When hiring and choosing fleet drivers, you want those who are the best and safest around. However, safety can be difficult to measure, especially before a driver has even joined your team. That’s where fleet safety certifications come in. What is a fleet safety certification? We’ll explain what these certifications are, how drivers obtain them, and what they mean for your fleet.
What is a Fleet Safety Certification?
Fleet safety certification is something that a driver or manager earns when they complete a series of courses on defensive driving and fleet safety education. These courses may be offered either online or in-person, depending on what you are looking for and the training program you select. There is a wide array of courses and certifications available to choose from, but when selecting the requirements for your drivers, you may want to focus on subjects like:
- Accident liability
- How to reduce motor vehicle incidents
- How to reduce insurance premiums
- Practicing safe driving
- How to adopt new fleet safety technology
- How to boost fleet efficiency
When someone is fleet safety certified, they have gone through the proper training to understand the dangers of driving and know how to identify risky driving behaviors.
How to Become Fleet Safety Certified
To become safety certified, drivers must complete training courses led by a fleet trainer and pass any relevant tests. The fleet trainer will be responsible for presenting the course material to instruct drivers on how to abide by the industry’s safety standards and procedures. The driver must understand these compliance and safety requirements as they are relevant to your fleet.
Popular Fleet Safety Certifications
Implementing a fleet safety certification is often a wise decision in the hiring process, but which certification do you choose? These are some of the most popular that hiring managers want.
No. 1: OSHA Fleet Safety Certification
This program, called OSHAcademy, covers an immense range of topics aimed at fleet supervisors and managers. Some of these topics include:
- The cost of accidents
- Driver qualification standards
- How to transport people and equipment
- Accident investigations
The goal of the OSHA program is to teach you to manage fleets in the safest and most cost-effective way possible.
No. 2: National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA) Certification
NAFA actually offers several different fleet certifications. If you are looking to make your fleet safer and more successful, you may be interested in courses such as:
- How to build a sustainable fleet
- Establishing driver training
- Defining safety metrics and protocols
These will help you create a driver program to promote safety amongst your drivers.
No. 3: DriveSafe Online Certification
This is one of the quickest certifications. You can complete it in as little as one hour, entirely online. The goal of this certification is to limit accidents for the betterment of your fleet. Some of the topics include:
- Road risk guidelines
- How to prevent driver fatigue
- How to avoid common distractions
No. 4: NSC Defensive Driving Certification
The NSC is known for teaching defensive driving specific to state regulations. The courses here cover basic safety guidelines and best practices. Some of their certifications include:
- Safety Training
- Roadway Safety
- Workplace Safety
- Community Safety
No. 5: NTSI Certification
NTSI also has a lot of courses surrounding fleet safety and efficiency, so drivers have the knowledge they need to be successful. They offer certifications such as:
- The Safer Driver Challenge
- The Utility Vehicle Course
- The CDL Refresher
Promote Safety In Your Fleet
Once you’ve hired the right drivers and equipped yourself with the knowledge you need to succeed, continue to promote safety in your fleet with the best technology. Azuga offers solutions across the gambit of fleet management that boost your fleet’s efficiency and safety so your drivers can put their expertise to work. Learn more about our technology by trying a demo with one of our experts.
