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Training Transportation: Delivery Systems
April 08, 2009
The transportation industry focuses on safety initiatives using high- and low-tech training tools and programs.
By Matt Bolch
The best training is delivered at the precise time it's required. For employees at LeFleur Transportation, that means while drivers are transporting non-emergency patients to where they need to go.
During a 100-day pilot program of GreenRoad Technologies' Safety Center product last year, accidents were reduced by 67 percent, says John Kubala, director of safety and human resources at the Ridgeland, MS-based transportation provider. Le Fleur operates in Texas, South Carolina, and Mississippi.
An in-vehicle sensor collects information on up to 120 driving maneuvers in five categories: acceleration, braking, lane changing, cornering, and speed handling. Using proprietary algorithms, maneuvers are analyzed to give drivers continuous in-vehicle feedback about what areas require improvement, scoring drivers on a green (good), yellow (OK), or red (look out!) scale. That information also is available to supervisors through a Web-based application.
"We started with a trial in one south Texas region, and in one quarter, there was a substantial change in driver attitudes and driver accident involvement," says Kubala. "The ROI was obvious early on," he notes, not only from reduced accidents, but also from fuel savings derived from more consistent driving habits and overall lower speeds.
During the time it takes to enjoy a cup of coffee, Kubala can review records from the entire fleet and send out notes to the appropriate district supervisors. Kubala admits that driving employees usually view technology with a cynical eye, but he says the GreenRoad product (which also is used by Ryder System Inc. and the UK division of T-Mobile) was well received by even veteran drivers, many of whom competed to see how low a score they could get. Kubala also participated in the trial and says he learned a few new tricks. "My vehicle did have it, and (the system) did beep at me a few times, which got me to thinking," he says.
Split-second Training
In the transportation industry, lives can be changed by split-second decisions, as evidenced by the remarkable January 15 landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River after the jet's engines were crippled by a flock of geese. Captain Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger has downplayed any talk of heroics in the incident, which left 155 passengers and crew largely unscathed.
"I can speak for the entire crew when I tell you we were simply doing the job we were trained to do," Sullenberger said during a homecoming event in his California hometown.
According to an IDC white paper released last summer, businesses in the United States and United Kingdom lose $37 billion annually as a result of employee misunderstanding. That tally does not include intangible losses a company can sustain from hits to passenger satisfaction, brand, and reputation. The average cost of misunderstanding in the transport industry is $349 per employee, per year.
An employee who knows in theory how to perform a task and an employee who actually can perform that task under job and peer pressure can be a different story, says Mary Clarke, CEO of UK-based Cognisco, which helps companies identify those gaps in employee understanding, competence, and confidence to help them make the right decision every time. Cognisco operates in 150 countries and has worked with such transportation companies as Network Rail, Heathrow Express, and London Underground.
"Twenty-three percent of all employees misunderstand one crucial aspect of their job, a figure that varies by industry," says Clarke. "A worker who is confident but lacks knowledge can make the wrong move, while a well-trained worker who lacks confidence knows what to do but may not be likely to do it."
Learning on the Fly
So what's the best way to train transportation workers? While technology can speed up training, even the most experienced training organizations use a combination of methods to get the job done. Lufthansa AG has been using e-learning methods for four decades and currently conducts 25 percent of its training via the Web, says Udo Sonne, senior manager for new media and learning systems for the airline based in Frankfurt, Germany. That figure has declined in recent years from nearly 30 percent as certain aging aircraft models have been withdrawn from service, Sonne notes.
The airline uses ForceTen from OutStart as an authoring tool to develop training content that can be broken down into three- to five-minute modules for learning-on-the-go opportunities. OutStart offers a learning content management system, but Lufthansa uses a learning management system (LMS) from imc AG. "We're integrating Web 2.0 tools to develop rapid e-learning," says Sonne. "We have the capability to create training content, track workflow, create approval cycles, and easily reuse the same content in different ways once it's created."
Lufthansa has adopted the BlackBerry as its standard mobile device and is developing specialized training modules for mobile delivery to users. While pursuing these micro-learning opportunities, Lufthansa at the same time is in the early stages of developing a Web-based game aimed at teaching larger concepts and improving efficiency. The overall goal is to offer micro and macro training opportunities to target specific groups of employees, Sonne says.
Massood Zarrabian, CEO of Boston-based OutStart, believes savvy training organizations continue to invest in their people, even when the economy is weak. "Our fourth quarter was our best quarter ever, and our third quarter was third-best ever," says Zarrabian. "It's even more important now to (train) people to produce more and do more."
Regardless of industry, OutStart customers are focused on three broad categories: products and services, which are used to generate income, and processes, which focus on efficiency gains. A commercial moving company client teaches safety, but it also focuses on such soft skills as client interaction, delivering that content via laptops and PCs to hit a diverse, on-the-go workforce.
Steered Straight
Valera Global, an executive transportation firm that operates in New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut trains its independent chauffeur contractors the old- fashioned way, then monitors them using the latest high-tech tools. An intensive, two-week unpaid training course for prospective chauffeurs includes nine days of classroom training on geography, math, and language skills; safety; driving skills; and customer service, with pen-and-paper tests at the mid and end points. Those who pass the training then are paired with a veteran driver, doing everything required of an executive chauffeur except for driving the car, says Tony Notaristefano, training director of the company, which has affiliates in 35 U.S. cities and Europe.
New driver training continues at set intervals through the first year, focusing on safety, service, and geography. The company uses the DriveCam risk management system, in-car cameras that trigger in the event of hard braking, hard turns, or accidents. Every unit is downloaded weekly, even if the chauffeur hasn't had an incident. Five days a week, a Valera employee does spot checks on chauffeurs, watching pickup locations, and asking to see inside cars to ensure they're clean and appropriately stocked with water, mints, and magazines for passengers.
As a result of its commitment to safety, Valera's liability insurance rates have dropped 40 percent in the last few years, while the amount of coverage has increased. "We get insurance carriers knocking on our door to insure us," says Notaristefano. "We give out awards to anyone who goes a year without an accident, and two-thirds of our drivers got awards last year. It's a huge selling tool to our executive clients."
Read more with Transportation Quick Tips.
Source: Training
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