As this widely believed, training of employees is essential in every organization or company. The practice of these employees has a way of affecting the performance of the company. The employees are meant to perform some responsibilities and duties in the organization. The duties and responsibilities of the staff have to communicate appropriately. Hence, there’s a need to train them on how to carry out these duties and responsibilities. Training helps the companies in delivering the values and the goals to their employees. It helps in achieving the efficiency and effectiveness of the workers in the organization. They also need to train their delivery agents on what to do and how they need things done. The delivery service must relate the duties and responsibilities of delivery agents to them to avoid confusion in the company. One of the essential staff in the delivery service that needs training is delivery drivers.
Driving is one of the most dangerous works in the delivery service. Hence, they need to be well prepared. Almost all the organizations today can not operate without the drivers. In the course of their operation on the road, these drivers face risks on the road, and they also cause risks to other road users. Hence, in the course following, you will get to know the Importance of training delivery drivers in the courier industry.
Courier delivery driver
Courier delivery drivers are the instant delivery driver that pickup documents, supplies and packages and delivers them on deadline.
Instant delivery drivers might be offering delivery services using their transportation (freelance delivery drivers). They may also be working for a courier delivery company or more than one courier company. Some courier companies do employ their delivery drivers by themselves and pay them wages or salaries like other delivery agents. Businesses and individuals regularly use delivery drivers for vital supplies, time-sensitive, and confidential materials that require special handling. These services they perform for different courier delivery companies depending on the nature of the company. There are various forms of instant delivery drivers; we have the bike delivery drivers, also known as delivery riders. We also have those delivery drivers that use vehicles. Delivery drivers are significant in courier delivery regardless of what they use in their delivery services.
However, to be a delivery driver does not need formal education. But the person must meet some criteria like owning a valid driver’s license and a car. The car can also be a lease one. The driver must have proof of vehicle registration and insurance of the vehicle s/he uses for delivery service. The commercial driver’s license can be necessary for those that use the truck in carrying large cargo. As a courier delivery company, before employing drivers, you must ensure that they also pose the following requirements:
Ability to maintain the vehicle
The delivery drivers, especially the freelance delivery drivers, are to be responsible for their car. They are to be accountable for fuel costs. They are also responsible for the routine servicing and maintenance of the vehicle. In the case of a repairer of any part of the car, the driver must be able to handle the cost. The delivery driver must be neat. The person must be conscientious about the cleaning of the vehicle. The reason has been that the customers see the car as a means of a business transaction.
Good health condition and physical appearance
Some delivery services that require the delivery of mail-type correspondence, transfer, and distribution of heavy and bulky materials and boxes. Some require heavy lifting. Hence, courier delivery drivers need to be in good physical condition. Some packages are very fragile, like medical equipment or glass or computer accessories and need careful sorting and handling. In this case, the balance and the sight of the delivery driver are essential. The physical appearance of the driver also matters a lot, as they serve as representatives or extensions of the company. The cloth of the person must be clean and also need to groomed nicely.
Organization
The delivery drivers must be able to have their way around, especially in a large complex building. They must be able to complete their deliveries accurately when in a large building complex. The courier driver can make recordings of the delivered and received items appropriately. S/he must also be able to maintain the records of these items. The instant delivery driver must also be calm enough to relay the messages to the appropriate people.
Professionalism
The delivery drivers handle different sensitive and confidential information. Hence, they must be able to handle every info professionally. They must be able to protect the confidentiality of that information and give equal respect to all points of contact. They must also be able to treat their customers with respect.
Furthermore, instant delivery drivers must be reliable. The drivers must be flexible and be conscious of the deadline. At times, courier drivers might need to make deliveries during the weekends or outside the business hours. In such a case, the courier driver must be flexible and be able to make the delivery as expected.
Types of delivery drivers training
There are different types of delivery drivers, and some of them highlighted below:
Driver Education
Delivery drivers seminars or workshops can help communicate defensive driving and the causes of road crashes. It will also open the delivery drivers’ eyes to road traffic laws (the Highway Code) and the increased risk caused by poor driving. At the workshop, the potential implication and policy of the company on driving also communicated to the driver. The workshop can focus on specific topics. The seminar could look into issues like drinking and drug driving, speed, or management.
Driver education doesn’t only focus on driving skills and how to control vehicles, but also issues on a higher level. It also deals with topics like planning of the journey and the way personal characteristics can cause risks. Moreover, the ability of delivery drivers can be affected by a life change such as bereavement or divorce. The workshop would help train drivers on how to deal with these life risk events. This type of behavioural session would train delivery drivers to recognize and how to minimize their risks. The seminar is likely to be more effective if it also gives opportunities for group discussion and interaction. This group discussion and communication will allow the staff to express their views and share their experiences.
E-learning delivery Drivers training
E-learning delivery drivers training can be helpful in training delivery drivers on issues that driver education seminar covers. Often, e-learning delivery drivers training involves a test to assess what the driver taking it has learned. Although, it does not provide the same opportunity for discussion or interaction between the delivery drivers with the trainer(s). E-learning delivery drivers training is more suitable for low and medium risk delivery drivers. The practice also helps in supporting in-vehicle training for instant delivery drivers of all risk levels.
