Fleet safety certification is essential. When it comes to protecting drivers and reducing liability, nothing is as effective as certified risk management training. Certification in fleet safety helps fleet managers identify risky behaviors and recognize dangerous situations to minimize the risk of costly accidents.
In this blog, we provide a step-by-step guide for becoming fleet safety certified. We’ll explore several prominent safety certifications and what they cover, as well as how you can take that education and apply it to your own fleet.
Understanding Fleet Safety Certification
There’s simply no better way of demonstrating a commitment to safety and excellence than becoming fleet safety certified. Fleet safety certification is a comprehensive training program that validates the knowledge and skills of fleet drivers and managers in defensive driving and safety best practices. It involves comprehensive training that gives you the tools and knowledge you need to keep your fleet operating safely.
The purpose of fleet safety certification is to learn how to identify risky driving behaviors that cause incidents. Fleet safety certification plays a vital role in improving safety, mitigating risks, ensuring regulatory compliance, and enhancing operational efficiency.
Top Fleet Safety Certifications
Before you begin your fleet safety journey, it’s important to understand the various certifications available. Several organizations provide fleet safety certifications, and they offer a range of courses and training programs tailored to different needs and requirements within the transportation industry. Let’s take a closer look at a handful of the most popular certifications.
1. OSHA Fleet Safety Management
OSHA’s (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Fleet Safety Management certification is designed for fleet supervisors and managers. It focuses on a range of legal topics, detailing important preventative actions and safety protocols. The OSHA certification is recognized as the national standard of safety for businesses of all types and is used by government agencies, colleges, technical schools, and individuals across the country.
Some examples of the types of training addressed in this program include understanding the cost of vehicle accidents, driver qualification standards, accident investigations, and policy management. The OSHA Fleet Safety Certification helps minimize company liability related to vehicle accidents and reduce costs associated with accidents, as well as improve overall fleet management.
2. National Safety Council (NSC) Defensive Driving Certification
The National Safety Council (NSC) offers a variety of safety courses, including defensive driving, first aid, work zone safety, and training on international best practices. NSC has trained over 80 million drivers since 1964, and it’s not hard to see why it’s so popular. NSC courses encompass a range of topics, including specialized programs like “Coaching the Emergency Vehicle Operator” for ambulance drivers and fire apparatus operators. Plus they offer flexibility with online and classroom courses.
The NSC’s state programs are trusted by traffic safety courts, motor vehicle departments, municipalities, businesses, government agencies, and driving schools nationwide. They also provide training to become certified defensive driving instructors.
3. ISO 39001 Certification
ISO 39001 is an international standard that specifies requirements for a road traffic safety (RTS) management system. It enables organizations that interact with the RTS to reduce deaths and serious injuries related to crashes. It was prepared by Project Committee PC 241 and is applicable to any organization, regardless of type, size, and product or service provided.
The ISO 39001 Certification is a great training for fleets who want to improve RTS performance by establishing, maintaining, and/or improving an RTS management system. It will allow you to demonstrate conformity with this International Standard, which is intended to address RTS management, not the technical and quality requirements of transportation products and services. This certification helps organizations reduce the incidence and risk of death and serious injury related to road traffic crashes.
4. North American Transportation Management Institute (NATMI) Certifications
The North American Transportation Management Institute (NATMI) offers fleet safety-certified programs to help improve the performance and productivity of those directly responsible for effective fleet and driver performance. Their programs are designed for risk managers, safety directors, security directors, maintenance managers, and commercial driver trainers.
Available NATMI Certifications include Certified Cargo Security Professional (CCSP), Certified Director of Maintenance/Equipment (CDM/E), Certified Director of Safety (CDS), Certified Driver Trainer (CDT), and more. The purpose of these programs is to help fleet managers reduce accidents and injuries and lower vehicle maintenance costs by implementing better management systems. Programs are designed in the context of the participant’s work environment to be “application-oriented” through the use of case studies, practice exercises, and hands-on projects.
5. NAFA’s Certified Automotive Fleet Manager (CAFM)
The Certified Automotive Fleet Manager (CAFM) program offered by NAFA, a Fleet Management Association, is a widely recognized program designed to educate fleet professionals on the core competencies of fleet management. The CAFM program is comprehensive and divided into eight core disciplines of fleet management. Candidates are required to pass all eight within a three-year period.
While safety is an important aspect of fleet management, the CAFM program extends beyond safety to cover other essential areas like financial, asset, fuel, business, and information management. The CAFM designation gives fleet professionals a competitive advantage in advancing their careers, as certificate holders earn more than their peers who have not received the certification.
4 Steps to Achieve Fleet Safety Certification
Now that you’re familiar with the various training programs available let’s look at the process of becoming fleet safety certified. Here’s a step-by-step guide on determining which safety certifications are right for your fleet and how you can take your knowledge from the classroom to your day-to-day operations.
1. Assess Current Safety Practices
Before choosing which certifications to seek out, it’s important to evaluate your existing safety protocols. Identify areas for improvement so that you can choose certification programs that align with your needs.
2. Select Appropriate Certification
Based on your critical assessment, select a certification that will not only shore up any safety weak spots but can also help you achieve broader organizational goals and industry requirements.
3. Implement Necessary Training and Policies
As you work through the certification training, it will be vital to implement what you’re learning as you go. Develop and enforce training programs and fleet safety policies to meet the certification standards and see how they work in real settings.
4. Maintain Certification and Continuous Improvement
Once you finish your chosen course and have become fleet safety certified, it’s critical to keep that new standard intact as time distances you from the training. The importance of ongoing education and regular audits to uphold certification standards can not be overstated. It’s vital to encourage a culture of continuous improvement within the fleet.
Take Safety Certification Further with Solera’s SmartDrive Technology
SmartDrive, now a part of Solera Fleet Solutions, offers video-based safety programs to amplify your fleet’s safety protocols and processes. SmartDrive’s innovative technology features Enhanced Driver Monitoring and Streamlined Compliance Tracking, utilizing video-based safety programs that help you identify and address risky driving behaviors.
With a unified view of risk and vehicle performance, you get a clear picture of any safety shortfalls within your fleet. The system captures distracted and drowsy driving, aggressive speeding, following too close, U-turns, and more. This data-driven approach helps you meet and exceed the requirements for safety certifications by providing evidence of your fleet’s commitment to safety and continuous improvement.
Ensure your fleet meets the highest safety standards with SmartDrive’s advanced technology. Get in touch with Solera today to learn more about our solutions to reduce risk and protect your drivers.