Grow Your Own is a new take on traditional Training. For nearly 20 years, Excel Driver Services has offered specialized learning paths to over 110,000 drivers on the road today. With the transportation industry changing at a faster pace than ever before, many companies turn to creative concepts to address the driver shortage. As a result, Excel has approached the problem from a different perspective to bring the transportation industry back to its basics- a comradery of drivers on the road. Wherein we recruit, coach, and Build Better Drivers. The “Grow Your Own” concept is one that many companies manipulate, while not realizing the damage being created to the industry. Low pay and high turnover continue to drive good employees out of the industry over frustration, anxiety, and programs that do not look at retention as a real issue. The following program is one that can train drivers in a specific manner and develop these drivers over time to help them in a long-term career and structure their success.

Excel approaches training using Behavior-Based Safety methods. Studies indicate most vehicle incidents occur as a result of driver attitude and complacency. As a consequence of today’s society, drivers ignore fatigue, multi-task in their vehicle, become distracted, and drive at speeds in excess of safe limits for road conditions. Over 7 different studies performed by the National Safety Council with a sample size of 2,444 subjects, showed a 59.8% reduction in incidents when trained with a true Behavior Based Program.

Simulation prepares a driver physically and mentally for the challenges of operating a vehicle under various conditions. Our simulation-based Learning Paths utilize task-loading activities (simulation scenarios) allowing trainees to develop perceptual skills for hazard recognition and appropriate vehicle handling techniques. This curriculum teaches skills in a structured sequence and measures the trainees’ performance as they demonstrate those skills. The ability to provide timely feedback on each scenario serves to motivate the trainees by showing them how to improve their performance. As the trainee experiences the scenarios and practical hands-on (drill-and-practice) features, the trainee will progress from simple basic controls to more complex skill development through exploration, interaction and learner control.