What is Driver Coaching? Get All the Insights on How To Boost Your Drivers

Fleet managers put their trust in their drivers but still need to keep an eye on driving habits in order to avoid fuel drainage, high repair costs or even fatalities. With the right coaching, better driving habits can be achieved, but the question is: What's the best way to train drivers to improve your quality of service? 

Let’s have a look at driver coaching. 

Driver coaching explained: What is it?

Driver coaching is the process of teaching and engaging with fleet drivers to improve their behaviour over time and enhance safety on the road. It is aimed at saving costs and increasing productivity.  

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Why driver coaching can be challenging 

Drivers come with diverse skills; some are experienced, and others are at a beginner level. For example, a new driver might require an in-depth explanation of compliance and regulations, while an experienced driver will probably just need refresher training on advanced defensive driving. This means that the feedback needs to be tailored to each driver’s unique needs, but unfortunately, fleet managers and safety managers do not have time to engage with every single driver due to their ever-so-busy schedules, especially when running a large fleet.

Fleet managers can’t correct what they can't see. They don’t exactly know what activities drivers get up to on the road, and that makes it difficult to notice patterns or pinpoint the real reason why fuel doesn't last, why the driver ended up in an accident, or why vehicle parts always need repairing or replacement. Without data analytics from a fleet management system, coaching doesn’t work.

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4 consequences of bad driver behaviour on fleet businesses you need to know about

Here’s how problematic driving can cause serious profit drainage:

1. Fuel wastage

Fuel amounts to most of the budget for running a fleet and gets worse when not monitored. These are some of the driving habits that can dramatically increase fuel consumption:

• Sudden braking: This usually happens when the driver does not keep a safe distance during traffic or is distracted. It uses more fuel because the vehicle’s transmission shifts to a lower gear to regain momentum. 
• Long periods of idling: According to North Carolina Environmental Quality, idling for 10 seconds uses more fuel than turning the engine off and restarting it. Idling also damages vehicle parts and causes pollution. 
• Speeding: A higher speed requires more power from the engine to overcome the drag from wind resistance, tyres, and transmission, which, therefore, burns more fuel. 

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2. Maintenance 

Careless driving habits put a strain on the vehicle and shorten its lifespan due to the constant wear and tear. Here are some examples of careless driving habits that can cause maintenance issues:

• Revving a cold engine: Usually done on cold winter mornings when you're running late and need to get going, excessive revving puts strain on the engine before the oil has had a chance to circulate properly, increasing wear and tear. 
• Coasting: Keeping your foot on the clutch is called coasting and wears down the pressure plate and bearing before the expected time. 
• Ignoring warning signs: Drivers need to familiarise themselves with symbols on the dashboard so they know when to stop and take action to prevent further damage or a breakdown. If you see any warning lights relating to the engine, braking, airbag, oil pressure or tyre pressure, then you should pull over and request help immediately. 

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3. Safety concerns

This is important and more obvious. Reckless driving is one of the leading causes of road accidents. Drivers are responsible not only for their own safety but also for the safety of others. One small distraction or higher speed may cause a huge collision, end lives, and result in major lawsuits or jail time for the driver. This can also cause revenue loss due to unexpected downtime, repairs, and replacements. 

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4. A bad company rep

The purpose of the “How’s My Driving” sticker at the back of a truck or car belonging to a fleet business is to promote safe driving, which is another good way to monitor driver behaviour. If your drivers are not coached, they stand a chance of always being reported, damaging the company brand as it will be known for bad driving. This becomes more of an issue once more people notice, the word spreads, and clients start to avoid associating themselves with your fleet business. It gets even worse once drivers are caught in accidents, and it’s the same company that comes up. 

Tips for effective driver coaching  

Driver coaching plays a huge role in the overall business’s revenue, empowers the drivers, and helps them grow their skills.  Your approach to doing so is very important; here are a few tips for successful coaching: 

1. Get a driver monitoring system: Telematics eliminates the gap by providing you with real-time data regarding your fleet. This allows you to track driver routes and monitor problematic driver behaviour.
2. Build rapport with your drivers: Have a positive approach to each session, greet each driver, treat them with respect, ask how the day is going and how the family is doing and let them know how much you appreciate them. 
3. Make time for your drivers: The most serious incidents should be addressed within a day or two, but it is advised that you at least give weekly feedback so it becomes a part of the company culture. 
4. Make communication a two-way street: Coaching should be carried out as a conversation instead of just instructions. Ask the driver his/her side of the story, hear them out, then give directions and ensure they understand the risk of continuing the behaviour.
5. Give recognition to top drivers: Those doing well should be rewarded, and those showing improvement should be recognised. This encourages the driver and boosts morale. 
6. Be positive when addressing drivers: All feedback should be seen as a way to improve instead of a scare tactic. 
7. Gain driver commitment: Drivers should be encouraged to take accountability for their actions and complete the agreed-upon follow-up actions. 

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Simplify driver monitoring and coaching with an all-in-one solution

It is evident that driver coaching is essential for every fleet business, and Cartrack, without a doubt, has the best solutions for you and your drivers: 

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The Cartrack driver coaching tools 

1. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems  (ADAS)
   Enhance driver awareness with Cartrack’s ADAS. This powerful tool uses camera-based sensors, intelligent algorithms, artificial intelligence and machine learning to warn drivers of blind spots and forward collisions. 
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2. ADAS coaching tool
   Cartrack’s on-platform driver coaching feature allows you to see risk reports and videos of daily or monthly driving violations, such as seatbelts not being used, fatigue, or cellphone use. This valuable tool also shows you the number of times a driver repeated an incident as well as how many times they have been coached on that specific violation. You can leave notes for each event, allowing you to keep track of what was discussed in the last coaching session.
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3. Driver scorecards
   Our driver scorecards give each of your driver's ratings based on events such as harsh acceleration or braking. This helps you pinpoint areas for improvement so you know what kind of training they need, and it will also help you reward drivers with the highest ratings. 
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4. Driver risk reports
   Easily monitor each driver’s progress and identify trends through the insight given by detailed driver reports so you can make informed decisions based on real-time data.‍

Unlock your drivers’ full potential with the right coaching: Choose Cartrack

Trust Cartrack to make you the best coach. Contact us today!