Smith System launched a new digital platform for its Smith System Certified Trainer Program, called Trainer Center.

Trainer Center gives fleets a way to run trainer-led safety programs with more consistency, visibility, and proof of impact, without adding administrative burden, according to the company.

Last October, Smith System acquired Utilimarc, a Minneapolis-based developer and provider of fleet analytics and benchmarking systems.

Smith5Keys and Certified Trainers

For more than 70 years, fleets have adopted the Smith5Keys as a foundation of driver safety and risk management programs. The Certified Trainer Program allows fleets to certify internal instructors to teach the Smith5Keys principles and embed them into day-to-day safety culture.

The new Trainer Center makes that program easier to run, easier to expand, and far more measurable, according to the company, by moving beyond one-time training events and bringing the entire training lifecycle into a unified system.

“Fleets don’t struggle with commitment to safety — they struggle with running safety programs at scale with consistent execution and real visibility,” said Derek Dunaway, CEO of Smith System. 

“Trainer Center is the missing operating layer that turns trainer-led instruction into a connected system — capturing assessments, producing Smith5Keys-based driver scorecards, and creating the insights safety leaders need to coach proactively and reduce risk over time.”

A Way to Elevate Trainer-Led Driver Safety Programs

Trainer Center supports the full lifecycle of trainer-led driver safety programs in a centralized environment, including scheduling, rosters, training documentation, content assignment, and program reporting.

A key capability of Trainer Center is the digitization of driver assessments. 

Trainers can capture real-time observations through customizable digital forms, with results automatically generating each driver’s Smith5Keys scorecard and coaching inputs. This delivers faster feedback, stronger accountability, and more consistent driver coaching.

Understanding the Effects of the Smith System Training on Drivers

Trainer Center helps fleets move from simply documenting that training occurred to clearly understanding how driver performance improved. 

With dashboards and reporting that track activity, trends, and indicators by driver, location, or fleet, safety leaders gain visibility into where risk is emerging and where coaching and reinforcement will have the greatest impact.

The platform also provides a foundation for integrating broader Driver Risk Management workflows into one environment with the Smith5Keys at the core, including telematics data, prescriptive coaching, and continuous training assignments.

“This is not about replacing trainers. It’s about enabling them,” Dunaway said. 

“Great trainers create behavior change. Trainer Center gives them the tools to run programs more efficiently, document them consistently, and clearly demonstrate results.”

About Smith System

Founded in 1952, Smith System delivers a combination of in-person instruction, digital training, analytics, and mobile-first tools to help fleets reduce collisions, lower operating costs, and build a culture of safety.