Discover practical guidance to help your clients manage and reduce fleet- related risks. Sovereign&rsquo;s Risk Management Model Program for Commercial Fleets outlines key steps for effective fleet safety, compliance, and performance.

Risk Management Model Program for Commercial Fleets

Wholesale, Warehousing and Transportation

Safe commercial auto fleets start with safe drivers, and there&rsquo;s good reason fleet managers should make driver training a top priority. Not only can proper training ensure everyone is safe on the road, it can also help protect your bottom line. Other benefits of training may include improved productivity, reduced labour issues, potential for in-house advancement, and regulatory compliance. This is important as on-the-job accidents may result in significant losses, including property damage, legal fees, loss of business from negative publicity, and more.&nbsp; While Mandatory Entry Level Training (MELT) is being implemented throughout Canada (the program is currently in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta), it&rsquo;s geared towards new commercial truck drivers. Kevin Dutchak, Senior Risk Specialist at Sovereign Insurance, notes that even seasoned drivers should have refresher training to reinforce their knowledge and skills, and some drivers may need corrective training if issues arise. Either way, having your own driver training program can help your company proactively manage risk.&nbsp; Components of a driver training program vary depending on the training objectives, but can include in-class presentations; group demonstrations (e.g. defensive driving training in a vehicle such as a van to allow for multiple participants); one-on-one training (e.g. corrective action training); online training; and third-party vendor training, which can provide specialized instruction that may be too costly for a small company to provide on its own.&nbsp; Driver training provides one of the best opportunities to improve the effectiveness of the driver in their role, with the ultimate goal of improving driver safety and performance. To help you get on your way to a safer operation, Kevin provides an overview of how to administer, enforce, and document a driver training program.&nbsp; Administering: Driver trainer programs are typically administered through the safety management function within an organization. Instructors or coaches (either in-house experts or outside instructors) provide training both in class and on the road.&nbsp; A defensive driving class, for example, might start with an in-class session on driver theory and practices, followed by the coach demonstrating those practices on the road. Trainees would then be put to the test and evaluated on how successfully they put defensive driving principles into practice.&nbsp; Other topics in a driver training program might include vehicle inspection, hazard avoidance, winter driving, transportation of dangerous goods, load securement, and hours of service compliance.&nbsp; Tip: Design your training program to be engaging. To keep drivers&rsquo; attention and cater to different learning preferences by offering content in a variety of formats, such as videos, interactive activities, online learning, and hands-on learning.&nbsp; Enforcing: A driver training program doesn&rsquo;t end when the proverbial school bell rings. Once the initial training and testing is done, drivers should be monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure they&rsquo;re still following safety protocols and company procedures.&nbsp; Monitoring tools include random spot checks to see if drivers are doing proper pre-trip inspections; ride-alongs or shadow runs whereby supervisors evaluate drivers on the road; feedback from other drivers in the fleet; and feedback from the public that comes in through unsafe-driver call services.&nbsp; On the high-tech side, telematics systems can use GPS technology, sensors and vehicle data to monitor drivers&rsquo; behaviours. The system collects and transmits a broad range of information including hard braking, speeding and harsh acceleration. This feedback helps you identify at-risk drivers and reinforce the training you provided in the program.&nbsp;&nbsp; Tip: Incentives can help reinforce safe practices. Consider rewarding drivers who receive positive evaluations with incentives such as gift cards, cash bonuses, or merchandise.&nbsp; Documenting: As the saying goes, if you didn&rsquo;t document it, it didn&rsquo;t happen. In the fleet industry, it&rsquo;s critical to document all forms of education, training, and corrective actions, with details on who provided the training, who was trained, what they were trained in, and when it took place.&nbsp; While there are various regulatory requirements around driver training documentation, it&rsquo;s also important from a risk-management perspective. In the event of a loss that goes through litigation, you can help protect your company by being able to show records on the driver&rsquo;s training. The more detailed your documentation, the better.&nbsp; Tip: Have your drivers sign all of the documentation about their training, as well as sign company policies that state they have read, understand and will comply with the policy. While nothing is guaranteed in court, it&rsquo;s better to have your i&rsquo;s dotted and your t&rsquo;s crossed. This also ensures that drivers and their managers are in agreement with what training has taken place and what measures or corrective actions were implemented.&nbsp;Driver training programs are an investment in your people, and being proactive in mitigating risks before they happen helps you build a resilient business. Sovereign Insurance can work with your broker to help you continue to build a culture of safety. Contact your broker to learn more.

