Job number one for North America’s top trucking companies is safety.
Beyond the mechanical integrity of the trucks in the fleet, an essential foundation for a great safety record is the training a company provides to its drivers. This is especially true for new drivers, who are today being sought out and hired in record numbers, as a result of an industry-wide shortage of recruits.
The best training programs do more than clear the low bar of government regulations. For example, training offered by Challenger Motor Freight starts with an individual assessment of each driver, then customizes a training curriculum that targets skills that need to be acquired or improved.
As a Canadian company, Challenger needs to factor in another consideration: It must provide additional training to drivers who are accustomed to the relatively low-stress streets of Ontario and other provinces. These drivers must be ready for long-haul jobs across the USA, where the experience can be much more intense.
Challenger’s formula for success is working: For nearly a half century, it’s been a significant presence on the highways of North America, and has grown to a fleet of over 1,200 trucks, 3,300 trailers and a team of 2,200 staff.
It also continues to accumulate awards. So far this year, the company has been recognized with Canada’s Best Managed Companies award, the Trucking HR Canada Top Fleet Employers 2023 award, the Trucking HR Canada Top Fleet Employer of Distinction award, the Truckload Carriers Association Fleet Safety award and Canada’s 2023 Best Fleets To Drive For award.
At Challenger, training for new recruits is referred to as the finishing program. “We set up every driver with the proper tools, the proper training and the proper environment to succeed,” explains a Challenger manager.
“This is where they want to make sure drivers are 100 percent confident before they get the keys to their truck and go out on their own,” says one young driver who recently completed the finishing program. “Depending on the experience of a driver, this could be from one to two weeks to up to eight weeks of training. When I did the finishing program I had issues reading a map and learning how to do my mapping, so they gave me a little extra time to focus on that before they put me out on my own. They wanted to make sure that I was confident in what I was doing before I got out there.”
Adds Challenger communications manager Paul Weatherbie: “We’re not just training drivers – we’re cultivating a new generation of transportation professionals.”
Training for truck drivers looks a lot different than it did a decade ago, and is light years removed from what was the norm for 20th-century trucking, which now seems ancient in comparison.
Just like today’s cars, trucks are now complex, high-tech machines with tremendous computing power. Bristling with microchips, modern trucks feature advanced driver assistance systems, including adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance and automatic emergency braking. Although many of these systems are self-regulating, drivers need to understand their capabilities, as well as the limits of their effectiveness.
Challenger emphasizes another component in its training, one that is often overlooked by companies that focus solely on the technical details of driving a huge vehicle: people skills. These so-called “soft skills” include problem-solving, communication, conflict resolution and stress management.
“Our goal is to produce well-rounded drivers, ready to adapt to the challenges of the modern trucking world,” Weatherbie says. “The inclusion of personal development training enhances drivers’ ability to interact with clients and colleagues effectively, further enhancing their professional growth.”
When drivers master these skills, they become better company ambassadors, improving the experience for customers and co-workers alike. And in today’s high-anxiety world, these techniques are also essential survival skills — a way for the well-trained driver to navigate every social and safety obstacle out there on the open road.
