Have you noticed them? They’re everywhere! Learner drivers have taken over the roads in November. The final exams are over so school leavers now have time to clock up the hours before taking their driving test.
It got me thinking, do business fleets have slow periods during the year which would be perfect to educate drivers?
Every business has a cycle with busy and slow periods. So how can Fleet Managers take advantage of these periods and work with stakeholders in their organisation to increase productivity during the off season?
The Christmas/New Year break is a perfect time because customers don’t want to see sales reps. If your company has been shut down, the first few days are always slow to get going. Why not plan some driver training when everyone is in the office and looking for something other than work to do?
Does your fleet have LKA and Adaptive Cruise Control? Do the employees know how to use them? Do you?
Here’s the thing about training – it doesn’t need to be a big deal. It can be as simple as a Tool Box talk in the car park or office. It could be a ride along. Just book the date and time so your forced to work something out.
If you don’t like talking in public use your suppliers – local dealers, leasing companies or manufacturer representatives – they love talking about their products. Make them work for your business!
Watching the learners struggle to reverse park and turn corners I’m glad we don’t get tested every year. Imagine trying pass a driving exam with 30 years on-road experience. You can’t drink coffee, apply makeup and talk on the phone during a driving test. And you definitely can’t offer free character assessments to other drivers.
How would the drivers in your fleet perform if they had to pass their driving test again? Maybe you should test them? If not on the road, check their knowledge of the road rules with a theory test – a pop quiz on the first day back in 2020.
If they fail, it’s one way to reduce your fleet costs.
