UPS uses VR to enhance driver training

Operating a parcel delivery van can be a dangerous job, requiring drivers to weave between parked cars, navigate narrow roads, and negotiate heavy traffic. But what if you could master all those challenges before ever pulling your vehicle out of the lot?

That’s not a hypothetical question for the package delivery drivers at UPS Inc., who can now practice running their routes in the digital world before hitting the pavement. The company announced in March that it had rolled out 20 additional driving and delivery simulators across the country, nearly doubling the number of driving simulators in UPS facilities since it launched the program in 2020.

The company spent more than $343 million on safety training courses in 2022, helping more than 20,000 drivers learn the best way to deal with pedestrians, parked cars, and oncoming traffic.

UPS employs more than 100,000 drivers in total and teaches them safe habits at its “Integrad” dedicated driver training schools. In addition to receiving hands-on driving and instructor-led classroom training, students at the schools use virtual reality (VR) to access an industrial training environment where they use a UPS driving simulator that provides realistic driving experiences before they get behind the wheel of an actual truck.

“Safe driving is no accident. Our drivers have a passion for safety that is built on a foundation of best-in-class training programs,” Executive Vice President and President U.S. Nando Cesarone said in a release. “The most important stop for our drivers is when they return home safely after work.”