As AI-powered safety technology becomes more common in fleet operations, it's easy to assume that real-time AI alerts can replace traditional driver training. But in a recent Automotive Fleet article, Smith System CEO Derek Dunaway explains why training and coaching serve two very different purposes—and why fleets need both to build lasting driver safety.
The article emphasizes that coaching reinforces skills drivers have already learned, while training provides the foundation those skills are built on. AI can identify risky behaviors and deliver timely feedback, but it cannot replace structured, behavior-based instruction. Without that foundation, coaching becomes corrective and punitive rather than developmental, making it harder for drivers to build safe habits that last.
For fleet leaders evaluating new safety technologies, the takeaway is clear: AI can be a powerful coaching tool, but the most effective driver safety programs begin with comprehensive training and continue with consistent coaching that reinforces those skills over time.
Read Derek's full article on Automotive Fleet: Coaching Is Not Training, Even When AI Is Doing It
