How can one reconcile the need for fast delivery of goods to the contractor while ensuring the safety of employees and minimizing costs? This is the difficult task faced by transport fleet managers who want to meet the demands of today’s market. The key to success turns out to be an experienced and properly trained staff, because it is the human who plays the most important role in the entire logistics process. A good driver is able to deliver goods on time. At the same time, they ensure that the cargo and the vehicle they are driving are not damaged. Therefore, instructors from the Test & Training Safety Centre Driving Technique Improvement Center have developed a series of training courses aimed at improving and optimizing driving techniques in terms of safe and economical vehicle operation. Throughout October, truck drivers transporting cement and aggregates from CEMEX Polska, a manufacturer of building materials, trained in Bednary near Poznań according to a program developed specifically for them.
Safety
It is very important to ensure the safety of employees and the transported cargo during transport. A truck driver should know the vehicle’s behavior and the effects of physical forces acting upon it. This is especially important when transporting liquids, bulk materials, or highly loaded, heavy goods. The driver should also be able to maneuver the vehicle properly when changing lanes or navigating curves. Exercises in a properly prepared center equipped with a track and a curve with a skid pad, by simulating possible phenomena occurring on the road, allow for instilling desired reflexes in the truck driver. These skills can determine the safety of the transported cargo in a critical situation, and sometimes even save the driver’s life.
Speed
The punctuality of suppliers is an important factor affecting the efficiency of business operations. The economic consequences of delivery delays are obvious, both for the client and the transport company. Consequently, drivers may feel stressed due to unexpected slowdowns during the journey. They try to make up for the resulting delays with speed, often exceeding applicable limits. However, in this case, higher speed does not have to be the only solution. The driver should know their chosen route and anticipate traffic intensity on it. Also, appropriate driving tactics, based on the use of observation techniques and sensitivity to the possibility of critical situations, allow for dynamic driving both in the city and outside it. This helps to shorten travel time without the need to exceed applicable speed limits and break traffic regulations.
Economy
Safety and speed of transport also allow for the reduction of goods transport costs. Proper vehicle preparation and driving behaviors, such as adjusting the gear height to engine speed, can help reduce fuel consumption. It is worth mentioning that Eco-driving does not have to mean crawling slowly on the road. One should also remember about other costs incurred by a transport company. Applying the principles of economical driving also contributes to slower wear and tear of individual car parts, which in turn reduces repair costs. Safe and prudent driving allows for reducing the frequency of damages and maintaining insurance premiums.
The Human
A special training program improving the technique of economical and safe driving for truck drivers was developed for the needs of CEMEX Polska. The course participants deal with the transport of building materials on a daily basis. The training sessions held on autumn weekends were therefore a great opportunity for them to test their skills and the capabilities of the vehicles they drive in safe conditions. The Own Fleet of the CEMEX Polska Logistics Department consists of nearly 90 sets for transporting cement and aggregates. In total, it covers a distance of nearly 10 million kilometers per year, completing over 30,000 deliveries. The role of those managing this team is to ensure that this work is done in a way that is optimal in terms of time, cost, and most importantly, safe for drivers and other road users. With this in mind, in 2008 the company introduced a driver certification program called the “CEMEX Driver Passport,” one of the elements of which is periodic training in defensive driving and “eco-driving.”
– We see measurable benefits from conducting this type of training. Many drivers had the opportunity to see for themselves their bad habits or incorrect reflexes behind the wheel, the change of which will allow them to emerge unscathed from extreme situations – says Jacek Leśniewski, transport team manager at CEMEX Polska.