News > Safety for Life: Linemen Complete Advanced Driving Course

Safety for Life: Linemen Complete Advanced Driving Course

April 24, 2024

Safety is a top priority at Stearns Electric and we provide multiple safety training opportunities for our employees annually. One unique opportunity our linemen have all completed over the last three years is an Advanced Driving Skills for Truck Drivers course offered by the Minnesota Highway Safety and Research Center (MHSRC).

The Advanced Driving Skills for Truck Drivers course is offered specifically for truck drivers who already have a sufficient knowledge of and experience driving trucks to enhance their skills. Throughout the six-hour training, drivers practice distracted driving and collision avoidance techniques on a closed course in police-like squad cars. They must manage multiple skills at once while driving on icy or wet road conditions. 

Stearns Electric employees also brought line trucks to practice other skills throughout the day including straight-line braking, serpentine driving, mirror set-up and usage, parking, skid control, large vehicle cornering, control braking, intersection management and electronic stability control. 

“The driving course really helped to experience driving on unsafe road conditions in a safe place,” Luke Gilbertson, Stearns Electric lineman, said. “It also helped to practice maneuvers that we don’t always use in the trucks.” 

Mark Bromenschenkel, Director of Community Programs for MHSRC said, “For us as instructors, it’s very fulfilling watching these drivers that already have good skills improve throughout the day and seeing the gratification they have from their learning experience.”

“It’s a great opportunity for Stearns Electric to send our drivers to complete this course as they are able to cover many different aspects of safe driving and hands-on driving maneuvers that they may not be able to practice elsewhere,” Safety and Loss Control Coordinator, Deb Goebel, said. “These skills reinforce the safe driving we emphasize at the Co-op and strengthen their driving abilities both in their work and personal vehicles.”

“From a safety perspective, this training not only saves companies from property damage incidents but also keeps lives safe,” Bromenschenkel explained. “We get testimonials from drivers who have directly contributed the skills they’ve learned on our course to a real situation where they were able to avoid a very serious incident or crash.”

The MHSRC offers a multitude of driving courses and programs throughout the state. “About 70% of the police and sheriff departments across Minnesota complete training with us, along with multiple fire departments, ambulance services, power companies, snowplow operators, construction companies, school bus drivers and more. Plus, we also offer teen and senior courses, and custom courses for businesses,” Bromenschenkel concluded.