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Training is mandatory for safety and compliance in the transport sector. HGV and commercial drivers need a valid Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC), which requires 35 hours of training every 5 years. They may also need ADR (Dangerous Goods) training, and office staff may need Operator Licence Awareness Training (OLAT).
The penalties for failing to complete essential training are severe. It can mean licences are revoked, jobs lost, bankruptcy and even criminal prosecution. It means that adhering to the government-regulated training structure is hardwired into most logistics companies.
However, there can be a tendency to stop once the mandatory training is done, and this can mean missing out on some big business benefits. Coaching can help teams to move from a, “what must be done” mentality to a proactive “what can be done?” mindset.
Training vs Coaching: What’s the difference?
Coaching is different to training, and it’s a powerful ally in boosting the well-being and productivity of your workforce. Training is typically timed, with a defined start and finish point. Success is decided by a measurable pass or fail, a test score or demonstration of skill.
This type of training and assessment ensures skills, processes, or product knowledge are reached to a benchmarked standard. It works well for driving proficiency, manual handling and hazardous goods transport. However, this type of training is directive. It means following a closed set of instructions and showing that things can be done in the, “right way”.
Coaching is very different; it is an open-ended and continuous process. It can help to unlock an individual’s potential, enabling them to improve their own performance through guided questioning and self-discovery. Success can be more difficult to measure; it can mean shifts in behaviour, confidence, and long-term performance.
Unlike traditional training, it is non-directive. The coach acts as a sounding board, asking open-ended questions to help the coachee identify solutions themselves. Sessions are typically one-on-one and ongoing. It can help to boost long-term capabilities like leadership, critical thinking, and adaptability.
How tailored coaching can enhance driver skills
So is there room for coaching in logistics when ongoing training is already a necessity? And if so, what does that look like in practice? The first thing to note is that coaching should be tailored to the individual’s specific challenges and career goals. This means it will vary even for colleagues in the same job role.
In the case of driver skills, it means that instead of generic instruction, drivers can use highly individualised, data-driven guidance. Coaching can help individuals reflect on areas where improvements can be made, whether that means maximising fuel economy or reducing vehicle wear and tear.
Moving the dial by 1% and finding those incremental improvements can add up to substantial gains when they’re multiplied across a whole business.
Involvement Coaching: A Practical Approach
Coaching is a core element of all Involvement businesses, including Invo Fulfilment. Involvement’s “Making People Better: A Coaching Handbook” includes practical ideas and exercises designed to support colleagues develop within their role and beyond. It is an opportunity open to everyone in the business, from drivers to the warehouse team to the office staff, and everyone can benefit, as Involvement’s CEO Arjen Cooper Rolfe explains,
“A key aim in developing the programme has been to make the coaching available to everyone. It’s not traditional executive coaching, limited to the top leadership team. Unlike most corporate leadership or coaching programmes that tend to be overengineered, it’s open to everyone, and it’s done in an Involvement way.”
“That means we combine some really top-quality thinking with practical tools. We then put it into practice quickly, which means you can start to make a difference pretty much immediately. Coaches also commit to ongoing development of their coaching skills as well as coaching supervision sessions where the Involvement coaches come together to debrief and raise their own awareness of how they are doing.”
It is a strategy that has worked well for our business, helping us to operate efficiently, to win awards, and most importantly to deliver a straightforward and trusted service to you. You can find out more about Involvement’s approach to business, including links to resources, over on the Involvement Website.
- The benefits of coaching: A modern approach to building skills in the transport sector - June 3, 2026
- Maximising your mileage: Driving efficiency in transport - April 21, 2026
- Invo Fulfilment Becomes a Colleague-Owned Business - April 2, 2026