Whether you’re running a small division of a huge fleet or trying to keep costs down at a five-truck outfit doing local P&D work, keeping your people up to speed on safety is as much a part of your job as keeping an eye on fuel prices.

So I’m talking about training — specifically, driver training.

And not to make too much of the fact, but it’s easy to remember — particularly at this time of year — that drivers and classrooms are seldom each other’s best friends.

So you have to make training easy and effective. That’s why it’s so important that before you start, you must define your goals and then deliver your message in the least-painful way possible.

Here’s a list of 10 tips that some of Canada’s best fleet safety practitioners rely on to get their messages across.

— Prepare your agenda and set your goals.

Don’t wing it. Figure out which topics you want to cover, what order you want to do it in, and how long you’re going to spend on each one. And be sure to establish clear and concrete learning objectives. Before you start, figure out some way to measure your success. Otherwise, you’ll be wasting your time.

— Involve participants in the learning process.

Ask your people what they’d like to cover. Sometimes, there are specific company issues that need addressing. Are there dicey situations that arise between your dispatchers and drivers? Weave company specifics into your training program right from the start to keep the program relevant.

— Leverage your people’s experience and knowledge.

Understand that your drivers have accumulated a wealth of life experience. Draw on those experiences and apply them to the lessons. That means asking for examples beforehand so you can relate the concepts covered to real-life situations.

— Keep their eyes on the prize. Adult learners are goal-oriented. When your drivers attend a training seminar, they arrive with a specific aim in mind. Fleet instructors must show attendees how the seminar will help the participants accomplish their goal.

— Keep it relevant. Adult learners must see the reason for learning what is being presented. And that reason must be of value to them. Help your people make the connection through the use of familiar settings and situations.

— Keep it practical. How will your lesson be useful on the job? Successful delivery means telling your drivers exactly how they will use this particular session’s content the next time they show up at work.

— Use visual aids and hands-on exercises. Most people learn more effectively when training is both visual and highly interactive. The way you communicate and your lesson formats are critical; don’t scrimp on high-quality visual-training tools.

It’s not enough to hand your drivers a copy of your company safety program booklet and expect them to read it. Having drivers sign a statement that they have received, read and understood your policy is, simply put, the lazy way to train your crew. It’s also a sure-fire way to make sure nobody shows up at your next meeting.

— Handout printed materials.

Provide written materials as a take-away for your drivers. Even if they never refer to them again, at least they’ll have the option. And if a problem does arise, you’ll be able to say that your people did have the information they needed. These will also serve as handy reference tools long after the training has been delivered.

— Quiz them. Apply a pop quiz at the end of your training session.

— Use the KISS rule. As in “keep it simple, stupid.” Kevin Snobel, general manager of Caravan Logistics, credits his company’s successful training program on its simplicity. “Keeping it simple is rule number-one,” he advises. “Keep the training material and message simple without talking down to your trainees. This will go a long way to getting and keeping their attention and improving knowledge retention.”