SAFETY DAWG Chris Harris
Virtual Training – It is Here to Stay Drivers and safety managers - virtual training is here and it has been here for quite some time. Providers like Infinit-i and Carriers Edge have been offering truck driver, online training for a dozen years. And I suspect that recently, more and more companies have been taking advantage of using online portals. But today, I am discussing the LIVE online truck driver meetings. These are like the Saturday morning truck driver safety meetings. You know the ones. Truck drivers are told that the meeting is mandatory and so they gather to eat some old stale donuts and drink cold burnt coffee. And the bonus, they get to listen to a “safety” specialist present the same old, worn out safety message that most have heard many times before. BORING! In the hopes of changing this typical Saturday morning safety meeting, I have been trying new ways of presenting a safety message. So, I’m looking for your help. I really want your suggestions. How do I make online live safety meetings
18 • OVER THE ROAD
more engaging for truck drivers and any other participants? Recently, I have been involved with “LIVE” online safety meetings. KRTS and Safety Dawg recently hosted truck driver online training over the US Thanksgiving weekend. We had more than 500 truck drivers attend and participate. By the feedback received, it was a success. We are hosting another LIVE training event in March. And so, I want to hear from you, the drivers and transport managers. What would make online events more interesting and engaging for you? Any LIVE Saturday morning training session has its issues. And virtual training has a unique set of problems. As a host of several virtual events, I would prefer it if the participants kept their video on. It is of course up to the viewer, but I, as a presenter, like to see faces. It helps me to know if I’m engaging the audience.
FEBRUARY 2021
