Ongoing training
Hi team. I am trying to gather stories of how companies are doing good ongoing training with their transport/logistics staff. Too often I hear excuses about it being too hard, because;
- most companies expect 99% of their drivers 'working' time to be spent on the road and they don't allow for training time as part of the role
- differing start times makes running group sessions impossible (fall back is usually online training - or none, rather than individual or small groups)
- the economy is tight and we can't afford to train
- training is all about in-cab driving, and doesn't look at other risks - or complimentary off the road training
- the focus is only on drivers, not management, operations, etc
Love your opinions of the current state, and ideas for improving training in our sector?
Hi Kelly
We have found it very hard to get newer drivers to our industry (log transport) through training for specific unit standards that our forest owners and managers require. We have very few training options in Northland as most trainers are based in Central North Island or further south and this increases the costs drastically. There are some private companies that run local training courses but they require a minimum number of participants and only run courses Monday-Friday, we just can't have 8-12 staff off at any one time. In the past we have had access to independent trainers that understood the industry more and would provide smaller training group options and on Saturdays, which we are happy to pay our staff for these hours, however these options have dried up as trainers have retired or moved out of the region and they haven't been replaced by other trainers.
On the positive side, we have a few drivers who have completed or are currently enrolled in the the MITO Level 4 Certificate (Commercial Road Transport with strands in Transportation of Logs), this starts with online learning modules that learners can do at their own pace and during quieter periods of work. They have several months to complete the theory assessments online and then MITO arranges an assessor to visit and complete the practical driving assessment. We find this format for driver training works very well, however, it is a bit of a process to get learners enrolled so this needs to be taken into account at the beginning.
We are also looking at ways to better use standby days when trucks are off the road for COFs or at very short notice, ie breakdowns etc. We are working with our insurance company (NZI) to register our whole team for the SharpDrive programme. It can be made available to everyone in the business (not just drivers), as some refresher training. From signup, we will have access for 12 months and so we can decide how we want participants to go through the modules… all at once, bite size chunks, as time allows etc. This concept and flexibility ticks a lot of boxes for us.
We are also in the process of getting one of the company directors (and possible other senior drivers) through the assessor unit standard qualification so we can do more in-house, certified, training.
We would definitely use more online learning options for other NZQA unit standards with the ability to action enrollment or access to the training in a timely manner and at very short notice. This would be fantastic and I think helpful for many in the industry.
Hi Kelly,
Yes you are correct in your analysis. The only real solution is to employ an in-house trainer, either from the outside or train up an internal appointment. If you want to employ and retain a good trainer the business needs to value their input at all levels of the business operations and pay a salary appropriate to the role. (Very few companies are prepared to do this). You also need to allow the trainer plenty of opportunities for the development of their own competencies.
The advantages of an internal trainer are many: They are more flexible in their hours as they do not need to keep to scheduled courses. If drivers are unavailable at short notice because of operational changes the trainer can just do something else. With an external provider you'll be charged for the missed course and still have to pay again when the staff are available. Internal trainers can run training at nighttime for nightshift drivers to eliminate the fatigue effects of shift changes on the drivers (e.g.: I ran a D Endorsement Course last night from 1500hrs to 2300hrs). An internal trainer can develop training programmes that meets the specific needs of your business instead of the generic training from providers (e.g.: My forklift training at Coda Group goes way beyond the usual 'OSH' course to cover the specific equipment and processes used in our Freight Stations). A lot of the shorter group courses can be run at toolbox meetings at the start of the shift. You will not find an external provider who will come to your site for training at 0600!
Certainly, the majority of driver training can be delivered 1-on-1 in the vehicle. At Coda we have an annual performance review that covers driving, equipment operation, and compliance with procedures for both truck Drivers and MHE Operators. Remedial training is provided to meet any identified needs. To be effective, this requires a much deeper understanding of the business operations than any external provider can have. This has been the most effective tool to lift the standards in the business.
Monitoring drivers through GPS Systems and Fatigue Management cameras also provides an excellent opportunity for individual coaching, and are an indispensable part of behavioural change management for drivers.
I hope this is helpful to you, Kelly.
Internal trainers will go a long way towards resolving Paula's issues as well.
