Position Overview
The Trucking Competence Specialist reports to the Senior Safety Manager and is tasked to improve, maintain and monitor the professional driving standards of ERF heavy vehicle drivers through structured assessment, coaching and development. The role focuses on:
- Raising operational driving standards
- Ensuring compliance with transport legislation and ERF procedures
- Identifying unsafe behaviours and technical driving weaknesses
- Developing and delivering corrective improvement plans
- Supporting a professional, disciplined and safety-focused driving culture
This is a practical, field-based role centered on driver competence, development and behavioural safety.
2. Key Responsibilities
2.1 Driver Assessment
- Conduct structured on-road and yard-based driver assessments.
- Observe vehicle handling, reversing, loading practices and hazard perception.
- Assess compliance with:
- UAE transport legislation
- Drivers hours and fatigue rules
- Dangerous Goods transport requirements (where applicable)
- ERF operational procedures
- Identify behavioural, technical and compliance gaps.
- Document findings clearly and objectively.
2.2 Coaching & Development
- Deliver one-to-one coaching sessions following assessments.
- Provide practical, vehicle-based training and demonstration.
- Reinforce:
- Defensive driving
- Fuel-efficient driving
- Safe manoeuvring techniques
- Safe loading and defect reporting
- Develop structured Driver Improvement Plans (DIPs) for drivers below standard.
- Conduct follow-up reviews to confirm improvement.
2.3 Technical Vehicle Awareness
- Provide drivers with practical understanding of vehicle systems (e.g., braking, safety systems, vehicle technology).
- Reinforce correct use of safety features and reporting of defects.
- Support improved driver engagement with fleet technology.
2.4 Dangerous Goods & Compliance Support
- Support compliance in ADR / Dangerous Goods transport operations.
- Reinforce safe handling and awareness of DG responsibilities.
- Support incident reviews involving driver performance.
2.5 Incident & Performance Review
- Conduct post-incident driver assessments where required.
- Provide objective feedback contributing to investigations.
- Identify recurring behavioural or skill-based trends.
- Support corrective actions and retraining recommendations.
2.6 Reporting & Documentation
- Maintain accurate driver assessment records.
- Provide summary reports to the Senior Safety Manager.
- Track driver development progress.
- Identify systemic improvement opportunities.
3. Authority
The role has authority to:
- Recommend temporary removal from driving duties pending retraining.
- Recommend formal development or disciplinary processes.
- Recommend refresher training and coaching interventions.
4. Success Measures
- Measurable improvement in driver assessment scores.
- Reduction in driving-related incidents.
- Reduction in compliance breaches.
- Positive driver feedback on coaching effectiveness.
- Improved audit readiness of driver competence records.
5. Key Interfaces:
- Senior Safety Manager
- Trucking Safety Officers
- Trucking Operations Manager
- Fleet Maintenance Team
- Training Department
- Terminal Operations
Desirable qualifications, skills and experience
5. Qualifications & Experience
Essential
- Valid Heavy Vehicle Driving Licence (all classes preferred).
- Minimum 10 years heavy vehicle operational experience.
- Proven experience in driver training or driver assessment.
- Strong knowledge of transport legislation and drivers hours compliance.
- Experience delivering practical vehicle-based training.
- Strong communication and coaching skills.
Highly Desirable
- ADR Licence (Tanks and Packages).
- Experience in UAE and international Heavy Vehicle operations.
- Experience training a multicultural workforce.
6. Personal Attributes
- Professional, disciplined and safety-focused.
- Strong practical driving credibility.
- Calm, fair and objective assessor.
- Approachable coaching style.
- High personal integrity.
- Strong written documentation skills.
