Keeping the driver happy

BEHIND THE WHEEL

DRIVERS • THE UK IS FACING A MAJOR SHORTAGE OF DRIVERS POST-BREXIT BUT, AS MASTERNAUT SAYS, THERE ARE SOME SIMPLE WAYS TO MAKE THE JOB MORE ATTRACTIVE

ACCORDING TO THE latest UK Logistics Confidence Index, published late last year by Barclays and Moore Stephens, more than 60 per cent of UK logistics companies say they have witnesses tougher trading conditions over the past 12 months and expect things to get worse after the UK leaves the EU at the end of March.

One of the key concerns expressed by more than 100 senior executives who took part in the survey was that of driver shortages; one in five logistics operators says they expect a decreased headcount in the next 12 months as EU-native drivers leave the UK and older drivers retire.

“The reality is that there is simply not enough new talent coming into the sector early enough to counter an ageing workforce and one of the main challenges in attracting recruits has been the perception that the industry lacks significant career opportunities,” says Mike Hemming, director of Catalytix at Masternaut.

One of the key ways of overcoming these challenges is to ensure that logistics companies work to create positions for drivers, which will allow them to remain safe, motivated, conscientious and most importantly happy. Masternaut, one of the longest standing vehicle tracking companies in the UK, offers a unique combination of technical expertise, simple user experience and consulting services that will help logistics operators not only manage a fleet of vehicles effectively but also ensure the wellbeing and development of their workforce.

KEEP THEM HAPPY “Happy drivers will be long-standing members of your team so it is important to ensure that you are doing everything you can to ensure their personal wellbeing as well as job satisfaction,” Hemming says. “People are more likely to change their behaviour in a positive sense when they receive immediate rather than delayed feedback and Masternaut’s in-cab coaching device provides drivers with instant feedback on their driving performance when it detects wasteful and dangerous driving.

“Further to this, in a bid to reduce administration and improve efficiency for fleet drivers, our Smarter Driver app has been upgraded to allow drivers to carry out vehicle checks completely electronically.”

The daily walkaround check of a vehicle every time it is used has historically been a paper-heavy process for drivers and managers, involving filling in a form to assess condition and highlight damage. The new app allows drivers to run through a 20-point checklist on their smartphone, swiping right if an item is in good order or left if there is an issue to report.

“Recruiting is always a challenge as well as a time of uncertainty for any company but trailing new drivers with the support of Masternaut can be a lot less stressful than simply recruiting blindly,” Hemming continues. “Companies can place their new recruits on a three-month probation and carefully monitor their driving behaviour before making a decision to employ them permanently.

“Our non-intrusive CAN bus vehicle tracking device can read data straight from the vehicle’s computer so you can get the data you need, including fuel consumption and mileage, track speed, acceleration and braking as well as identify over-revving and idling.”

At the end of the day, logistics companies are the same as any other business in the respect that they always need to watch the bottom line and someone must always be held accountable when it comes to managing budget versus resource. “Masternaut offers a unique combination of industry-leading fleet management systems that allow companies to gain an unparalleled level of insight into their business, thus empowering them to make strategic decisions about when and where to recruit,” says Hemming. HCB www.masternaut.com