Sharp ■ Informed ■ Challenging
23.9.19
NEWS INSIDE Expansion plans
Nolan Group eyes double deal p3
Profit fall
ESL reveals takeover bid
Bye bye logistics
BFL divestment imminent
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p8
OPERATORS INSIDE Best Food Logistics (BFL) ............................... p8 DHL Supply Chain .......................................... p4 Eddie Stobart Logistics .................................. p4 John Raymond Transport ............................... p3 Nolan Group .................................................. p3 PCL Transport................................................ p8 TT Express Group........................................... p3 XPO Logistics ................................................ p8
SPECIAL DELIVERY: Scania (GB) has launched a special edition truck to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its V8 engine. The limited run of 25 S-series Highline tractor units will be available in 2-axle or 3-axle versions and will be individually numbered. In addition to the usual V8 package, they will incorporate a range of unique features including a distinctive livery in a choice of three different anniversary colours – ruby red, arctic silver and sapphire blue – anniversary logos on the rear mudflaps and wheel hubs, and exclusive puddle lamps. The entire special edition run has already sold out.
DVSA declining to develop the technology required and says results do not justify the expense
Roadside smart tacho checks too costly EXCLUSIVE By Carol Millett
A move to cut thousands of hours of unnecessary HGV roadside spot checks could be delayed by years after the DVSA declined to invest in the technology needed to read smart tachograph data. Under new EU regulations, operators are mandated to ensure all new trucks are fitted with smart tachographs from 15 June this year. Unlike digital tachographs, smart tachographs can communicate remotely with roadside enforcement officers, allowing them to remotely check tachograph data without stopping the vehicle. This could cut unnecessary roadside checks by thousands of hours. Last year, the DVSA performed 89,568 drivers’ hours checks and issued 4,759 prohibitions. However, the DVSA is declining to develop the technology required to remotely monitor that data, arguing the results do not justify the expense at present. Under the regulations the agency does not have to roll out the technology until 2034. DVSA head of enforcement
FTA head of licensing and compliance James Firth said: “The regulations allow enforcement agencies another 15 years to install this technology, so no one is in a hurry to do that. “However, the technology is not entirely wasted, as smart tachographs are more secure and its global positioning data and third speed trace will help officers better detect cabotage and driver hours infringements.” policy Gordon MacDonald told MT this week: “Our enforcement staff already have a number of tools to effectively target tachograph manipulation and drivers’ hours offences. These tools mean it’s not effective or proportionate to invest large sums in developing the technology needed to communicate with smart tachographs from the roadside for enforcement purposes. He added: “The technology will remain under consideration as smart tachographs enter more common usage.” RHA head of licensing and infrastructure policy Tom Cotton
said the DVSA’s decision was “extremely disappointing”. He added: “Our members have invested in this technology to become compliant with these new regulations, so why is the DVSA not prepared to show the same commitment?” Referring to a series of recent IT problems at the DVSA that prevented hauliers from paying their vehicle excise duty and uploading Driver CPC records, Cotton added: “Clearly the DVSA needs to invest much more in their technology rather than relying on outdated systems.”
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Irish haulier to snap up Birmingham operator and supply chain business as UK growth continues
Nolan Group eyes double deal By Carol Millett
Irish haulier Nolan Group is poised to buy a Birmingham-based haulier and a supply chain business as it moves to further expand in the UK. Both unnamed acquisitions will be overseen by the management team of Nolan Group subsidiary John Raymond Transport. It bought the Bridgend-based haulier in September 2016. Speaking to MT, director Oliver Nolan said: “We are looking at buying a haulage and warehousing business in the Birmingham area plus a supply chain business, but I cannot disclose the location of that yet. “We’re growing our footprint in Britain and for that you need the transport, the sheds and the systems.� He said the Birmingham firm would give the group access to smart warehousing while the supply chain company offered
“customs capabilities�, adding that both acquisitions will help the group weather the impact of Brexit. Nolan said John Raymond Transport, which recently published its latest annual results to 30 June 2018, had made “great
progress� since its acquisition. Despite a 9% fall in turnover in the period to £15.8m (2017: £17.4m), pre-tax profit rose to £109,965 (£89,112). Nolan said profits had been hit by the demise of sister company
John Raymond (Northwest) in March this year, resulting in an exceptional cost of ÂŁ265,331. Nolan said he regretted the purchase of John Raymond (Northwest), which Nolan Group bought in September 2017 from TT Express Group and dissolved in March. He declined to detail the problems leading to its closure, but admitted: “That was a learning curve for us. “However, John Raymond Transport is a success story. It has a healthy balance sheet, we’ve put in a lot of investment with a lot more to come, including more new trucks. We have 120 trucks and 300 trailers now and the business now owns all its equipment. We’ve also won a number of new contracts.â€? Nolan added that the subsidiary, which specialises in FMCG, construction products and packaging, is set to break into the steel transportation sector.
Keeping you Compliant
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23.9.19
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Adverse performance against ambitious budget blamed for shortfall
ESL warns of profit fall By Tim Wallace
Eddie Stobart Logistics (ESL) has warned that 2019 profit will be “significantly below the board’s expectations”. In a trading update to investors, it confirmed it had received a takeover bid from one of its shareholders, Dbay Advisors. Last month, ESL suspended shares on the AIM market and announced the departure of CEO Alex Laffey after it failed to publish its half-year results in time. The company said it expected revenue for the first half of the year to be approximately £450m and underlying EBIT for the same period to be approximately £10m. Net debt at 31 May is expected to be approximately £155m. The board attributed the downturn to “an adverse performance against an ambitious budget alongside delays in the implementation of operational efficiencies”. Other contributing factors included “provisions made against customer recoveries, a significant proportion of which relate to underperforming contracts, and delays on a significant property consultancy project and lower than planned property utilisation”. ESL confirmed it is considering all strategic options – including the potential for raising new equity – and is engaging with lenders. The group’s senior management team, led by new CEO Sebastien Desreumaux, has begun
a review of the group’s operations with a view to improving operating margins and its overall financial performance, taking into account market conditions. The management team stressed it is focused on “continuing to deliver excellent customer service and commitment, while simultaneously prioritising cash generation in the business. Actions to strengthen internal processes are under way and steps to improve cash collection have been taken”. However, set-up activities following contract wins, particularly in logistics, have placed substantial demands on the group’s working capital as it claimed customer payment terms can be longer than
payment terms associated with its principal delivery activities. In addition, the balance sheet position of the group has been further affected by the reduction in EBIT, poor cash collection and its historical dividend policy. The company is therefore relying more heavily on its available debt facilities, it explained, so group net debt has increased. The statement concluded: “ESL has seen significant growth in its operational capabilities over the past two years and remains confident in the strength of the company’s network and operational capabilities in providing a full end-to-end supply chain solution to our customers.”
