Chattanooga, Tennessee-based U.S. Xpress has become the first fleet in the United States to begin training drivers for safety & regulatory issues with computer-based lessons right in their own cabs, according to Instructional Technologies Inc.
U.S. Xpress has equipped over 4,700 cabs with the DriverTech Fleet Management System, which were installed with all of Instructional Technologies’ (ITI’s) Pro-Tread In-Cab interactive lessons.
U.S. Xpress began training drivers in-cab after months of testing and modifications, several of which were recommended by Co-Chairman & CEO Max Fuller after personally testing and working with Pro-Tread In-Cab. U.S. Xpress is continuing its initiative to install DriverTech units into all of the fleet’s 7,500-plus cabs — providing high-end communications capabilities and Pro-Tread and other safety- and performance-related applications to all drivers.
“Continuing education for drivers is an important part of our industry, and we have always taken great pride at U.S. Xpress in finding new ways to reach out to our drivers with information that can make a difference in their daily work and their lives,” Fuller says. “The ability to place Pro-Tread training modules within the cabs of our trucks through our DriverTech units is a true breakthrough. The team at ITI should be proud of their work: They helped us find the innovative answers that we needed to make on-board training a reality.”
The Lesson Completion data for the drivers is transmitted back to ITI using the most cost-effective mode possible: WiFi, cellular, or satellite. The data are immediately entered into ITI’s Driver Management System (DMS) for third-party recordkeeping and documentation. ITI provides a secure, private, flexible online database for each client.
Drivers seem to be appreciative of the easy and flexible access to the Pro-Tread lessons. “Out here on the road, you are always called upon to learn and stay on top of what’s new, and the commitment to safety and training is one of the reasons I’ve stayed with U.S. Xpress,” says George Smith, a veteran U.S. Xpress driver who was recently inducted into the Company’s Million-Mile Safe Driving Club. “Pro-Tread is a big key for me in staying up to date on the latest information and best practices. While Pro-Tread is available over the Internet around the clock, I really like having access to the lessons aboard my truck. Now, I don’t have to put off the training while on the road. I’m very impressed with the way the modules work on the DriverTech units. This has helped in my growth and development as a professional driver. We all have to work each day to get better at what we do, and Pro-Tread is a great tool.”
ITI has additionally signed a Letter of Intent to provide Pro-Tread In-Cab with PeopleNet (www.peoplenetonline) via its new BLU onboard system. Work on integration with BLU is underway and availability is expected during Q2 2008.
