Gone are the days where all you needed was a rig, commercial vehicle license, and a map. These days, truck drivers need to operate equipment, adapt their routes, drive efficiently, and be up-to-date with regulations.
However, a truck is only profitable when it’s out on the road. That means that a truck driver’s time is minimal, especially for learning.
Luckily, e-learning is much more accessible in recent years. Continue reading below to find out how to expand your knowledge with online training on the road.
Why Continue Training?
Training is often considered a punishment because drivers only get trained if they did something wrong.
Trucking companies perpetuate this because they usually don’t spend any money on training unless they have to. Owners are quick to buy the latest safety gear or technology when they could invest that money into their drivers.
It’s also unusual for truck drivers to take the initiative and learn new driving skills themselves.
However, training is crucial to the success of any truck driver. Learning how to safely and effectively drive a truck keeps you on the road and makes you a valuable driver.
By learning driving skills online, you can become a valuable asset to any trucking company. You can also learn how to become an independent owner-operator if you’re tired of working for someone else.
Learning on the Go
E-learning is superior to learning in a classroom—you don’t need to go anywhere and can learn at your own pace. It’s even possible to learn while you drive since it’s not always mandatory to watch a video.
Many lessons can be listened to while you’re on your way to the next delivery.
What Can I Learn to Improve My Skills?
The great thing about learning is that everyonecan learn something new and useful, even if they think they know everything.
Of course, there are many remedial courses to sharpen up or refresh the skills you already have. This includes courses like hours of service (HOS) and managing logbooks, trip planning, vehicle inspection, and cargo securement.
Then there are more advanced courses that would be useful to any professional driver. These types of courses include:
- Winter driving
- Defensive driving
- Hazardous materials
- Cybersecurity
- Maximizing fuel efficiency
- Border Crossings
- Driving wellness and fatigue
- Mindfulness
This list is just a small sample of what’s available. Some of these courses may seem odd, but they’re all designed to make you a better and more aware driver.
Becoming an Independent Owner-Operator
If you’ve ever thought about starting your own operation, online training can help you with that too.
It’s no simple task to become an independent owner-operator, and you’ll need to get started on the right foot. Trucking is a fascinating and complicated business, and it’s something that can’t be easily taught in a classroom.
An online course can show you all the small details you need to start and operating your own trucking business without spending a fortune.
Back to Class
We need to stop looking at training as a punishment and see it as a useful tool to make yourself more valuable. Training can help build you up to become a valuable asset or a sought-after driver because, after all, knowledge is power.