How to build, roll-out, and enforce a fleet driver training program

This checklist tracks the periodical mechanical inspections required for your commercial power units and trailers, to help you ensure that critical safety functions have been inspected and managed appropriately. It also keeps a log of the maintenance history of your inspected equipment, so that you can track maintenance/repair trends. To use a digital version of this tool, click the "Download Tool" button above. Once the PDF file is downloaded and opened in Adobe Acrobat Reader, click the "Fill &amp; Sign" button in the right column to start digitally filling the PDF file.

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It&rsquo;s often said that insurance is a relationship business &mdash; a truth that applies as much to employees as it does to clients. Many brokers can recall a conversation when a manager offered encouragement, or a trusted colleague shared career advice. These moments stem from strong connections.&nbsp;
While informal mentorship interactions are valuable, they&rsquo;re often inconsistent and some individuals in the organization miss out entirely.&nbsp;
That&rsquo;s one reason mentorship shouldn&rsquo;t be left to chance. By creating formal mentorship programs, brokerage leaders can ensure everyone has access to support. When done intentionally, mentorship is an impactful tool to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) by creating opportunities for underrepresented talent and supporting career growth.&nbsp;
Mentorship contributes to DEI in several key ways. It offers personalized guidance that helps mentees develop new skills and build confidence. This can be especially beneficial to people from diverse backgrounds who may encounter additional barriers in the workplace. In addition, having role models in senior roles who share similar backgrounds can be inspiring and motivating for mentees. Mentorship also expands professional networks, increasing mentees&rsquo; visibility and opening new opportunities.1
Importantly, mentorship programs can also help organizations mitigate bias. Workplaces often unconsciously favour employees who reflect leadership&rsquo;s background, but mentorship helps to overcome this blind spot.2&nbsp;
<h4>How brokers experience the benefits of mentorship</h4>
Many brokers see the value of mentorship in their own careers. According to Canadian Underwriter&rsquo;s 2025 DEI Survey, sponsored by Sovereign Insurance, 65% of brokers are involved in mentorship (as mentor or mentee).&nbsp;
Among those who have been mentored, 100% say they have benefited from the experience. The top-cited benefits are gaining new skills and knowledge (85%), problem-solving strategies (81%), and perspectives and insights from experienced colleagues (79%). This shows how mentorship not only supports individual growth &mdash; it also transfers valuable knowledge from senior experts to the next generation, strengthening the insurance industry.&nbsp;
Mentees also report gaining personal confidence (70%), motivation and inspiration (64%), and emotional or practical support through challenges (60%).&nbsp;
The survey also highlights the importance of mentorship in talent retention. Nearly one third (31%) of brokers say they have left or considered other employment opportunities because of a lack of mentorship.&nbsp;
<h4>How to bring structure and intention to mentorship&nbsp;</h4>
Whether you&rsquo;re starting from scratch or looking to strengthen informal efforts, here are a few ways to bring structure and intention to your mentorship program.&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Define your goals. Start by identifying what you want the program to achieve for mentees, mentors, and the organization at large. Objectives might include attracting and retaining top talent, increasing engagement, and building leadership skills.3 Then, connect these goals to your DEI strategy. For example, your program might focus on supporting underrepresented or marginalized employees, increasing access to leadership development, or creating more inclusive career pathways. </li>
<li>Establish a clear model and guidelines. Explore the various types of mentoring models &mdash; such as one-on-one, group, and peer-to-peer mentoring &mdash; and choose the approach that best fits your goals. From there, outline the program&rsquo;s structure and guidelines, including who can participate, how mentees and mentors will be matched, roles and responsibilities, as well as program length and time commitment.4 </li>
<li>Invite mentors and mentees. Now it&rsquo;s time to promote your mentorship program and encourage participation. Common tactics include hosting a launch event, sending company-wide communications, and enlisting champions within the organization who serve as program ambassadors.5 Once people have signed up, pair mentors and mentees based on their experiences and areas of interest, as well as your program&rsquo;s goals. </li>
<li>Provide tools and resources. A structured mentorship program should include agendas to ensure productive sessions, discussion topics like career pathing and goal setting, and activities such as job shadowing, networking, or volunteering.6 This helps to create a more consistent experience for everyone and ensures all mentees have access to the same level of quality support. </li>
<li>Gather feedback, evaluate progress, and make adjustments. Regular check-ins during the program will help identify what&rsquo;s working and where adjustments are needed. Once the program ends, more formal feedback, such as surveys, will provide insights on how to make program-wide improvements for the future.7 By continuously refining your mentorship program, you&rsquo;ll ensure it makes a lasting impact on your people, your organization, and the industry, while driving meaningful progress in DEI.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Brokers play a critical role in driving DEI. Through mentorship programs, they can directly influence workplace inclusivity and equity, while also supporting talent development and retention &ndash; all powerful.
When done intentionally, mentorship is an impactful tool to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Sources
1 Divrsity, &ldquo;<a href="https://divrsity.team/blog35-mentoring.html" title="" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Diversity and Inclusion Survey Questions: Mentorship Programs, Mentors and Mentees Mentorship Programs: Nurturing Diversity and Inclusion through Guidance and Support</a>,&rdquo; July 1, 2024.&nbsp; 2 WeVise, &ldquo;<a href="https://wevise.org/2025/04/24/why-mentorship-is-the-missing-link-in-dei-efforts/" title="" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Why mentorship is the missing link in DEI efforts,</a>&rdquo; April 4, 2024.&nbsp; 3,5,7 &nbsp;Together Platform, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.togetherplatform.com/how-to-start-a-mentorship-program" title="" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How to Start a Mentoring Program: A 5-Step Guide (Plus a Free Checklist).</a>&rdquo; 4 &nbsp;SHRM, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/tools/how-to-guides/how-to-build-a-successful-mentorship-program-" title="" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How to Build a Successful Mentorship Program.</a>&rdquo; 6 Cornerstone, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.cornerstoneondemand.com/resources/article/20-great-ideas-work-mentoring-and-coaching/#key-takeaways" title="" target="_blank" rel="noopener">20 Great Ideas for Work Mentoring and Coaching,</a>&rdquo; Dec. 10, 2024.&nbsp;

