On 17 and 18 September 2025, BG Verkehr, as the responsible professional association for the transport sector, together with the Section for Prevention in Transport of the International Association for Social Security (IVSS), organized the industry conference "Instructing Driver Personnel – Gamechanger for Safety and Success".
Occupational safety experts demonstrated there how to design the driver trainings so that they are not just a “boring mandatory event.” Over 100 participants attended on-site at BG Verkehr's headquarters in Hamburg; a further 110 opted for online participation.
More than just a mandatory training
Trainings are, according to the organizers, mandatory under Section 12 of the Occupational Safety Act. But if they become a dull mandatory event, they could miss the aim.
„We must get closer to the employees again with the trainings“, demanded Wolfgang Witzke, Chairman of BG Verkehr’s Representative Assembly and long-time trainer for driver personnel at the waste-disposal company Remondis, at the end of the industry conference.
In many transport industry companies, the topic is less popular. Usually the training obligation is fulfilled, but it is often treated by both companies and employees as a mere mandatory event.
Broader benefits
Martin Küppers, Head of Occupational Safety and Regulatory Framework at BG Verkehr, pointed to a quite broad benefit also with regard to efficient work processes:
„In essence, it is not only about safety and health, but also about proper
workflows, efficient working methods and behavior with customers. All of these are core processes of every company. Safety and health are always involved“, said Küppers.
With regard to the trainings, there are, however, some challenges, for example the multilingualism of the profession and of the driver personnel. This is demanding for knowledge transfer.
Organizationally, it is complex for long-haul transport companies to gather drivers at a single location for a training. During the conference, several approaches were shown to overcome the problems:
Directly at the workplace
BG Verkehr recommends conducting the training at the workplace, i.e., for drivers mainly at the vehicle. For the teaching method, the motto is “Explain, demonstrate, let them imitate.”
Right time and right place
Training sessions on Friday shortly before the end of the shift or on the otherwise non-working Saturday are rather unpopular with drivers and, according to the occupational safety experts, do not create a good learning atmosphere. If it is not possible to avoid, an attractive setting should be created, for example a shared meal or a subsequent company celebration.
Interactive training
A training should, according to the experts, offer the opportunity to ask questions. A learning success check, whether written, oral or electronic, also counts as an interactive element.
Incorporate your own accident history
During the training, a connection to one’s own working world should be established. This is the
case if accidents or near-misses from the own operation become the subject of the training. It is advisable to train promptly after the event.
Use technology
During the industry conference, several examples of effective use of technology were cited. For example, the express logistics service provider Weinhut GmbH uses artificial intelligence (AI) to translate trainings into other languages. The forwarder Ansorge works with a service provider that uses dash cams and AI to give its driver personnel feedback on selected driving situations. Additionally, some companies use small learning programs on tablets for supplementary knowledge transfer on the go.
Using media correctly
Films are indeed a useful medium to support trainings. However, the driver personnel should not be left to it alone, according to the occupational safety experts. At the industry conference Cemex Logistik GmbH showed what a modern training film can look like – the construction-materials transport specialist company features influencer Sabrina (“Trucker-Babes”).
BG Verkehr materials
BG Verkehr offers training for managers, safety specialists and safety officers of its member companies. On its website free materials such as training cards and animated films for use in trainings are available.
Multilingual offerings
Drivers whose mother tongue is not German also have to understand the training, so AI could be used as translation assistance in some companies. In addition, other employees who share the same language and have worked in Germany
longer could help as translators. To improve understanding, also explain the work processes in the work environment (show, explain, let them imitate) and provide multilingual training media.
Provide thorough instruction
To safely master the respective work equipment, a detailed instruction is essential – whether it is a new vehicle, a driver assistance system (FAS) being deployed for the first time, or an unfamiliar forklift. With driver assistance systems, it is sometimes not clear how the systems operate and when they intervene. Besides uncertainty and lack of acceptance, non-compliant deactivation of the FAS could even be a consequence.
Hit the right tone
Andreas Drews of SVG Service and Sales South described vividly that one should not always “bang the coffin lid.” Excessive doom-mongering does not land, just as an overly admonishing tone or even a command tone would not. For this reason it could trigger a defensive attitude. The best approach, he advised, is to present it professionally, in a dialog-oriented and positive manner.
The instructors are the key
At the conference it was also pointed out that those in leadership roles should act as role models. They are the key people for the success of the training. Therefore they should not appear bored, annoyed, or disinterested in the content, because that would be disastrous for success. It is essential to show leadership yourself or, if necessary, hire a safety
