More than 6,000 operators will be trained in the first year through six mobile training units equipped with simulators at every distribution center, covering both primary and secondary distribution drivers.
- More than 6,000 operators will be trained in the first year through six mobile training units equipped with simulators at every one of the company's distribution centers.
- The program will cover both primary and secondary distribution drivers.
Culiacán, Sinaloa, January 29, 2024. To advance driver professionalization and strengthen its road safety strategy, Coppel has deployed six mobile training units fitted with state-of-the-art truck simulators from APEX, the leader in simulation solutions for driver training.
The simulators are designed to improve safety indicators, reduce accident risk, encourage fuel-efficient driving and, overall, sharpen the skills of the company's freight drivers.
The simulator recreates real operating scenarios to build driver awareness around accident prevention, identifying and correcting weaknesses behind the wheel to maximize safety.
Equipped with a three-degree-of-freedom motion platform, the simulators replicate the G-forces of acceleration, braking and cornering, so operators experience the simulated accident firsthand and understand the consequences of the decisions they make on the road.
Our priority is the safety of our people and our communities. That is why we have set the ambitious goal of cutting our annual highway accident rate by roughly 50% by 2030. This training also supports the company's commitment to reducing 500,000 tons of CO2 — the equivalent of planting three million trees — by that same year.
Angélica BojórquezSupply Chain Director, Grupo Coppel.
The mobile training units are equipped with the latest technology and replicate Grupo Coppel's specific vehicle configurations: International tractor-trailers, secondary distribution trucks such as ISUZU and HINO, and pickup trucks with 21-foot trailers. These configurations favor fuel savings by prioritizing volume over weight.
Ruben MartinezNational Transportation Manager, Grupo Coppel.Real-world scenarios recreated by the simulator include: the consequences of cell phone use, alcohol and fatigue at the wheel; driving in rain, fog, ice or oil; accidents, blowouts and mechanical failures; yielding to pedestrians and cyclists; crosswinds and live-load shifts; passing maneuvers, lane departures, being cut off in traffic and collisions with fixed objects.
The simulator runs cloud-based software with advanced reporting and telemetry that builds a comparison matrix and ranks drivers by operator type. Headquarters can access every evaluation in real time, and biometric (fingerprint) sign-in prevents identity fraud by both trainees and instructors.
Simulator training has become an industry standard for improving safety and fuel-efficiency indicators. APEX congratulates Grupo Coppel on rolling out this technology nationwide. At APEX, our goal is to help reduce the more than 16,000 annual deaths from road accidents and address the shortage of more than 56,000 professional drivers.
Jose Miguel MontoyaChief Commercial Officer, APEX Simulation & Technology
