UPS
UPS, pictured October 24, 2014, won't allow new drivers to drive company trucks until the pass the VR training course. Getty Images

UPS announced Tuesday its plans to incorporate virtual reality (VR) technology into its training program for new drivers, according to CNN. New drivers will reportedly not be allowed to step foot behind the wheel until they can successfully pass.

VR will help to provide drivers with a more realistic training experience by allowing trainees the ability to drive the company's 10,000-pound truck through advanced technology. Trainees will understand how to maneuver in UPS trucks on city streets as they learn how to spot road hazards. The tests are slated to last roughly three to six minutes.

UPS shared a video about its training program to the company's YouTube page, which was also promoted through UPS' Twitter account. The package delivery company claims its method will use VR technology to help enhance driver safety.

The video's caption explains that UPS has decided to push the use of VR in its training program because the company wants to use "the latest and best technology to protect its on-road employees and the communities they serve."

"The headset is realistic down to the finest details. We're using #virtualreality to teach driver safety training," UPS said in a tweet Tuesday.

A UPS representative issued a statement to International Business times Tuesday about this newly implemented company policy from Laura Collings, who serves as a training and development manager for the company.

"UPS is completely committed to driver safety. We have been for more than 100 years," Collings said. "That's why we use the best and latest technology to ensure the best training for our drivers. Our goal is to have the safest drivers on the road."

Collins added, "VR headsets will replace the touchscreen devices we currently use to teach student drivers about road hazards. VR is far more realistic, engaging and memorable. This technology is a big step forward in driver safety. We are studying applications for Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in other types of training as well as for use in our operation."

The VR program will be executed at all nine of UPS Integrad training facilities in the United States. UPS Intergrad has training facilities located in Atlanta, Georgia and West Boylston, Massachusetts, among seven other cities nationwide.

UPS recognized they needed to enhance its training program to engage new employees, especially those in younger age demographics. The UPS Integrad fact sheet reads, "We realized that we needed to make an adjustment when our younger drivers began needing significantly more time to become proficient in the required skills, and more of them were leaving the company during their initial training period."

"The VR rollout to the nine UPS Integrad locations starts in September. It won't be all at once. But it will be pretty fast. It may take a couple of months," Kyle Peterson, a press representative for UPS, told IBT Tuesday.

UPS isn't the only company that is using VR technology to train its employees. According to Business Insider, multinational retailer Walmart announced in June that it will begin to use VR headsets to prepare employees across the US for the job. Walmart, who launched its first training academy in 2016, reportedly plans to implement this training practice by the end of the year.

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