Capital Equipment News November 2015

DRIVER TRAINING REACHES NEW HEIGHTS with FleetBoard trained, trusted, and tested By Pierre Sanson

E very day the truck industry expe- riences a fatality when heavy duty vehicles are involved in a major ac- cident. Is driver error involved or not? Well, no conclusive proof can be established of the cause until a full enquiry is conducted but you can bet your bottom dollar that at least one vehicle in a gross accident is a victim of some error. The impact of such an accident has an economic effect, creating a huge inconvenience to road users and unfortunately loss of vehicles, goods and frequently loss of life. Though this is a daily occurrence, it is en- couraging to see how many manufacturers have taken up the challenge to keep the car- nage at a manageable level and, in the long run to eliminate the occurrences from our radio and TV news items. Achieving optimum returns on investment by reducing fuel consumption, accidents and downtime are not new concepts to the road transport industry, but Daimler Truck and Buses (DT&B), a division of Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) South Africa is taking them to new heights with its hands on, sec- tor driven, driver training programme. Recently MBSA embarked on a long distance 'safari' between Pretoria and Hazyview, with 37 driver trainers drawn from Mer- cedes-Benz customers and dealers. With a fleet of trucks at their disposal, the trainers were each allocated a FleetBoard card that was inserted into the FleetBoard monitor as they took over the wheel. At the end of the journey, each driver’s performance was evaluated and the results served to illustrate the full benefits of the Fleetboard system not only in driver training but in training the trainer as well. Driver training is integral to the packages of services provided by the company and MBSA’s approach is to set a benchmark in the driver training and vehicle familiarisation courses being provided in commercial ve- hicle arena in South Africa. By introducing FleetBoard into the package, MBSA has pro- vided fleet owners with a well-proven mon- itoring system to assist them in achieving ultimate control over their fleets and their drivers.

fine-tune these methods especially in the areas of communication skills as it is im- portant that training is provided in a clear and coherent manner so the learner is able to understand why certain driving practices are put in place and the consequences of non-conformance. For instance, drivers will be advised on how to handle the vehicle and what approach to take in both wet and dry conditions. They will also be told how to handle the different types of terrain and un- derfoot conditions such as mud, clay, sand and rocky terrain.” Also of prime importance to drivers is an understanding of the technical components of the truck and knowledge of the parame- ters of the vehicle. They are taught how the engine and transmission are matched and what happens under braking using the re- tarder and/ the engine brake. “When we are finished with the 'train the trainer' programme, which lasts a minimum of 12 months, we declare the trainers com- petent to go out and perform training wher- ever they are called upon to do so. Every six months we offer a refresher course and if there are any new products introduced into our range, we give training on those as well,” concludes Peters. Customers using this facility from Daimler Trucks and Buses will not only benefit from better fuel consumption, less damage to their vehicles and increased profits, but will have the additional benefit of higher skilled drivers. b

nine years and is used by well over 1000 customers worldwide. There are now over 45 000 vehicles equipped with FleetBoard, operating in over 20 countries. When used as part of the driver training programme, FleetBoard provides driver performance analysis from which drivers can be evaluated and any weaknesses in their driving skills receive attention and be improved. Performance analysis is based on driving style, and recorded data for the entire fleet, which highlights relevant factors such as, total distance, over-revving, brak- ing behaviour, stops and average fuel con- sumption and fuel saving driving style that reduces wear-and-tear can be developed and improved in conjunction with the driver. All the skills that complement essential driv- er training are taught in order to gain better knowledge and experience in different areas. Customers' drivers, when on the course, are given exposure to Mercedes-Benz products as well as being taught the necessary skills relating to their particular industry which may be long and short hauls, sugar, con- struction, mining, refrigeration, abnormal loads and municipal waste vehicles. In other words drivers, are taught not merely to drive but drive to exacting international standards and upon graduating, are given appropriate recognition in the form of certification. Rowlands Peters, National Sales Manag- er, Fleetboard SA/Driver Training, Daimler Trucks and Buses is at the forefront of the programme to 'up the ante' in driver train- ing, particularly the train the trainer con- cept and says, “We constantly monitor the teaching methodology of the trainers and

FleetBoard has been on offer for the past

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