DHL puts Volvo FHs in to service DHL Supply Chain, part of Deutsche Post DHL Group, has marked a strategic partnership with Volvo Trucks by taking delivery of the first of 700 new Volvo vehicles, including 550 FH tractor units. Part of a £90m investment in its UK fleet announced last month, the vehicles meet EU Step D fuel efficiency legislation while offering driver fuel efficiency aid packages and the latest Volvo I-See predictive cruise control using mapbased technology. Following an initial tender, Volvo was chosen for the quality of its products, as well as a commitment to deliver comprehensive benefits throughout fleet’s life, including dedicated account management, driver support and regular vehicle reviews to ensure maximum fuel efficiency continues to be delivered. DHL Supply Chain UKI CEO José Nava said: “This marks the next step in our commitment to reduce all logistics-related emissions to net-zero by 2050. Despite uncertain economic conditions, customer demand remains strong so we are continuing to invest in our business and people. Our partnership with Volvo will deliver significant added value to our customers and drivers. The vehicles will improve our operational efficiency and reduce our carbon emissions as we support the development of our customers’ supply chains.”
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23.9.19
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Parent group Bidcorp continues divestment of UK logistics activities
Best Food Logistics sale likely in weeks By Carol Millett
A new buyer has emerged for Best Food Logistics (BFL) with a sale expected to be completed within weeks, according to parent group Bidcorp. The sale comes despite BFL returning to profit after winning back the entirety of its KFC distribution deal earlier this year, which it lost to DHL in 2017. The company, formerly known as Bidvest, also boosted its portfolio last month after landing a major long-term supply deal with Pizza Hut. Selling BFL is part of Bidcorp’s wider strategy to divest its UK logistics activities, which saw it sell UK subsidiary PCL Transport to Arla Foods in April. An earlier attempt by the South African food services giant to sell BFL hit the buffers in September last year after the potential buyer pulled out of the deal.
The subsidiary, which has an O-licence for more than 540 trucks and 140 trailers, has its headquarters in Royton, Oldham, and depots in Banbury, Taunton, Hoddesdon and Larbert in Scotland. Announcing the company’s annual results to 30 June 2019, Bidcorp group chief executive Bernard Berson did not identify the buyer, but said: “Negotiations for the sale are progressing. We remain hopeful that we will conclude that in the next month or two. “We are optimistic that the
EXPERTLY DONE: Electrical retailer AO is continuing to expand its logistics service after winning a deal with Aldi to provide large-item home deliveries. The three-year partnership will see AO’s logistics subsidiary Expert Logistics support Aldi’s Specialbuys service, which is set to offer larger online purchases, such as furniture and sports equipment, requiring two-person delivery teams.
8 MotorTransport
distraction of dealing with the discontinued operations will be behind us into financial year 2020, enabling the group to be fully focused on its core food service markets.” Bidcorp’s strategic report on the company results revealed that BFLs’ performance had continued to improve in the second half of this year. It said: “Service levels are significantly better and customer pricing has been substantially increased and a much-improved financial result is expected in the financial year 2020.” The report said the sale of PCL to Arla Foods had resulted in “significant further costs associated with the exit being incurred in the second half, particularly vehicle fleet disposal costs”. A warehousing contract is also “in the process of disposal”, the report revealed.
Expert Logistics, which has an O-licence for approximately 290 trucks and 230 trailers, has a central hub in Crewe and nine depots in Larkhall, Garforth, Spennymoor, Potters Bar, Croydon, Avonmouth, Exeter and Yaxley. This latest deal supports AO’s drive to expand Expert Logistics’ customer base to other retailers, which include Boots and Argos. David Barter, MD of national IT at Aldi, said:
XPO Logistics gets ready for outdoors XPO Logistics has clinched a deal with JD Sports to consolidate the retailer’s UK warehousing, transport and e-commerce supply chain operations for its outdoor brands. XPO will combine Go Outdoors’ stock distribution with other JD Sports brands, including Blacks, Millets and Ultimate Outdoors. It will set up a 353,000sq ft distribution hub at Go Outdoors’ DC in Middlewich, Cheshire. Go Outdoors, which was bought by JD Sports in 2016, signed a fiveyear lease on the site in 2018. The hub will consolidate three warehouse operations at Rochdale, West Hallam and Swadlincote and integrate the branded direct-tostore supply chain. All deliveries and e-commerce support will be managed as a multi-channel solution. Distribution will be consolidated into a dedicated delivery network with in-cab technology providing real-time reporting. The fleet will distribute replenishment stock, deliver e-commerce click-and-collect orders to more than 300 Outdoor Division stores, and support e-commerce fulfillment across all Outdoor brands.
“There’s no better stamp of approval than other retailers, such as Aldi, wanting to partner with us to help them deliver exceptional service to customers. “Our online Specialbuys are going from strength to strength, and this partnership with AO will allow us to offer customers more options for our larger products that require home deliveries.”
