Impressive. Innovative. INTENSIVE! These are all words that have been used to describe UPS Integrad®, the driver training program that combines technology, hands-on experience and real-time feedback to get new driver candidates ready for the road.

The program started three years ago at the first training site in Landover, Md., the result of extensive research on differences in learning style among multiple generations. Based on the retention rate and performance of new drivers who went through the first Integrad facility, UPS opened a second facility this summer just outside Chicago.

I’ve often wondered about what happens after Integrad? To date, more than 1,500 new driver candidates have begun the Integrad training. Where are they now? The very short and simple answer is that most of them have gone back to their home state to become safe and confident drivers. 

I recently had the opportunity to speak with a few graduates right before they started on their fast-paced day. A couple of them were fresh out of the program and the others had been out a year or longer, including one who was recently promoted and now manages a pretty diverse group of drivers – some with 30 years of experience, some with five years and some with as little as two weeks.

Although we couldn’t chat long, it was interesting to hear each driver express how the program provided “real world” experiences impacting their personal driving habits. 

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Here are snippets of their reflections on the Integrad experience: