from the meeting space
Reduces the time it takes waiting for the meeting to get started
Training time takes less time online than in-person
There are no off-topic distractions
Requires no chatting and pleasantries after the training is complete

In fact, online training can reduce training costs up to 50% while providing a 20% reduction in accidents and 80% violation reduction.

Online Training that Makes Safety Training Easier

Infinit-I workforce Solutions is the #1 trusted online training management system for the transportation industry. With 850+ videos available in the library, you can find training materials for any safety subject you need to address.

You can set up the training and let the system take care of notifications and tracking. The Infinit-I platform gives you access to all the training documentation you need to defend your safety record and allows you to see how well drivers comprehend the material.

Would you like to see how Infinit-I Workforce Solutions can help you reduce expenses, reduce workflow interruptions, and reduce CSA violations? Join us for an upcoming Safety Management Boot Camp to see the features for yourself. We will pay your way so you can learn more about how online training can transform your safety program.