Mentorship: The underused DEI superpower 

Purpose And Impact

Inclusion sounds ideal on paper: It means employees feel valued, involved, and respected for their ideas, perspectives, and experiences.1 That&rsquo;s a goal every brokerage leader shares for their team.&nbsp; The challenge is that inclusion is easy to champion, but much harder to put into practice. Many brokerages have formal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies in place, but often struggle to turn well-intentioned principles into meaningful, day-to-day experiences. That&rsquo;s where mentorship comes in as a strategic tool to bridge the gap between intent and real-world impact.&nbsp;
Mentorship is widely recognized for its role in career growth, helping mentees develop new skills, build confidence, and expand their professional networks.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.sovereigninsurance.ca/advice-and-tools/hot-topics/mentorship-the-underused-dei-superpower" title="" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See: Mentorship: The underused DEI superpower</a>
While that&rsquo;s important, mentorship&rsquo;s other superpower lies in its ability to create a workplace culture in which DEI values are lived, not just stated. Through mentorship, inclusive workplaces emerge because mentor-mentee relationships create connections, build mutual understanding, and increase representation in leadership &mdash; which ripples across the entire organization.2
Canadian Underwriter&rsquo;s 2025 DEI Survey, sponsored by Sovereign Insurance, highlights the tangible impact mentorship has within brokerages &mdash; beyond gaining new skills. Among brokers who have had mentors, 79% gained perspective and insight from someone with experience, 64% felt motivated and inspired, and 60% gained support through challenges, whether emotional or practical. In addition, nearly half (49%) cited improved communication.&nbsp;
<h4>A people-centric approach</h4>
The findings highlight an important aspect of DEI: Positive culture shifts happen through people, not policies. Mentorship brings inclusion to life &mdash; one relationship at a time &mdash; by fostering trust, empathy, and understanding between mentors and mentees. Over time, this helps create an organization-wide environment where different perspectives are valued and integrated into the culture.3,4
Lisa Fain, CEO of the Center for Mentoring Excellence, has spoken about how powerful mentoring can be in creating inclusive workplaces. In her view, the key lies in learning through relationships.&nbsp;
&ldquo;If we learn together, we grow together, we include one another, and we start to see our differences as assets instead of divides,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Mentoring is an incredible vehicle for mentors and mentees to really move the needle on creating a more inclusive and equitable workforce and society.&rdquo;5
Organizations that embrace mentorship as part of their culture not only foster inclusion, but they also improve retention and create environments where diverse talent can thrive. One of mentorship&rsquo;s biggest strengths is how it connects employees from underrepresented groups to leaders who can champion their growth and help them overcome career obstacles as they rise through the ranks.6 This is especially urgent given that 74% of brokers have left or considered leaving their jobs due to toxic culture, lack of mentorship, and mental health struggles, according to the 2025 DEI survey.&nbsp;
But mentorship isn&rsquo;t a one-way street. Mentors also benefit &mdash; particularly through reverse mentoring, through which junior employees share their perspectives and expertise with more senior colleagues. While this model is commonly used to help senior leaders learn about the latest technologies, reverse mentoring is also a powerful way to support inclusion. It helps teams bridge generational gaps and gives leaders insights into what it&rsquo;s like to work in the organization from a different vantage point.7,8
Mentorship is not just a one-time program &mdash; it&rsquo;s an ongoing connection that supports a long-term inclusive culture. When brokers and leaders model and encourage mentorship, they make DEI a shared cultural norm that drives success for people and the organization alike.&nbsp;