23.9.19
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Trio of councils suggest tough charges for Newcastle CAZ
Fog on the Tyne? That’s a £50 fine.. Three Tyneside councils are to vote this month on clean air zone (CAZ) proposals that will see older HGVs and vans pay a daily charge to enter Newcastle city centre. The proposed charge, which will take effect from 2021, will be £50 for pre-Euro-6 lorries and £12.50 for older vans. Buses, coaches, taxis and private hire vehicles also face daily fees. Cars have been excluded from any charges at this stage, but the council does not rule out including them at a later date. The CAZ proposals form part of a wider
package of measures designed to improve air quality in the shortest possible time. These plans have been developed by Newcastle, Gateshead and North Tyneside councils following public consultation feedback, which highlighted concerns about the potential impact of charges in the first year on individuals, businesses and the local economy. In addition to the city centre CAZ, other measures include: road layout changes to ease congestion, including lane restrictions to improve air quality; new delivery hubs for smaller goods vehicles outside of the charging zone from where last-mile deliveries can be made by electric vans or cargo bikes; and consideration of providing grants, sunset periods and charge exemptions for certain vehicles. The RHA has criticised the plans. Its spokesman for environment and regulation, Chris Ashley, said: “Hitting firms with £50 daily charges would spell disaster for many small operators struggling on paper-thin margins. Many hauliers will see this plan as nothing more than an opportunity to impose a stealth tax on their businesses.” If approved by the three councils, a further consultation will run for six weeks on the proposals and a final business case submitted to government by the end of the year.
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Operators affected by the Birmingham Clean Air Zone (CAZ) are invited to a free half-day event, hosted by Motor Transport in partnership with the city council, to learn about the scheme's progress and get advice on compliance. The roadshow, taking place on 10 October at Villa Park Stadium, will hear from Birmingham City Council about the city’s CAZ launch plans, while a council-led workshop to help delegates understand funding options for CV operators will form a key part of the day. This will be followed by a series of talks including speakers from UPS, HJS Emission Technology, Dawsongroup and Element Energy. Visitors will be able to take a tour of the UK’s first low- and zero-carbon refuelling station at Tyseley Energy Park, which will include hydrogen, compressed natural gas, biodiesel and electrical charging options. Delegates are also invited to take a tour of the new refuelling hub after the morning’s conference session. ■ To book your place and register, go to: motortransport.co.uk/clean-airroadshow-birmingham-2019/ 23.9.19
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The height of stupidity Operators responsible for rail bridge strikes may soon find their O-licence at risk unless they have robust driver management plans in place, explains lawyer James Backhouse Collisions between large vehicles and railway bridges occur five times a day, according to Network Rail statistics. These bridge strikes are an issue the Office of the Traffic Commissioner has begun to clamp down upon, as each strike could cause train derailment, serious injury or death on the line. Often, such strikes are caused by a driver misjudging the height of the bridge in relation to their vehicle. Such strikes are costly for the operator, who will likely find themselves paying out for an examination of the bridge, an inspection of the road infrastructure and the actual repair work required for both the bridge and road surface, in addition to vehicle and load recovery. They may also find themselves liable for any costs caused by train delay, although this is subject to the location of the bridge, the usage of the line and the length of disruption. Operators may be insured against such incidents, but there is likely to
be an increase in premiums as a result of a bridge strike. In light of this, there is a new approach to bridge strikes. Network Rail is identifying the operators of colliding vehicles and notifying the Office of the Traffic Commissioner. An explanation will be sought from the operator in question and where they fail to account satisfactorily for bridge strikes they may find themselves facing a public inquiry. TCs are forming the view that a bridge strike can affect the
‘repute’ or ‘fitness’ requirements of O-licence holders and so should be notified to the TC by the operator. The TC will be looking to explore the management of the drivers and route planning to minimise the risk of a strike occurring and they will specifically consider the operator’s role in this. Obligations also lie with the offending drivers, and they may be called up to the TC to consider their vocational licence. Given the attention the TCs have dedicated to bridge strikes, it would be wise for operators to include the management of the risks into their procedures and driver training. One simple point is to have consistent height markings for trailer/ vehicle height in, say, metres rather than one in feet and one in metres, and to have a conversion of the height in the vehicle cab. n James Backhouse is a partner at transport law specialist Backhouse Jones
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Transport for Greater Manchester insists there has to be a flat charge for all pre-Euro-6 trucks
Manchester operators shun Euro-5 Clean Air Zone charge Operators attending a Clean Air Roadshow in Manchester called for a lower charge for Euro-5 HGVs entering the Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone (CAZ), proposed for summer 2021, to avoid a huge shift from large trucks to vans. Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is proposing a £100 daily charge to enter the zone for all pre-Euro-6 trucks, falling to £7.50 for non-compliant vans, leading to fears that operators unable to afford to upgrade trucks from Euro-5 to Euro-6 will either pay the daily charge or switch freight to vans, neither of which will improve air quality or congestion. Introducing the event, run earlier this month at the AJ Bell stadium in Salford, councillor Roger Jones, executive member for transport on City of Salford Council, said that Greater Manchester was being forced to introduce the CAZ by central government within the tight time12 MotorTransport
scale of less than two years to meet EU legislation requiring the UK to improve air quality in 60 local authorities across the country. “The legislation is highly controversial, which is why the government has instructed local authorities to come up with plans,” he said. “We fight hard for the economy of Greater Manchester and we don’t want anything to affect that. Clean air is something that everyone agrees with because pollution is affecting our children. We have to face up to it, but we need as much time as possible.”
