FROM THE OFFICE OF
WWW.EXPORTANDFREIGHT.COM
Peter Morrow FORS Manager – Northern Ireland.
TRAINING IS THE KEY TO STAFF RETENTION AND FLEET EFFICIENCY The commercial vehicle driver shortage across the UK is unprecedented, adding yet more strain to already stretched hauliers as we enter the busiest quarter of the year ahead of Christmas. The package of measures announced by the UK Government in late September involved temporary visas and £10 million towards skills bootcamps to train an additional 3,000 HGV drivers. However, the success of these short-term measures will take some time to be realised and many operators will still have vacancies this winter. As FORS members are all too well aware, HGV drivers are highly skilled operatives who receive regular professional training in driving safely and efficiently. The return on this investment in training for operators is staff retention, and an engaged driving workforce. So, while the hunt for new drivers must be a priority, investment in the existing driving workforce must not be forgotten if operators wish to improve staff retention. Even when schedules are stretched this winter, it is vital that those drivers still in the profession have every reason to stay. FORS has always been a proponent of robust training as a means to embed best practice and
upskill drivers. Training is built in to all three levels of the progressive FORS model and providing those who drive as part of their job with the knowledge they need to action these safety practices plays a big part in how FORS works. At each step of the FORS journey, there are driver training requirements in place which seek to make sure job-specific tasks are completed as safely as possible, with learning ranging from understanding how to drive in busy urban environments and improving safety for vulnerable road users, to understanding potential threats from terrorism. FORS now has over 4,900 members across the UK, and each member is required to get drivers of all vehicle types, including HGV drivers, to undertake specific training. FORS Professional driver training courses arm drivers with the skills they need to minimise carbon emissions in urban environments during their everyday routes. Drivers are taught how to reduce fuel usage, while reinforcing safety practices to help mitigate work related road risk.
The FORS Professional LoCITY Driving course shows HGV drivers how to avoid engine idling, one of the biggest contributors to urban pollution, and how to avoid congestion. This also provides a financial benefit to the operator by helping them to save fuel. Such professional development for drivers plays a really key role in ensuring that driving staff are engaged in their job. While releasing drivers for training is very tough on schedules in the current economic climate, investing in their professional development will pay off for operations in the longer term, with drivers who feel valued in their role more likely to remain in position. In fact, part of the FORS requirements at Gold, the highest level of accreditation, is to actively attract, recruit and retain drivers, in order to ensure a sustainable fleet operation and help position the transport and logistics sector as a profession of choice. Investment in frequent role-specific driver training is investment in your business – a business which relies on its driving staff to survive. FORS training seeks to deliver the reallife working tools which will help keep drivers engaged and driving as safely and efficiently as possible for the good of all road users.
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