<h4>Five keys to building strong mentorship connections</h4>
Whether you&rsquo;re a mentor or a mentee, meaningful relationships take intention and effort. These key steps will help you get the most out of your mentorship.9
<ol>
<li>Set goals and expectations: Mentees and mentors should establish clear goals about what they want to achieve, whether it&rsquo;s developing a specific skill or becoming a more effective communicator. Set expectations around roles and responsibilities, meeting frequency, and how you&rsquo;ll measure progress and success. </li>
<li>Promote active and empathetic listening: A safe environment is the foundation of a strong mentorship relationship. Be open to sharing experiences, asking questions, and actively listening without judgment. </li>
<li>Provide constructive feedback: Effective feedback helps mentees see what&rsquo;s working, what needs attention, and what steps to take next. Keep it honest but supportive, focus on actions rather than personal traits, and be specific with examples. </li>
<li>Maintain confidentiality and trust: Confidentiality is crucial to a successful mentoring relationship. To build trust, mentors must protect mentees&rsquo; privacy and never share information without their consent. Mentors can also build trust by sharing their own stories, keeping their word, being consistent, and leading by example. </li>
<li>Respect diversity and inclusion: Mentoring offers unique opportunities to learn from each other&rsquo;s diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. Mentors should actively challenge their own assumptions and avoid bias and stereotypes. Both mentors and mentees should stay curious, open-minded, and respectful of different cultures, beliefs, and ways of thinking. This not only builds inclusive relationships, it helps create a truly inclusive culture, one connection at a time.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>

Sources 1 Center for Creative Leadership, &ldquo;<a href="ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/what-is-inclusion-in-the-workplace-a-guide-for-leaders" title="" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What Is Inclusion in the Workplace? A Guide for Leaders,</a>&rdquo; Jan. 23, 2025.&nbsp; 2,3 Mentoring Complete, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.mentoringcomplete.com/mentorship-on-diversity-and-inclusion-initiatives-in-the-workplace/" title="" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Impact of Mentorship on Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives in the Workplace.</a>&rdquo;&nbsp; 4,8 Chartered Banker, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.charteredbanker.com/resource_listing/cpdresources/the-role-of-mentoring-in-cultural-diversity.html" title="" target="">The Role of Mentoring in Cultural Diversity</a>,&rdquo; April 30, 2024.&nbsp; 5 &nbsp;Leading Consciously, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.leadingconsciously.com/blog/mentoring-excellence-how-foster-inclusion-jointly-bridging-differences-144" title="" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mentoring excellence: How to foster inclusion by jointly bridging differences</a>,&rdquo; June 29, 2025&nbsp; 6 Mentessa, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/workplace-mentoring-helps-employees-feel-inclusion-belonging-/" title="" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Workplace Mentoring Helps Employees Feel Inclusion and Belonging,</a>&rdquo; Jan. 10, 2023.&nbsp; 7 Chronus, &ldquo;<a href="https://chronus.com/how-to-use-mentoring-in-your-workplace" title="" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5 Types of Mentoring for the Workplace.</a>&rdquo; 9 LinkedIn, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/how-can-you-create-safe-mentoring-environment-mcoze" title="" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How can you create a safe mentoring environment for your mentee?</a>&rdquo;

Risk Management Model Program for Commercial Fleets

Risk Management Model Program for Commercial Fleets

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