Fleet upgrade
The initial clean air plan submitted by TfGM in March to government, on behalf of 10 local authorities, proposed a CAZ to come into effect in 2021 that would see non-compliant pre-Euro-6 PSVs and HGVs paying the £100 daily charge, with vans coming into scope in 2023, paying £7.50 a day. The plan included a central government
clean freight fund of £59m to help operators in the area upgrade fleets to Euro-6, through either fleet replacement or retrofit. The government’s response called for vans to be included in 2021 and ignored the request for a clean freight fund. “Our plan would not adversely affect business as we would have got money from government to share the costs,” said Jones. “But the minister did not respond on that central issue. We want answers but the government has not said if it will fund our outline plan.” He added: “The government’s failure to provide the funding for operators to upgrade fleets would be a major problem. The CAZ is not about putting operators out of business or a money-making exercise,” Jones insisted. “It is about upgrading vehicles to improve air quality.” One operator at the roadshow calculated that 66,000 HGVs would
be covered by the CAZ and if they all had to pay the charges the scheme would raise £6.6m a day. “Where is that money going to go?” he asked. “There will be mass unemployment as a result because operators do not have the money to upgrade vehicles by 2021.”
Phased approach
Other operators called for a phased approach to the CAZ charging rather than the large step from £7.50 for vans to £100 for preEuro-6 trucks over 3.5 tonnes. They argued a better approach would be to scale the charges based on vehicle size to prevent operators ditching trucks in favour of vans, which would lead to more congestion and emissions and to charge Euro-5 trucks a concessionary rate of say £50 to acknowledge that Euro-5 is a lot cleaner than Euro-4 or Euro-3 trucks. But TfGM said the government insisted there had to be a flat charge for all pre-Euro-6 trucks. 23.9.19
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Suck up the truth for clean air M Steve Hobson Editor Motor Transport
otor Transport recently held a Clean Air roadshow in Manchester, where the local councils and Transport for Greater Manchester came in for a lot of stick about the proposed £100 a day charge for older trucks and buses to enter the clean air zone planned for 2021. The constant plea was that PSV and HGV operators have no money to invest in Euro-6 vehicles that would be exempt from the charge, or to pay the charge. Why is that? Simply because operators’ profitability is so low there is no money to invest in modern vehicles. The transport industry should stop cutting its own throat and operating in unsustainable ways so there is enough money to invest in clean vehicles, decent wages for drivers and a work-life balance for staff. People talk about low margins as if they are an unexplained phenomenon unique to road transport. They aren’t – low or zero profits are a self-inflicted
injury because of suicidal rate-cutting in competitive tenders. As long as haulage regards itself as a commodity to be bought and sold at the lowest price then that is how it will be treated. It is no surprise that successful operators with margins approaching 10% – yes, they are out there – do far more for clients than provide commodity wheels and sheds. They make themselves an indispensable part of their customers’ operations and reap the rewards. Some of the biggest culprits when it comes to low rates are the big 3PLs and 4PLs, which contract out large parts of their trunking to regional hauliers because they know they cannot run trucks at the rates they pay their subbies. There is a place for lean family hauliers with low overheads, but if rates are so low they cannot afford to upgrade to Euro-6 vehicles that everyone accepts are essential to clean up our urban air then something is going badly wrong.
People first – and success will follow W Iain Speak MD Iain Speak Consultancy
e all recognise our competitors and we try to differentiate our business from theirs by service and cost. We spend money on marketing and describe our services in new and exciting ways, typically suggesting added value – but at the end of the day, purchase decisions often come down to cost. The race to the bottom has often been the norm for as long as I can remember. However, we are currently in a place that previously didn’t exist. We all need good people and there aren’t enough to go around. Many sectors are facing the same challenge and it isn’t going to get better soon. Demand for transport and logistics services is strong and is increasing at the same time as the availability of good people is decreasing. The companies that address this challenge are the ones that will get the work, whatever the rates. If you offer the lowest rate but haven’t the people to deliver the service, you fail. Good companies are starting to think about ways of attracting people into their businesses at all levels; it’s not just about drivers. This is the new area of
14 MotorTransport
competition. If you agree with this notion, then you need to consider the how? The younger generation thinks very differently about the world of work. Their preferences, aspirations and expectations have few limits, whereas – in days gone by – we were just happy for the job. Wages are only one factor of consideration; now flexibility, working conditions, social interaction and the ability for the candidate to be in control of their own lives, are how they make the decision of who to work for. We need to look at our business through their eyes and make ourselves attractive. Creativity is needed to design employee-centred schemes. Additionally, we must break down our prejudices. Good people can be found across society – male, female, young, old, mothers, grandparents, black, white, of all religious faiths. We need to adapt our cultures to embrace this diversity. So, can you compete?
The newspaper for transport operators
To contact us: Tel: 020 8912 +4 digits or email: name.surname@roadtransport.com Editor Steve Hobson 2161 Head of content Tim Wallace 2158 Deputy head of content Hayley Pink 2165 Group production editor Clare Goldie 2174 Deputy production editor Jo Saunders 2173 Key account manager Andrew Smith 07771 885874 Display telesales Barnaby Goodman-Smith 2128 Event sales Tim George 0755 7677758 Classified and recruitment advertising rtmclassified@roadtransport.com Head of sales Emma Tyrer 07900 691137 Divisional director Vic Bunby 2121 Head of marketing Jane Casling 2133 MT Awards Katy Matthews 2152 Managing director Andy Salter 2171 Editorial office Road Transport Media, First Floor, Chancery House, St Nicholas Way, Sutton, Surrey SM1 1JB 020 8912 2170 Free copies MT is available free to specified licensed operators under the publisher’s terms of control. For details, email mtsccqueries@roadtransport.com, or call 01772 426705 Subscriptions Tel 0330 333 9544 Quadrant Subscription Services, Rockwood House, Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 3DH Rates UK £135/year. Europe £163/year. RoW £163/year. Cheques made payable to Motor Transport. Apply online at mtssubs.com Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper Published by DVV Media International Ltd © 2019 DVV Media International Ltd ISSN 0027-206 X
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If you would like to contribute to MT’s Viewpoint, email steve.hobson@roadtransport.com 23.9.19
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23.9.19
Apprenticeships
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Licking the levy into shape
The Apprenticeship Levy is not universally loved, being commonly described as useless. But there are moves to make it better for logistics, reports Chris Tindall
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ince the Apprenticeship Levy was brought in back in 2016, it is estimated that companies in the UK haulage industry have paid out £150m, with just £15m drawn down to fund apprentices. With such a poor return on investment, accusations are flying that the levy is nothing more than a tax on business and, coupled with an increasing dearth of driving skills in the industry, it has left many wondering if the government is listening to them. Figures provided by the FTA don’t paint a picture of large-scale take-up either. Since the levy was rolled out, 68,415 logistics apprenticeships have begun, although these are multimodal and not just for road transport. There have been 11,025 apprentices specifically for driving goods vehicles, but of this figure, 8,562 are attached to the old, pre-levy apprenticeship standard. That means just 2,463 new apprentices have begun learning to drive HGVs since 2016. “Apprenticeships are useless,” says Jonathan Jempson, MD of John Jempson & Son. “We don’t want to teach people maths and train them for a year. The Apprenticeship Levy disappears in red tape. It’s cheaper for us to do it ourselves. Unless you are a huge company it’s just a tax.” Jempson has joined calls for a government loan scheme for trainee HGV drivers to help solve the shortage instead, operating along the same lines as student loans. “I think the country is wasting an awful lot of money sending not particularly bright students to not particularly good universities for not very good degrees,” he says.
