"A closer look at an alternative program to develop good habits among your drivers."

By Dean B. Wisecarver

Editor’s Note: In the Apr-May-Jun, 2006 issue of this newsletter we shared some thoughts on Safe Driving. In the article entitled “Safe Driving Depends on Feedback, Not Just Group Training,” we advised that companies shouldn't rely solely on group driver training sessions to effect safe performance behind the wheel and we suggested some alternative programs to develop good habits among your drivers. To review that article, scroll throught to that article. Since then, some of our clients have asked us for more information on one of those alternatives, Check Rides, that was mentioned only briefly, and this article is intended to provide a closer look at that technique.

Many of you know that commercial airlines use specially trained pilots as “check pilots” to monitor first-hand the carrier’s regular pilots and co-pilots. These check pilots observe a crew’s techniques and performance by sitting in the airplane’s cockpit during actual trips. The check pilot’s basic objective is to see how well the pilots follow company policies, apply appropriate flying techniques, and how well they respond to changing conditions or situations during the trip. The airline’s goal is, first, to make it clear to all pilots that pilot performance is important to the management and, second, to identify how effective the company’s pilot training is.

What you may not know is that many of the large, over-the-road trucking companies use a very similar approach to monitor their professional drivers. Their objectives and goals are very much the same as with airlines. Of course, these companies understand that drivers being observed by check drivers sitting right there alongside in the cab are likely to be on their best behavior during the check ride and may not exhibit some of the bad habits they would if driving alone. Still, the observation process itself is sending the right message to these drivers – management cares enough about your driving performance to send a check driver along from time to time. This message serves to reinforce all the important driving polices and techniques the drivers have been taught and provides management with a very effective tool for assessing and advancing excellent driver performance.

So, check rides are not a new technique. Many companies use this approach to monitor individual driver performance. But check riding is more than simply having a supervisor hop in and ride along. To be effective, check riders need thorough preparation.

Check riders should be carefully trained in what to observe and what constitutes appropriate, sound, safe driver behaviors. Many of the behaviors and actions are very subtle so the check driver needs to be very well prepared and very attentive. To illustrate, here is an abbreviated listing of some of the behaviors the check driver should observe:

Eyes:

• 85% of time devoted to specific driving tasks as opposed to looking for sights, landmarks, addresses, or interesting scenery.
• Scans mirrors every 20 to 30 seconds.
• Scans vehicle gauges and speedometer every 90 to 120 seconds.
• Looks forward while moving forward and on long stretches focuses down the road ahead about 400 to 500 feet rather than directly down in front of vehicle.
• Makes eye contact as necessary with other drivers at intersections or crossing points.

Vehicle position:

• Keeps vehicle properly centered in the travel lane or properly right of center on unlined roads/streets.
• Does not hug left or right side, and maintains enough right-side clearance from edge of roadway at all times.
• Takes corners without cutting them off, staying properly centered all through the turn. Does not cut off left turns but slows enough to make a clean and proper turn.
• At corners, turns into nearest lane of new roadway. That is, if there are two lanes in the same direction in the roadway he is turning into, he turns into the nearest one and does not drift across the nearest one into the other.
• Always maintains assured safe distance from vehicle ahead while moving.
• At stops in traffic, allows proper space from vehicle ahead without crowding the tail end of the other vehicle.
• When pulling off road onto shoulder, provides enough clearance as to not obstruct traffic coming from behind.
• When pulling off road onto shoulder for temporary stop, selects a place that is clearly visible to traffic coming from behind (not just over a hill or around a curve).

Accelerating and stopping:

• Accelerates the vehicle smoothly and in a manner appropriate to conditions and loads on board.
• If the vehicle has a manual transmission, uses correct starting gear and shifts smoothly at proper shift points. Does not ride the clutch pedal or hold it down for long periods while stopped.
• Lifts foot from accelerator well in advance in situations where it is clear he must slow down or stop soon. Does not move from pressing the accelerator to pressing the brake as a matter of normal technique but only does so when necessary (from sudden stops of other drivers or in emergency situations).
• Brings vehicle to s smooth stop rather than an abrupt, jolting stop.

Communicating with other drivers:

• Uses turn signals every time they are needed without fail, such as turning, moving off onto shoulder, changing lanes, etc.
• Deploys the turn signals at appropriate time to allow other drivers to clearly understand his intended action (not too far in advance and not too late).
• Makes eye contact with other drivers as necessary (such as intersections, crossing vehicles at stop signs, during turns into streets or driveways where there is another vehicle waiting to turn out).
• Uses headlight flashes or hand signals to other drivers as appropriate, and not casually.

Parking:

• Parks vehicle during normal operation so as to avoid backing up as much as possible.
• Parks vehicle in positions that are less likely to obstruct the view of other drivers in parking lots, on roads and street, etc.
• Always secures the vehicle using parking brake, and wheel chocks if necessary.
• Looks back and visually double checks vehicle and its positioning as he walks away.
• Always checks behind and along side his vehicle before moving from parked spot and moves without delay after such checks.

Pre-trip and post-trip inspections done very diligently.

And the list goes on, covering other basic items like maintaining proper speeds, following rules of the road and local traffic laws, etc. All of these items are observed over the course of an entire trip or day of check riding. Furthermore, the check driver should be adept enough to carry on normal conversation with the driver rather than being stiff and very focused on doing the observations – which might make any driver nervous. As you can see, this isn’t a task that comes completely naturally to even the most accomplished driver. This means that the selection of your check drivers requires some care. And, once chosen, check drivers must be very well trained and prepared.

Some check drivers also use a technique called “verbalizing” where the actual driver is asked to say out loud all that he is seeing, doing, or planning to do as he drives. This technique actually is a normal aspect of a driver training system known as “Zone Control Driving.” For about 20 or so minutes, the driver provides a sort of stream of consciousness monolog describing what is happening in all four zones around his vehicle – the front, left, right and rear. He may say things like:

There is no vehicle in view behind me. There are two cars on the right that are trying to pull out from the parking lot but they are looking at me and making eye contact with me. There are no cars on my left except those passing in the other direction. None that are trying to turn out onto this road. There are two cars ahead, the nearest about 6 car-lengths ahead, and it is moving about 30 MPH. I’m going 30 and my gauges all look good. Oops! The brake lights on the car ahead just came on. There is still no one behind. I’ve lifted my foot from the accelerator to prepare to slow for the car ahead...

And so forth. The goal of this technique is to get the driver intensely aware of all that is going on around him and of his reaction to it all. It is also intended to get him actively practicing his observation of the four zones. It is basically a reinforcing technique, but it also gives the check driver some insight into how well the driver is truly paying attention to his driving. Frankly, my experiences with this technique have been surprisingly good. Many drivers find this technique highly interesting and it brings the whole concept of attentiveness into focus. They are often surprised at what they see and say out loud that, under normal conditions, they’d hardly even notice let alone react to.

Check rides, conducted by a well trained and competent check driver, can provide both an opportunity to observe an individual’s driving performance and an opportunity to provide some beneficial training. Yes, it’s an approach that requires an investment of time by your company but the potential return on the investment is much, much greater.