THE quality of fleet driver trainers has become a burning issue as fleet managers appreciate the savings which driver training can bring, but they feel unsure of the quality of the training available.

This is a subject currently being tackled by the Fleet Driver Training Association, and Paul Austin, managing director of New Driving Initiatives, said the standard of NDI's trainers had played a key role in winning three major new contracts. He claimed fleet managers have to be sure of the structure and organisation of training companies and their instructors to feel confident that they are buying the right service for their needs.

NDI's latest successes include contracts to train the 340 drivers at UCI Logistics, in vehicles ranging from cars to HGVs; 200 car and lcv drivers at Pinkerton, the world's largest private security and investigations company; and 90 car, van and truck drivers for GT Smith and Sons supermarket chain.