MAP READING ESSENTIALS
for Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers
Using a Motor Carriers' Road Atlas to Efficiently Plan a Trip
Program Brief
Purpose
This e-learning course shows commercial drivers how to use a motor carriers' road atlas and demonstrates why doing so is an essential part of the trip planning process. Like many of the other courses also offered as part of L-3's Driver Training Program, it is aimed at increasing safety on our roadways and cutting carrier costs.
Role
Senior Instructional Designer collaborating with a subject matter expert, a graphic artist, and a programmer
Tools
e-Learning authoring software, Adobe Photoshop
Clients
Schneider National, United Rentals, National Freight Industries
Audience
Drivers of commercial motor vehicles including tractor-trailer trucks and other types of delivery vehicles
On impact with a low clearance bridge,
this truck's roof was peeled off
like the lid of a can being opened.
Collisions with Can Opener Bridges
Unfortunately, this type of accident is all too common. One commercial motor carrier, for example, indicated that 50% of employee accidents are caused by striking low clearance bridges. Likewise, other trucking companies also consider this a major problem.
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Some of these bridges are even notorious for being struck over and over again - so much so that residents from towns across the nation use the nickname "The Can Opener Bridge" to reference such ornery structures of their own.
The Can Opener Bridge----and more importantly, empathy for those who have hit similar, unforgiving bridges---inspired me to conceive, design, and in part construct an educational game to address this costly issue.
Screen Prints of Can Opener Bridge Game
Can Opener Bridge Game
I conceptualized and designed The Ornery Can Opener Bridge Game - screen prints of which are featured above. During the process, I created concept sketches, formulated game rules and mechanics, and mapped lesson content to feedback (both visual and text). Many of the graphics shown in the screen prints, I rendered as well.
The game was designed to heighten driver awareness of accidents involving low clearance bridges. Feedback sheds light on why these collisions occur. It also corrects common misconceptions that influence faulty decision making and contribute to harmful behavior leading to such crashes.
By design, no lesson content is provided prior to the game. Trainees learn by doing, by making mistakes. From those mistakes, learners experience the simulated consequences of their decisions and receive corrective and constructive feedback. (The game is not an assessment, but rather the vehicle by which lesson content for a particular section is served.)
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Throughout the game, I reiterated the can opener metaphor. Its unique and quirky nature creates an indelible impression and helps cement the lessons learned in participants' minds. I also chose to use realistic visuals as research shows they have the power to resonate more deeply with learners, evoke an emotional reaction, and create a lasting impact.
Storyboard
An essential skill often overlooked in an age of GPS devices, the ability to read a map is fundamental to a successful career as a professional driver. Although map reading may seem like an obsolete skill, getting from point A to point B isn't simply a matter of entering an address into a navigation system - at least not for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers.
CMV drivers are ultimately responsible for using the most direct, legal route to deliver goods on time. This requires planning out the route on paper, using a motor carrier's road atlas.
During the process, numerous factors must be considered such as designated routes for the size and weight of one's vehicle, state access policies, low-clearance locations, restricted routes, mileage calculation tools, and more.
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Chock full of valuable information, this e-learning course walks learners through the steps for efficiently planning a trip to get the freight where it needs to be, when it needs to be there.
Video Samples
Course Introduction
The Interstate Highway System
Interstate Numbering Patterns:
One- and Two-Digit Route Numbers
Identifying a Direct Route
Quick Reference Guide Samples
East-West Route Numbers
