ELB begins 2023 HGV driver search

ELB Partners in Croydon is searching for its next HGV recruits after launching its 2023 driver training scheme.

It is currently accepting applications for its HGV course, which will see the successful candidates train to become fully qualified professional drivers over the course of the year, starting with van driving and working their way up to their Class 1 licence.

The haulier said it is committed to training and fully funding the next generation of lorry drivers to overcome local driver shortages, and has teamed up with EP Training Services to achieve this. It has already trained up three new drivers in the last 12 months.

Peter Eason, MD at ELB Partners, said: “Over the years, we’ve met a lot of would-be HGV drivers with huge potential, but they have been unable to invest in training due to having no guaranteed job. Many firms also require qualified HGV drivers to have at least two years’ experience on the road,

Princes confirms double signing

International food and drink group Princes has established new partnerships with XPO Logistics and Knowles Transport for stock handling and shunting.

Knowles Transport will provide stock management solutions at the group’s warehouses in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, while XPO Logistics has been awarded the contract for Princes’ Bradford warehouse.

Princes’ two warehouses in Cambridgeshire hold stock produced at the group’s Long Sutton and Wisbech sites, and all imported goods. Brands include Branston Baked Beans and Crosse & Blackwell soups.

All three warehouses are under long-term leases and facilitate 90% of Princes Group’s UK stockholding –representing around 180,000 pallets at any given time.

which is a significant barrier for young people who are just starting out in their careers.”

Haulier fined after fatal accident

Heavy haulage contractor GCS Johnson has been fined £140,000 after one of its employees was killed while unloading a trailer.

The Richmond, North Yorkshire-based firm appeared at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on 3 May, where it pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act following the death of Anthony Clark in 2018.

The father of two was helping move a large piece of machinery from one trailer to another at the company’s depot at Barton Quarry industrial estate.

As a team of workers began moving the piece of machinery, it fell from the bed of the vehicle trailer and hit Clark, killing him instantly.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that when the workers were transferring the load for shipment, the machinery was in two parts and the smaller section fell free during the lifting operation.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Julian Franklin said: “The lifting method used was not suitable for a load of that size and shape, and a lifting plan should have been prepared.”