ARLINGTON, Texas — Smith System, a global provider of driver risk management solutions, has launched a new digital platform to modernize how fleets manage and scale driver safety training.
The platform, called Trainer Center, is designed to digitize behind-the-wheel assessments, generate Smith5Keys driver scorecards, and connect training activities to broader risk management programs.
Smith System CEO Derek Dunaway said the platform responds to long-standing challenges faced by safety professionals.
“Safety programs are hard to manage,” Dunaway said. “What the trainer center does is it makes the trainer’s life a lot easier by digitizing and capturing the training information.”
Creating ongoing programs
Trainer Center supports the full lifecycle of trainer-led programs, including scheduling, rosters, documentation, and reporting, all aligned with the Smith5Keys methodology. Trainers can use digital forms to capture real-time observations, with results automatically producing scorecards and coaching insights for drivers.
The goal, Dunaway said, is to move beyond one-time training events and provide fleets with measurable, ongoing safety programs.
“One of the most valuable things we can do is just give people time back in their day,” he said.
Founded in 1952, Smith System provides driver safety training for corporate fleets across the United States and internationally.
The company’s core training framework is built around the Smith5Keys, a set of behavior-based driving principles developed by founder Harold Smith. The five keys are aiming high in steering, getting the big picture, keeping eyes moving, leave yourselfan out, and making sure they see you.
“It’s really predicated on driver behavior,” Dunaway said. “It’s about situational awareness. It’s about space cushioning.”
Building the fundamentals of safety
Smith System reports that more than 20,000 certified trainers operate in corporate fleets worldwide, collectively training about 400,000 drivers annually.
Dunaway said the Trainer Center also supports integration with broader safety technologies such as telematics and in-vehicle cameras, but emphasized that technology alone does not solve safety problems.
“The sad thing is they haven’t really reduced incidents on the road,” he said. “Technology can tell you what you did wrong, but it can’t necessarily tell you why.”
He added that while data and automation are valuable, driver education remains fundamental.
“Safety is not an event. It’s a practice,” Dunaway said. “The technology doesn’t really replace the fundamentals of being a good driver.”
Trainer Center is designed to help safety leaders track performance trends, identify emerging risks, and provide consistent coaching across large fleets.
“This is not about replacing trainers—it’s about enabling them,” Dunaway said. “Great trainers create behavior change.”
Images courtesy of Smith System
