Why Truck Driver Training Videos Matter

Truck driver training videos can be invaluable for trucking companies looking to onboard new CDL drivers and train current drivers. Safety training is something that all truck drivers should go through regularly to make sure they’re practicing safe driving techniques while on the road.

Creating a library of training videos can help ensure that all of your drivers are getting the same information, and it is a lot cheaper to create one video and use it a hundred times than to schedule downtime for each driver to attend an in-person driving safety training class for a few days. 

Driver safety is a big concern for everyone in the trucking industry, and having training materials that help drivers avoid collisions, navigate bad weather conditions, and improve defensive driving techniques will keep them stay safe on the road.  

What do truck driver training videos teach?

Many carriers use truck driver training videos to refresh truck drivers on safe driving practices. But you can create training videos for any subject that you want. If you notice that drivers are consistently filling out paperwork incorrectly, you can make a video on how to make sure they’re completing all fields. If your truckers are going to be driving in snowy or icy road conditions, make a video (or a few videos) before winter and have them watch it before their next route to brush up on best practices for chaining tires, navigating icy roads, or driving in high winds. 

You can also create a training program that uses training videos in combination with driver safety articles and in-person training. We all know that there are some things that are just better when taught behind the wheel of a semi truck, like how to shift an 18-speed transmission. But for things like maximizing fuel economy, defensive driving, obeying Hours of Service rules, and how to conduct a pre-trip inspection, a video works just as well as in-person training. And pairing videos with written content can help truck drivers remember the information and give them something to quickly reference if they have a question.

What are the benefits of using training videos?

Save Time and Money

Training videos can be made once and used for months or years. This enables your new semi truck drivers to be onboarded more quickly and your current drivers to access training materials whenever they want. There’s no need to schedule downtime for anyone in your fleet if they can watch a few videos on their breaks while on the road. 

Easy to Make

You don’t need to be a professional videographer to produce a training video for truck drivers that is informative and engaging. Between dash cams and cell phone cameras, trucking companies can create a valuable training video in no time. Enlist a handful of your best drivers, and work with them to create safety training videos to get the rest of your fleet driving more safely. 

Improve Driver Retention

Truck drivers who can watch short training videos on their own schedule are more likely to do so than drivers who need to take a few days off of driving to attend an in-person training class. And with videos, they‘re more likely to retain the information than they are if they only attend an in-person driver training series once a year. 

Drive Engagement

Rather than require drivers to attend an hours long (or days long) in-person training class, break down the lessons into short training videos (under 10 minutes) to drive engagement. It can be hard for anyone to find time to watch an hour-long training video, but if you keep your videos under 10 minutes long, your drivers are much more likely to watch them, learn, and be engaged with the content. 

A robust training course that includes things like vehicle inspections, loading dock safety, construction safety, transportation of hazardous materials, Hours of Service rules, and defensive driving techniques will keep your truck drivers safe and your training costs low. Be sure to update the videos as needed to keep the safety information current and accurate. Out-of-date safety training videos won’t help anyone.