PEPSICO MÉXICO LAUNCHES ITS SECOND MOBILE TRAINING UNIT WITH A TRUCK DRIVING SIMULATOR
Public Safety ·
PepsiCo México launched its freight driver training program last October in Puebla and Veracruz. In March it arrived in the Valle de México under the banner of the Operations Academy, powered by an APEX simulator.
PepsiCo México launched its "Freight Vehicle Operator Training Program" last October in Puebla and Veracruz. This March it kicked off in the Valle de México through a training strategy that will span every role in the operations area, under the name Operations Academy.
The academy's goal is to develop the skills and knowledge needed to operate tractor-trailers — hence the addition of equipment from APEX.
MOBILE SIMULATION TRAINING UNIT
The expandable mobile training unit is an end-to-end solution that adds to the company's driver training strategies, reinforcing continuous training and certification. Its primary goal is developing new drivers while improving safety indicators, reducing accident risk and building awareness around fuel-efficient driving.
The mobile unit features an expandable room where classroom instruction and simulator practice happen in one integrated space — enabling collaborative learning where trainees can learn from each other's mistakes.
The simulator is built around the configurations and brands PepsiCo runs in its fleet — Navistar International, Scania and Mercedes-Benz Actros — and recreates real situations with risk factors so drivers can develop the skills to prevent them, including:
- Consequences of cell phone use.
- Driver fatigue.
- Driving in rain, fog, ice or oil; accidents, blowouts and mechanical failures.
- Yielding to pedestrians and cyclists.
- Passing maneuvers.
- Preventing lane departures.
- Being cut off in traffic and collisions with fixed objects.
Driver PROFESSIONALIZATION plan
The simulator includes a comprehensive training program covering road safety and traffic education, preventive driving, technical-economical driving, driving habits, regulations, health and human development — the foundation for producing professional drivers.
The investment PepsiCo is making is enormously valuable: the simulator features the latest technology, letting our operators experience what it's really like to drive heavy equipment without suffering an incident in real life.
Nora GutiérrezFleet Strategy and Transformation Manager, PepsiCo.
The program will also open the door for employees from other areas — warehouse, workshop and manufacturing — to become freight vehicle operators, while reinforcing the skills of PepsiCo's active drivers.
At the Operations Academy we aim to strengthen our drivers' skills in two areas that matter deeply to us: safety and efficiency. We also want to develop talent from other areas of PMF interested in becoming tractor-trailer drivers, through a theory-and-practice model supported by cutting-edge technology like the simulator. Once our drivers are certified, they'll be ready to hit the highway — to keep moving product and, of course, to keep generating smiles.
Sergio GarcíaTransportation Manager, PepsiCoADVANCED TELEMETRY INDICATORS
The simulator includes cloud-based software with advanced reporting and telemetry that builds a comparison matrix and ranks drivers by operator type. Evaluations can be accessed in real time from headquarters, and biometric (fingerprint) sign-in prevents identity fraud by trainees and instructors.
With the simulator, it's possible to recreate real accidents from daily operations to show drivers how the event could have been prevented — detecting and correcting weaknesses behind the wheel and raising safety to the highest level.
Jose Miguel MontoyaChief Commercial Officer, APEX Simulation & Technology
