Finding the Safety Trainer in Us All

2/20/2024 Event Recap:

On Tuesday, February 20th, we launched our 2024 TSR Talks series with a focus on Driver Training. Leading the session was Daniel McGuigan, EHS Director at PepsiCo Global Operations. Joining him were Chris Jobson, Senior Director of Safety at Green for Life Environmental, and Tony McNeal, Director of Training and Leadership Development at Waste Connections. Together, these panelists represent organizations overseeing 100,000 drivers on our roadways.

Daniel outlined three levels of driver safety training:

1. Professional Driver Training: Entry-level programs preparing and licensing drivers for commercial motor vehicles.
2. Organizational Onboarding: Training professional drivers to safely operate your organization’s vehicles.
3. Coaching: Supporting drivers in maintaining safe driving skills and improving their performance.

The discussion centered on selecting and training individuals to provide effective onboarding and coaching, enabling drivers to excel in safety, operations, and customer service.

Daniel shared Pepsi’s Test Drive Program, featuring 10 simple numeric tools defining defensive driving strategies. These tools serve as a teaching framework during onboarding and coaching sessions. PepsiCo invests in training their behind the wheel instructors and coaches on not only the 10 tools, but also on how to deliver them for maximum impact on driver performance.

Key Insights:

• Drivers represent your brand on the road; it’s crucial to teach them how to drive your vehicles during onboarding.
• Skills can degrade over time; invest in coaching to refresh and enhance defensive driving skills.
• Selecting the right trainer/coach is vital; consider coaching ability and motivation, not just driving skills.
• View driver onboarding, coaching, and performance management as an integrated system within your organization.

To learn more about Train-the-Trainer programs for your organization, contact Peter at Peter@TogetherforSaferRoads.org or Jesse at Jessica@qworky.io.

We’re excited to present more TSR Talks throughout 2024. If you have topic ideas or wish to participate as a presenter, please let us know! Stay tuned for upcoming talks as we continue to unite industry leaders to share knowledge and expertise.