By Rob Stapleton
Alaska Journal of Commerce

To save time, money, fuel and wear and tear on its trucks, Carlile Transportation Systems is putting its drivers behind the wheel without them ever having to get on the road.

“The simulator helps us evaluate our drivers in a no-risk situation to ourselves and keeps a real rig off the streets and roads,” said John McCoy, driver development trainer at Carlile. “This saves the company money and makes my training job easier, because the drivers really enjoy the simulator.”

McCoy said that Carlile paid less than $200,000 for a driving simulator that is saving the company money by allowing a real rig to be used for business and not training. It also eliminates wear and tear, uses no fuel and offers more than 400 driving scenarios in 50 training modules.

Carlile recently trained and graduated 20 instructors to beef up training at the 10 terminals where the simulators are located.

Although the simulator, a TranSim VS IV, is just a step below the full-motion simulator, it has all of the accessories of a truck with either an automatic transmission or a manual 18-speed transmission. The device has realistic sound and visuals.

“Behind the wheel, you can work up a sweat under pressure, a blow-out, snowstorm, wind or a vehicle backing into your lane at a high speed, that's why they have these air vents placed right here on the dash,” McCoy said.

Drivers are issued a paper scorecard at the end of a session. The performance sheet evaluates vehicle handling safety, park brake setting, speed limits, collisions, improper lane position, rolling vehicle, seatbelt not fastened while in motion, among other items. The scorecard offers point deductions that can help drivers with remedial problems as well as complex challenges.

McCoy said that while Carlile has low turnover and truck drivers are in demand, the simulator also helps evaluate potential employees.

“This is also a way of weeding out those with a plastic card (commercial drivers license) with no experience,” McCoy said. “You can tell right away who has driven and who is bluffing.” This cuts down the $8,000 to $10,000 expense of hiring and training, according to McCoy.

The biggest plus to the system is that drivers like it.

“We have this working 20 hours a week,” McCoy said. “The drivers like it and want to come in and improve their safety skills.”

Rob Stapleton can be reached at rob.stapleton@alaskajournal.com.