WASHINGTON, DC -- Driving is the leading cause of work-related deaths each year. To address this heartbreaking reality and close an alarming training gap, the National Safety Council is launching the Fleet Essentials training program.

Through this series of online courses, employers can educate all employees whose jobs require them to be behind the wheel to ensure everyone makes it home safely to loved ones every day.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 2,000 people died as a result of occupational transportation incidents in 2022, making up 37.7% of the total occupational fatalities that year. Drivers who do not have their commercial driver’s license but are required to drive any vehicle for work may not be considered fleet or professional drivers by their employers and could therefore lack formal training. That’s as many as 15.5 million drivers in the U.S. who may not be properly trained to operate a vehicle on the job. Furthermore, delivery truck drivers and sales employees have the highest rates of injuries and fatalities among all occupations, both of whom are non-CDL drivers.

“Many assume fleet drivers are well-trained, but unfortunately, that’s not always the case,” said Mark Chung, executive vice president of roadway practice at NSC. “At the National Safety Council, we follow the data, and the data are showing that workplace deaths are taking place on our roads at devastating rates, thus making this training truly essential —essential to saving lives and keeping workers safe on every jobsite, which includes America’s roadways.”

The NSC Fleet Essentials training program includes courses for passenger vehicles, delivery vans and medium-duty trucks, the most comprehensive fleet driving program with course content tailored to specific vehicles. The training program also addresses topics such as vehicle dynamics, driving professionally, and distraction awareness unique to driving for work. 

To learn more about the training program, please visit nsc.org/fleet. To register for the Council’s upcoming free webinar, a discussion with industry experts on the top three things to know when managing a fleet, click here.