J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc., a provider of safety and compliance products and services in transportation and other industries, has developed two motorcoach-specific driver training programs — Motorcoach: Vehicle Inspections and Motorcoach: Defensive Driving — plus Motorcoach Passenger Safety Briefing, a video presentation that provides safety information to passengers prior to departure.
These new products fulfill requests from motorcoach operators looking to step up their safety efforts due to increased motorcoach crashes, along with increased compliance reviews and roadside inspections by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
The results of reviews and inspections — plus scores from the FMCSA’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program — are available to the public.
“Motorcoach operators rely heavily on word-of-mouth and reputation, so what their drivers are doing out on the road makes a huge difference,” Tom Bray, a senior transportation safety and compliance specialist at J. J. Keller. “One breakdown or bad driving incident could ruin the current passengers’ trip. It could also hurt the driver’s employer by reducing that motorcoach company’s chance of securing future customers.”
“Combine that with the normal risks involved in transporting passengers,” Bray added, “and suddenly it just makes sense to train drivers on vehicle inspections and defensive driving.”
J. J. Keller’s training programs address these issues:
Vehicle Inspections educates motorcoach drivers on the importance of conducting thorough inspections to decrease the risk of accidents and breakdowns, and to help their employers avoid associated costs. Topics include pre-trip inspections (six steps), en-route inspections, post-trip inspections, Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIRs), and consequences of missed inspection points.
Defensive Driving reviews the principles of defensive driving. J.J. Keller say it’s designed to help today’s motorcoach drivers cope with the multitude of distractions and distracted drivers they face every day. The program addresses key topics: seeing and being seen, heightened awareness and hazard perception, and speed and space management.
The training programs are available as a two-pack for $399, or $329 for each title.
In addition to the DVD format, J. J. Keller’s motorcoach driver training programs are available in two self-paced formats — Interactive Online training (for use anywhere with an Internet connection) and Interactive CD-ROM training (no Internet connection needed) — and as a Pay Per View video service.
The Motorcoach Passenger Safety Briefing video informs motorcoach passengers of need-to-know safety precautions based on NTSB and FMCSA recommendations. The safety message on this four-minute, closed-captioned DVD is delivered in English followed by Spanish. The DVD is priced at $29.99. Multiple-copy discounts are available.
J. J. Keller’s new motorcoach-specific products are available for purchase today by calling 800-327-6868 and referencing Promo Code 101189 or by visiting jjkeller.com/101189.
I absolutely encourage motorcoach trainers to consider these videos. I was involved as a script consultant and in some of the video production. Motorcoach operaters are a very small industry compared to the property carrying industry. This is why most training videos are made for trucking.
Although the basic skills and principals of trucking and motorcoach are similar there are differences. I also believe it is harder for motorcoach students to identify with the training when it shows cab of a tractor trailer.
I have searched high and low It is very difficult to find quality motorcoach specific training in this kind of format or any format for that matter! If these are sucessfull I believe that would encourage JJ Keller to produce more motorcoach specific training.
I do/did not receive any royalties or any other form of monetary compensation for working on these videos, only the satisfaction of participating in quality training that will help make our industry a safer one.