Student struggles
Robert Wilcox, MD of Massey Wilcox, was the first to suggest the loan scheme and he questions why so many university students have had £30,000 thrown at them before they graduate and now struggle to find work. “We all need drivers and we need them now. Dressing it up as apprenticeships is putting people off,” he comments. “A young lad just wants his licence and to get out on the road. But if you’ve taken a risk and invested money in them, then there’s no guarantee you’ll get your money back or keep them.” To overcome this, Wilcox has started a company scheme that funds trainee drivers through their HGV test, but then recoups the cost from their wages each month. However, if they remain at Massey Wilcox for two years, he will repay them the full cost of the training. “They are paying for it, but then after two years there’s a carrot. I have done four [drivers] and out of that four all passed first time,” he says. “So, it cost between £1,300 and £1,500 each. I am not recouping wages, it’s purely the cost of training. “There are absolutely loads of people with degrees. HGV drivers and mechanics – they’re the ones we need, 23.9.19
not graduates.”Referring to the ageing driver population, he warns: “There will be a tsunami in future years where all these drivers go pretty quickly and then the industry will have a problem.” Initiatives such as the one at Massey Wilcox have been welcomed by the industry’s trade associations but they point out that apprenticeships were not designed to be a ‘silver bullet’ for solving the skills crisis.
Limited impact
Mark Taylor, RHA head of learning and development, says: “There are 1,200 apprenticeships in HGV driving standards and we require between 40,000 and 60,000 drivers. We are not even scratching the surface in terms of plugging the skills gap. “I think the levy contributes towards the solution, but there’s the bigger picture about the attractiveness of the industry.” That said, companies have struggled to unlock funding and Taylor says this is made harder if you don’t pay the levy. “To actually access training funding is relatively straightforward, in terms of working with training providers,” he states. “But if you are a non-levy payer and you want to take on an apprentice to be an HGV driver, then you have to contribute 10% and you pay for the test fees as well. There’s an argument from smaller hauliers that you might as well pay for someone to do all the training.” Taylor adds that the requirement for apprentices to do 20% ‘off the job’ training is a struggle for many companies in transport too. But perhaps the biggest problem with the apprenticeship scheme is that it only funds an apprentice to ➜ 18
MotorTransport 17
Apprenticeships
motortransport.co.uk
CRISIS LOOMS OVER PERIODIC TRAINING In a development that will surprise absolutely no one in the transport industry, the DVSA has warned drivers that they risk being kept off the roads for not completing their periodic training under Driver CPC requirements this year. Its concern is that there are thousands of drivers who still have not got 35 hours of training under their belts. The agency issued around 700,000 driver qualification cards prior to 2014 to those drivers with acquired rights, but these expire in September and without proof that they have spent the last five years completing courses, they’re going to be in a very difficult situation. Each time the Driver CPC deadline approaches, warnings arise about firms and drivers leaving it too late, but according to Perry Preston, director of Midland Transport Training, 2019 has been much busier than previously, which he blames largely on “last-minute Charlies”. “It’s been a record year for me,” he says. “I got all my work in for this year by the end of January. “The last four months have gone absolutely crazy,” he adds. “The penny seems to have dropped.” Preston says Midland Transport Training has adapted to
the rush by offering courses on Sundays and between 4pm and 8pm in the evenings, using the dispensation to take two half-modules split over 24 hours. His company has also been shrewd in recognising companies have tired of courses that are either irrelevant to their drivers’ needs or offer content that doesn’t advance or consolidate their knowledge. For the last few years he has been writing bespoke Driver CPC courses, tailored to an individual company’s needs, in subjects such as tachographs, loading and unloading, tail-lifts and daily checks – “the stuff that worries people the most”, as he puts it. As a result, Preston says he has been “snowed under” with requests. “They are climbing all over us at the moment; the courses are just more engaging.” But he adds that it’s not just procrastination that has led to a bottleneck in training this year. “People thought Brexit would sort this out. If anything, it will remain the same or be cranked up even more. “Drivers need to go on one course a year and then there won’t be a logjam,” he concludes.
attain a category C licence, not C+E. The current standards do not allow two separate apprenticeships for what the government currently considers is the same job, so there is no additional funding for a C+E licence. “There’s a massive driver shortage and it’s much bigger for C+E,” notes Sally Gilson, head of skills at the FTA. But this may be about to change. The Trailblazer group, which helped define the industry’s apprenticeship, has made revisions and submitted them to the Institute for Apprenticeships and these are currently being considered in the context of requirements for additional funding. Gilson acknowledges these changes may have an effect on businesses that only need drivers up to category C level. “There are no scenarios that leave the whole industry happy,” she concedes. “It’s been very frustrating because there is such a split. In the end, we had to go with the majority and go to C+E.” Gary Austin, chair of the Trailblazer group and Maritime Transport’s training and development manager, says that although the levy has worked well in some industries, in transport and logistics “it has fallen very short of meeting the needs and demands of companies”.
