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About

Our Mission:

To save lives by being a world leader in innovative and relevant training products and services that prevent workplace driving incidents.

Our Story

At Thinking Driver, our journey began with a simple yet powerful goal: to ensure that every worker makes it home safely at the end of the day. Founded with a deep commitment to enhancing driver safety, we saw the pressing need to reduce preventable incidents and elevate safety programs across organizations.

From the start, we recognized that traditional driver training methods were not enough. That’s why we pioneered a comprehensive approach that combines eLearning with expert consulting. By leveraging technology and industry insights, we developed media-rich, engaging courses that not only educate but also inspire drivers to adopt safer habits.

Our mission is to support organizations where driving is an integral part of their operations. We partner with companies to tailor our programs to their specific needs, ensuring that every driver is equipped with the knowledge, skills, and, most importantly, the right attitude for safe driving.

Through our dedication and innovative approach, Thinking Driver has become a trusted leader in driver safety education. We continue to strive towards a future where every journey is a safe one, helping organizations protect their most valuable asset— their people.

Spencer McDonald the President of Thinking Driver

About Spencer McDonald

Spencer McDonald is the President of Thinking Driver. He founded the company in 2001 after serving as the Supervising Chief Instructor for the National Defensive Driving Course and Program Manager at the Regional Safety Council. From 1997 to 2001, Spencer worked in government licensing on the Graduated Licensing Project, where he authored the GLP Instructor Course and trained instructor-trainers to deliver this course across his jurisdiction. He also led the development and delivery of examiner training, developed policies, and edited the DMV Licensing Operations Manual.

Recently, Spencer played a key role in rolling out the heavy truck Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) program for instructor training. His career in road safety spans over 40 years, earning him a Federal Government Award of Achievement for his significant and enduring improvements to road safety, and the Society of Safety Engineering Award of Excellence for his contributions to driver safety in the workplace.

Our Core Values

RESPECT

We conduct ourselves and our business dealings with respect for our customers, colleagues and each other as individuals and a team.

INTEGRITY

We commit to honesty and ethical execution of our business in every way.

EXCELLENCE

We are committed to deliver the very best quality and value in all training programs, services and products.

APPRECIATION

We express sincere appreciation and gratitude for the opportunities that our customers provide us and to each other for the support and camaraderie that we enjoy as a team.

FUN

We believe that bringing fun into every learning situation enhances our students’ learning and having fun while delivering our services is crucial in maintaining our high standards.

Five Fundamentals

Improve your fleet’s performance and safety with our Five Fundamentals, a strategic framework for training drivers in advanced defensive driving techniques.

Think and Look Ahead

Good vision is a learned skill. Where are you looking? What do you see? How can you use your vision to anticipate potential hazards up ahead?

Think and Look Ahead

Anticipate Hazards

Are you using your vision to anticipate the actions of other road users? Navigate potential obstructions ahead? What are the road sings telling you? What are the potential hazards inherent to road manoeuvres such as lane changes, entrance and exit ramps, and environmental conditions?

Anticipate Hazards

Keep Your Options Open

How are you using the space around your vehicle to provide yourself with an out?

Keep Your Options Open

Manage the Risk

A preventable incident is one where you failed to do everything reasonable to prevent it. What reasonable steps can you take to minimize risk when you get behind the wheel? What are the personal factors at work that may affect your level of risk tolerance each time you drive?

Manage the Risk

Control with Finesse

Good vehicle safety starts with smooth balanced control. Balanced manoeuvring maintains traction and stability and keeps your vehicle on the road. Learn the techniques that will make you a smooth, controlled operator.

Control with Finesse

It's All About Attitude

Reduce Risky Driving in your fleet by shifting attitudinal gears!

Manage frustration, minimize stress, and control anger that can lead to road rage, increased vehicle incidents and repair costs, and lost employee hours.

Our internationally recognized program addresses driver attitudes effectively and respectfully by utilizing advanced psychological and counselling techniques to change the way drivers see the actions of others and develop more effective responses. This course is fully interactive with drivers reflecting and self-assessing on challenges and solutions based on personal motivations. Anger management tools are a key component of the course content as drivers learn to take responsibility for their emotional reactions while driving, choose positive actions to avoid confrontation, and stay safe and out of harm’s way.

To Canada

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