Virtual Reality Truck Driver Training Is the Real Deal

Since 1992, truck drivers have been required to hold a commercial driver’s license (CDL). Commercial truck driver training schools throughout the country train prospective truck drivers through a combination of in-class and on-the-road training that usually lasts three-to-four weeks. The training prepares them to earn a Class A CDL.

This Class A CDL permits drivers to operate a combination of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of more than 26,000 pounds, as long as the vehicles being towed have a GVWR of at least 10,000 pounds. The most common heavy-duty truck fitting that description is a tractor-trailer.

Standard in-class and closed-course training does a good job (depending on the school) of teaching the basics. It helps students get their license but cannot realistically replicate every circumstance a driver will face on the road. Another drawback with in-class training is that you can’t tell from the answers on a multiple-choice test whether the student knew the right answer or just guessed it. Virtual reality truck driver training overcomes these issues.

Carriers that hire new drivers — many only hire experienced drivers — tend to have in-house training programs as an alternative to the private CDL training schools. In other words, you could skip the private school training and get a job with a carrier to train you. Their programs also give recent graduates from private schools more real-world experience before they start carrying freight. Several carriers have been the early adopters of virtual reality truck driving training.

Carriers that adopt VR truck driver training do so for several reasons, which might include:

Three objections held VR back for a while. The technology (hardware and software) was expensive, some VR users experienced nausea, and the graphics did not present a clear view of the dashboard. The technology costs are lower, the graphics are superior, and there’s a workaround for the nausea problem.

Not only is VR truck driver training gaining traction, but it’s also moving into other areas of driver training.

Driving a truck comes with its own set of dangers, almost all on the road. However, drivers of hazardous materials face other dangers once they reach their destination and transition from being drivers to product handlers.

Trimac Transportation reasoned that if drivers could be trained to operate their vehicles more safely using VR, they could also learn to handle their cargo with less risk. They saw that even their most experienced drivers sometimes made the wrong snap decisions when trying to avert a hazardous accident. It became clear that a driver who had only read about what to do during a once-in-a-lifetime disaster scenario was not equipped to handle it.

For those reasons, they now train drivers in hazardous product handling using VR. With VR, the drivers develop muscle memory for each situation, allowing them to take the right course of action instinctively rather than thinking about what they were trained to do.

VR truck driver training is just one more example of how the shipping industry adopts the latest technology to improve safety, reliability, timeliness, and customer service.

At FreightCenter, we use a combination of advanced technology and human shipping experts to provide our customers with the service they need to be successful shippers. If you’re ready to ship something, get a free quote instantly.