Licence to operate
The biggest stumbling block, he agrees, is that because the Department for Education doesn’t understand that the basic role of a truck driver is exactly the same, irrespective of the licence held, it won’t provide the funding for a C+E qualification. “With a highly publicised shortage of professional, well-trained HGV drivers, the scheme should have been the solution to our problems as the money paid in by the industry could have trained more than 70,000 drivers to C+E standard,” he comments. “This is no one’s fault, just the way the scheme is set up,” he adds. “Another problem is that for this type of apprentice a ‘licence to operate’ is required at the very start of the apprenticeship. “While all industries can claim they have unique requirements, ours is governed by legislation due to axles, weight and other legislation that isn’t understood by the decision-makers in government.” But Gilson is feeling more positive about the apprenticeship than earlier this year and hopes that, with a bit of tweaking, it will provide another route to resolving the driver shortage. “Everyone is now talking,” she explains. “Six months ago we weren’t getting people to meetings and discussing it. I think we will have the C+E by the end of the year, ready for people to start.” ■ 18 MotorTransport
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06/11/2019 | Alexandra Palace, London www.freightinthecity.com
CELEBRATING FIVE YEARS OF URBAN LOGISTICS BEST PRACTICE Freight in the City Expo is back at Alexandra Palace, London on 6 November bringing you an exciting agenda focused on the key trends in the realm of urban deliveries. Policy-makers, vehicle experts and leading freight operators will share their insight with delegates and generate lively debate to help solve the challenges and share best practice on city logistics. Topics will range from zeroemission zones through to autonomous lastmile deliveries and smarter ways to transport goods, from the smallest parcels to the largest aggregates.
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New this year A brand-new seminar theatre will this year take delegates right to the heart of the exhibition zone, where there will be ample opportunity to check out the latest clean and safe vehicle technology. There will also be some exciting new urban delivery vehicles making their UK debut at the event, so you can be first in the industry to chat with the manufacturers and explore their potential. We do hope to see you there, so make sure to register today for your free place!
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Confirmed speakers from: Calor Gas, City of London Corporation, City of Stockholm, Freight Transport Association, Magtec, Ontruck, Savills, Scania GB, Sheffield City Council, Tevva Motors and Volvo Trucks, with many more to be announced!
We have 20 expert speakers at Freight in the City this year including: Robin Billsjรถ
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MT Awards 2019 winner profile Livery of the Year
Looking good! Travis Perkins’ charity-supporting ‘living livery’ initiative has redefined the purpose of truck liveries, encouraging important conversations that might otherwise not have taken place and making it an obvious choice for the Livery of the Year award at this year’s MT Awards A TEAM EFFORT: Marco Laraia, marketing manager for Europe at sponsor Prometeon Pirelli Truck (second right), presented the Livery of the Year award to Karl Wilshaw, head of fleet (holding trophy) and the team at Travis Perkins, accompanied by comedian Omid Djalili (squatting) and MT editor Steve Hobson (far right)
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oad hauliers have often incorporated charity logos into their vehicle liveries. And often, such links have personal stories attached to them, involving staff or family members going through trying times. Where Travis Perkins stood out in winning Livery of the Year at the 2019 Motor Transport Awards was in co-ordinating its activities between three of its businesses, creating what it calls a ‘living livery’. For Travis Perkins the living livery means a move beyond the mere visual presentation of a vehicle into the creation of something that engages with the right people in the right way. That means getting the right audience to think about the message the charity has. It’s more
than just raising awareness: Travis Perkins calls it a ‘visual handshake’ that helps its drivers, attending multiple delivery locations throughout the day, to start a conversation about what the charity represents. That, in turn, makes the drivers ambassadors for the charity in the true sense of the word.
Triple whammy
Karl Wilshaw, head of fleet at Travis Perkins, explains that the company is made up of 20-plus businesses, each of which enters a partnership with a charity. It is down to each individual business which cause they select. The three who partnered together to create the living livery are Keyline, the supplier of civils and drainage, which is 23.9.19
Sponsored by supporting Prostate Cancer UK; CCF, Travis Perkins’ distributor of insulation and interior building products, which is supporting the Alzheimer’s Society; and BSS, the pipeline and heating solutions distributor, supporting mental health charity Mind. “The livery drives the conversation. Drivers carry a living livery pack that contains leaflets for their charity to hand out. They are not raising money in the cab, they are raising awareness. Take prostate cancer – 87% of men are currently unaware of the risks and don’t know that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. If one of these leaflets makes one man go and seek medical advice then it has all been worth it.” This sentiment is backed up by CCF driver Richard Ellson, who drives the Alzheimer’s Society liveried vehicle: “I am overwhelmed with the amount of attention the vehicle attracts. I am approached by people sharing with me their own experiences and concerns. The company has provided me with handout material from the charity so I can really help those people who need it and increase awareness. I feel I am contributing positively towards a great cause.”
