Smaller fleets seeing benefits of online driver training

Jan. 11, 2017

CarriersEdge, provider of online safety and compliance training tools for the North American transportation industry, announced that a growing number of small fleets are adopting its driver training courses and platform.

“We develop and provide courses and an online delivery platform that engage drivers and meet the training and compliance management needs of fleets regardless of their size,” said Jane Jazrawy, chief executive officer of CarriersEdge. “We’re pleased that a growing number of smaller operations are recognizing the value of our instructional approach.”

Billerica MA-based Boyle Transportation, a transporter of security-sensitive cargo with a fleet of 65 tractors, switched to the CarriersEdge driver training solution in 2016.

“We are extremely impressed with how in-depth the CarriersEdge material is and the wide spectrum of subjects it covers, and the platform’s delivery method is stellar,” said Michael Lasko, manager of safety and quality. “It provides the material in a way that gives drivers a solid working knowledge of the subject matter. In addition, the online platform allows drivers to work on training at our terminals or by using an app on their company smartphone or personal computer.

Lasko added that the CarriersEdge platform can be customized with content related to a fleet’s specialized operations. “Some of the training we need to provide is not out of the box,” he said. “We can’t take a cookie cutter approach to training, but with CarriersEdge we have the ability to add training for company policies and procedures, and specialized content regarding things like cargo security or the operation of our reefers.”

Headquartered in Bensenville IL, Matrix Inc, a 48-state truckload general freight, hazardous materials, and expedited service provider with 65 trucks and 70 drivers, moved its driver training program to the CarriersEdge platform from another provider.

“The CarriersEdge approach helps improve the safety rating of our company,” said Ivelina Atanasova, an owner at Matrix Inc who oversees safety programs. “The CarriersEdge library of courses is more up to date and they are continually adding new topics and modules. The platform also enables drivers to better understand the material and that results in safer operations.”

Today, Matrix is using CarriersEdge for new hire orientation, to meet ongoing compliance requirements for existing drivers, and for refresher training when a driver has a violation that needs to be addressed. All training is assigned on the CarriersEdge platform.

“The CarriersEdge approach enables drivers to learn a topic from their perspective, rather than simply providing a definition of the subject like our previous solution,” Atanasova said. “It teaches them what they need to do instead of having them simply watch a video and take a test. That’s especially important when it comes to things like log books or hazardous materials training.”

Abenaqui Carriers based in North Hampton NH, a diversified hazardous material carrier with a fleet of over 50 tractors and 70 company drivers, has fully transitioned its driver training to CarriersEdge courses and its online training platform.

“CarriersEdge courses are the best value on the market,” said Sheryl Smith, safety manager at Abenaqui Carriers. “Other companies, including our previous provider, are either expensive and time consuming or inexpensive but have little to offer in terms of content. It’s not purely about dollars and cents but with CarriersEdge we have a driver training solution that’s both effective and affordable.

“Although our previous training course provider offered a multitude of topics, many of the presentations were not of a high quality and the information was limited to a beginner commercial driver. We only have to hire about one new driver every six months but we still need courses that are presented in an educational format that treats new and seasoned drivers as professionals. With CarriersEdge we have the content, the presentation and the testing we need.

“CarriersEdge also provides an affordable means of training drivers who are based at remote locations, some as far as 100 miles away. Their bundled pricing structure based on the courses we provide rather than charging by driver is more cost effective, and their online instructional approach helps us keep drivers up to date on training with much less of an impact on our dispatch schedules or their availability.”

Abenaqui Carriers is also using the CarriersEdge platform to provide company specific information to drivers, including presentations on emergency response guidelines, security plans, and cargo tank rollover protection, as well as topics such as aggressive driving and road rage.