On-Road delivery drivers training
On-road delivery drivers training usually entails both education and practical driving sessions. It covers everything from development courses, defensive driving, vehicle familiarization down to eco-driving, and other specific delivery driving issues. On-road delivery drivers training involves attitudinal development, not only driving skills. It trains different safe driving techniques. It also teaches the systematic approach needed in driving and how to perceive hazards.
Country Familiarisation delivery drivers training
In the case of newly recruited delivery drivers from another country, driving for the first time may be difficult. For instance, overseas staff from who is new to operating in a country may face problem while driving. The person might not be familiar with the roads, driving habits, and traffic laws. Therefore, the delivery driver needs training on the roads s/he will be using. This type of delivery driver’s training would help to cover that.
Why the need for delivery driver’s training?
In today’s delivery services, there is a need to ensure proper delivery driver’s training. Delivery driver’s training is beneficial to both the courier company and the drivers themselves. The safety of the delivery drivers is essential to the courier delivery company, as it affects their performance. The courier companies and courier delivery drivers; hence, need to make sure that safety is their highest priority. They must both understand that the safety of the drivers and items are essential to the company’s business. The courier delivery company must ensure that the delivery drivers follow the rules that guide them while using the road. Therefore, it is essential as it affects the success of the company and the company’s vehicle maintenance.
The delivery driver’s training which can be behind-the-wheel training, classroom, and follow-up instruction, has been proven to be potent. It helps in improving the delivery driver’s behaviour and establishing safer driving habits. Class-room delivery drivers training has been known to be more effective than online training. Classroom delivery driver’s training helps in getting face-to-face access to certified driving instructors. These instructors will help open the drivers to both dynamic physical realities of driving and traffic. The delivery drivers’ training also creates room for the delivery drivers to be seen and corrected on driving habits.
In the course of the training, the delivery drivers would learn the techniques on how to navigate traffic more safely. They will learn techniques on how to look ahead and check the situation on the road. They will also learn how to avoid the most dominant form of crashes. What is then the Importance of delivery driver’s training?
Delivery drivers training helps in saving money
Courier companies are the ones responsible for the payment of bills when a delivery driver has any crash on the job. Expenses spent on these form of accidents affect the company in one way or the other. Some of the accidents could jeopardize the delivery drivers themselves, and the medical bill would also be on the company. During these crashes, the items to be delivered might get damaged, and the courier company bears that too. The expenses for repairing the vehicular accident and hospital bill for the wounded delivery drivers depends on the crash fatality. All these expenses have a significant impact on the courier company. The delivery driver’s training would help them understand and protect against susceptibilities that may put the company at risk.
Delivery drivers training helps in saving lives
Yearly reports have made it known that a significant number of delivery drivers and delivery agents died in a vehicular crash. Reported has made it clear that thousands of them get injured in on-the-job crashes annually. However, with delivery drivers training, all these accidents are preventable. It is because they would have gotten the right crash avoidance technique training. Delivery drivers training helps in reducing the occurrence of delivery drivers on-the-duty crashes and save lives of the delivery drivers. In the course of the training, the drivers undergo the best thought of driving behaviour and habit of avoiding collisions. These go a long way in saving the report of on-the-duty delivery drivers’ crashes.
Delivery drivers training helps in enhancing the derivers’ satisfaction
Organizing training for instant delivery drivers makes them feel valued. The training helps in sending a signal to them that the courier company values their service. The practice makes them feel that their day-to-day work for the company is essential. This training of the delivery drivers helps in becoming better at their job and learning to work with the traffic. Working with the truck and not against the traffic would relief the drivers of stress and feel more comfortable. It would help make the drivers happier, and also increase their job satisfaction. Ultimately, job satisfaction helps reduce the turnover of instant delivery drivers.
Delivery drivers training helps in maintaining costs and vehicles
The trained delivery drivers are more conscious while driving, and they anticipate other drivers’ actions on the road. It would help them to better position themselves in the traffic. Also, it helps them avoid constant stopping and starting in the truck. It helps in keeping the vehicles of the company in good condition and helps reduce their depreciation.
Adhering to the traffic rules and regulations such as speed limit, less aggressive driving, and so on helps avoid crashes. By implication, this helps in maintaining the fuel of the vehicles and reduce the cost of maintenance.
In a nutshell
Employee training is a must in every organization or company. The practice of these employees is one way to influence the performance of the company. In the courier delivery companies, the delivery drivers’ training is vital, as it affects the companies’ success. Driving is one of the most delicate works in the delivery service. Hence, they need to be well trained. Therefore, the delivery driver’s responsibilities and duties need to be related to them through training. They need training on how to manage risks while on the road. They also need to be trained on the way to navigate through the traffic without any risk. Almost all the organizations today can’t operate without the drivers. In the course of their operations on the road, these drivers face dangers on the road, and they also cause risks to other road users.
Furthermore, there are different types of delivery drivers’ training. The courier company can decide which ones to use. Every courier company must know that the delivery driver’s practice is critical. Delivery drivers training helps courier companies in saving money spent on risks, reducing crashes, enhancing drivers’ satisfaction, and saving lives. Delivery drivers training also helps in maintaining cost and even the vehicles of the courier delivery companies.