Meeting the challenge
While each business gets to appoint its own charity partner, it was Wilshaw that led the initiative to get the liveries on the Travis Perkins fleet. The idea was born out of an annual conference two years ago, where one of the charity partners gave a presentation. Wilshaw, who has been with the business for nearly four years, wanted to live up to the values of the company and the challenge laid down by senior management to do more. “I thought ‘why not work with the charities and get some liveries out there?’,” he says. One of Travis Perkins’ five ‘cornerstones’ is upholding family values, he stresses. “The cornerstones are how we are presenting ourselves. We are a long established business, and we often talk about values and heritage. “Doing [the living livery] is based on values established over many decades, it has become our DNA – it is what we do. But each business is challenged by each MD to go out there and do more.” Considering that Travis Perkins raised £2.5m in 2018
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THE KILLER STATISTICS In supporting Prostate Cancer UK, the Alzheimer’s Society and Mind, Keyline, CCF and BSS want awareness to be raised on construction sites around the following issues: ■ In the UK the biggest killer of males under 45 is suicide ■ Between 2011 and 2015, 1,419 people working in the construction industry took their own lives ■ One in four construction workers has reportedly considered suicide ■ Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men in the UK ■ Every 45 minutes one man dies from prostate cancer ■ There are 850,000 people with dementia in the UK ■ Dementia numbers are expected to rise to over a million by 2025
doing more will not be easy but it is already targeting areas for success. The new year will start with 17 living liveries – one per trading region in the UK, for the three businesses participating in the initiative. BSS is going one step further, expanding the livery supporting Mind from just the cab to the whole of the vehicle. “With each livery you are working in a limited space,” says Wilshaw. “The marketing teams work directly with the charities, moving backwards and forwards on the designs. The key thing was to make sure they are eye-catching. We did not want it to be too small or cut off too much.” Vehicles running for Keyline, CCF and BSS showcasing charity partners are delivering to multiple construction sites a day and they generally serve major infrastructure projects. That means a big audience. For example, Prostate Cancer UK liveried trucks are being seen by employees on the A14 improvement project taking place in Cambridgeshire. “Where I really see the major impact is taking the vehicle in to big sites, where it can draw people into conversations,” says Wilshaw.
Encouraging feedback
The feedback so far has been highly encouraging. Wilshaw cites an email he received three weeks after receiving the award at the Grosvenor House hotel from host Omid Djalili and sponsor Pirelli: in it, a transport manager at a CCF site recounts a phone call he received from an employee at a customer site, saying how amazed he was by the efforts CCF was making to promote the Alzheimer’s society. The employee in question had recently lost his father who had suffered with the disease. “This individual took the time to say how empowering he found that livery,” says Wilshaw. “Why do we do stuff like this in the industry? If you look at that email, and it was the only one I had ever got, then that was worth it. That single lorry has unlocked that conversation. To me, that is empowering.” It is because of stories like these that Travis Perkins entered the Motor Transport Awards, and Wilshaw hopes others in the industry will follow its lead. “It is such a simple concept that hopefully other people in the industry might just do it. To win the award is great, and so is the publicity – but we want the recognition for the charity partners,” he says. “Where I really see the major impact is taking the vehicles to these big construction sites and drawing people into the conversations – and across the other group businesses, seeing if we can expand the initiative,” he adds. Despite winning the 2019 Motor Transport Livery of the Year award, it is clear that Travis Perkins still has its eyes on doing more. ■ MotorTransport 23
MT Awards 2019 winner profile Innovation Award
Sounding clever Brigade Electronics’ Quiet Vehicle Sounder was recognised as the Innovation of the Year at the Motor Transport Awards for being an elegantly simply solution to warning vulnerable road users of the approach of a quiet vehicle
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rigade Electronics, the Kent firm that pioneered reversing alarms in the UK in 1976, picked up its first ever MT Award this year for its Quiet Vehicle Sounder (QVS), a device to warn blind and partially sighted people as well as other vulnerable road users of the approach of an electric or other quiet vehicle. Brigade chairman Chris Hanson-Abbott has called the QVS “probably the biggest breakthrough in road safety since the reversing alarm” and has campaigned for over a decade for the mandatory fitment of a QVS to electric vehicles, which he has dubbed “silent killers”. Our judging panel praised the simplicity of the solution to a relatively new problem. “A small business has taken on a global challenge and produced something that will save numerous lives. It should be congratulated,” said one of our judges. “Having been in London electric cabs in which the drivers have reported more near-misses, I can definitely see the need,” confirmed another. After 11 years and more than 50 meetings the UN
LDV HEATHROW ADOPTS QVS FOR EV80 LDV has been manufacturing and distributing electric vehicles since 2006 and has seen significant sales growth over the last decade. Half of all vehicles sold at LDV Heathrow are electric, and following the introduction of the new EV80 electric van, LDV Heathrow turned to Brigade’s QVS after being impressed with the product at a Freight in the City exhibition. Phil Harvey, sales representative at LDV Heathrow, says: “There’s no doubt that the Quiet Vehicle Sounder works. “We’ve tried over the years to find an appropriate solution that not only does the job but also meets proposed regulations – and there is nothing that can beat the QVS. “We’ll be installing it on every electric vehicle; there’s no reason it should not be fitted.” 24 MotorTransport
ratified regulation UNECE R138, specifying the standards for acoustic vehicle alerting systems (AVAS), and from September 2019 all new models of road-going battery electric, hybrid and fuel cell-powered vehicles – including electric cargo bikes – must be fitted with an approved AVAS. All new EVs registered after September 2021 will also have to fit an approved device but Brigade is urging operators already putting quiet vehicles on the roads to retrofit the sounders – which cost under £300 from Brigade – to help prevent collisions with vulnerable road users.
Silent danger
Because such vehicles are nearly silent, pedestrians are often unaware that an EV is approaching or about to pull away. A study by Guide Dogs for the Blind shows that pedestrians are 40% more likely to be struck by an EV than a diesel or petrol vehicle. Under UNECE R138, the AVAS must start emitting the sound, which is limited to 75dB(A) at a distance of 1m, as soon as the ignition is switched on, though it is disabled when the park brake is applied. The volume of the AVAS automatically increases as the vehicle speeds up but cuts off when the vehicle reaches 20kph by which point tyre and other noise will be an adequate alert to the vehicle’s approach. The pitch of the sound also changes as the EV speeds up and slows down, mimicking an internal combustion engine. One reason agreement on the standard took so long was the difficulty in finding a sound that was clear enough to be audible in heavy city traffic but would not disturb residents at night. Like Brigade’s smart ‘white sound’ reversing sounders, the QVS uses broadband sound frequencies to ensure it is directional and makes it easy for pedestrians to locate the source. Hanson-Abbott says: “The sound must be distinctive and command attention but must not startle people or horses. We trialled over 40 different sounds and ended up with our patented QVS. It doesn’t need a lot of decibels because the broadband spectrum means it is impossible to mask the whole sound.” The legislation requires the fitment of AVAS to all new models of EV from September this year and all new vehicles from September 2021, which means the existing fleet of quiet vehicles and new examples of existing models will not have to be fitted with sounders. 23.9.19
Sponsored by
A WINNING SOLUTION: Brigade marketing manager Emily Hardy (centre) and marketing executive Zoe Page (second left) collect the trophy from David Howe, commercial sales general manager at sponsor Goodyear Dunlop Tyres, flanked by comedian Omid Djalili (far left) and MT editor Steve Hobson (far right)
Some larger fleets are looking at retrofitting sounders to their small but growing fleets of EVs but most are just waiting for vehicle OEMs to follow the regulations and start fitting them to future new models. “The large EV OEMs will develop their own AVAS but we are talking to smaller vehicle manufacturers who don’t have the resource to provide their own product,” says Tony Bowen, Brigade’s LCV and projects manager. “There are a growing number of vehicle convertors who are converting chassis by adding an electric power train. At present, these are typically 7.5-tonne to 12-tonne HGVs. Paneltex, for example, converts some chassis to electric vehicles but they’re quite small numbers.
Aftermarket opportunity
“There is also a great aftermarket opportunity at the moment for retrofitting vehicles. We are doing a trial with one of the UK’s largest parcel delivery companies which has 200 EVs at present. The trial is going well and I am hopeful that we will soon be retrofitting the existing EV fleet and new vehicles when added to the fleet. “We are also working with one of the UK’s leading building and facilities management companies, which has approximately 100 EVs. “There are lots of these companies trying to up-spec their current fleets. We’ve got some great opportunities with them in the next 18 months or two years.” Construction firm Conway has already tried the QVS on one of its electric vehicles, and had good feedback from the driver, according to Bowen. “He said as soon as it was put on, people would look around. He was driving around little streets in Fulham,” says Bowen. “He said it was a ‘game-changer’ and that as soon as he went out, it was marvellous. Hopefully that feedback gets through to the people who make decisions. “It’s simple to do a cost-benefit analysis on safety because you look pretty bad if you don’t carry it through,” adds Bowen. ■ 23.9.19
SIZE MATTERS: DEALING WITH BIGGER VEHICLES Now that the specification for the AVAS has been laid down, the problem arises of how blind and partially sighted people can distinguish between different sizes of EV. While there are no electric heavy trucks on the UK market yet, the need to decarbonise road freight will inevitably see more large vehicles powered by batteries or hydrogen fuel cells – both of which are virtually silent in operation. If every EV from a scooter to a bus or truck sounds the same below 20kph, how can a blind person trying to cross a street know how long a vehicle is, once the sounder at the front has passed by? Hugh Huddy, policy and campaigns manager at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), says that as the vast majority of blind and partially sighted people do not have guide dogs, this will become a problem as more larger EVs appear. “The risk of a blind person crossing the road when the trailer is still passing is a real issue,” he states. “This did not come up in our discussions with the officials drafting the regulations. No one is talking about it. The regulations say the AVAS must be an ‘appropriate sound’ – if the sound is the same for a truck, bus and car then there will be problems.” With over 100 electric buses already on the streets of London, the issue has been identified by TfL, which has appointed consultants AECOM to come up with a different sound for its red buses. “The purpose of the regulations was to identify the type as well as the presence of a vehicle,” says Huddy. “London hybrid buses are very quiet. When traffic noise is low, blind people can hear by the heavier tyre noise if it is a bus but it is not easy if the sound is masked by other noise.” If different sounds to identify longer vehicles cannot be developed within the regulations, one solution could be to fit two or more sounders to buses and trucks. “Two sounders at either end of a long vehicle would make sense,” says Huddy. “We are talking to TfL about London buses.” MotorTransport 25
MT Awards 2019 winner profile Training Award
Out of the ashes You have to be a special kind of business to turn a disastrous fire into an opportunity to develop an award-winning training programme. But that’s exactly what home delivery specialist ArrowXL did
Y Michael Conroy, CEO of sponsor Palletforce, presenting the trophy to Arrow XL director of people services Zoe Sinclair, with comedian Omid Djalili (far left) and MT editor Steve Hobson (far right)
26 MotorTransport
ou can’t beat learning on the job, unless you are delivering furniture or fitting white goods in customers’ homes where it has to be right first time. But two-person home delivery and installation specialist ArrowXL has developed the next best thing – the ArrowXL Training Academy. Based at its Wigan facility, the Academy features a mock-up of an apartment with a fully furnished bedroom, kitchen and living room, to give staff the opportunity to learn the skills needed for seamless in-home deliveries before they go out on the road. The Academy is a central element in ArrowXL’s wider training programme, which won it the coveted Training Award at the Motor Transport Awards 2019. The programme was born out of a major fire at the firm’s Worcester warehouse in April 2017 that destroyed the entire facility, including most of the company’s paper-based training records, and saw the company lose 45% of its capacity in just one hour. MD Charlie Shiels recalls: “The fire disrupted
everything and it is no exaggeration to say that we were fighting for our survival, but once we got on a stable footing we said we cannot sit and dwell on the fire. We had to focus on moving the business forward and recognised that training was a very important part of that strategy. “We’d had training going on in temporary buildings with training groups, but we recognised it wasn’t good enough and that the training had to mirror and replicate what these guys go into every day – interfacing with the great British public. “As a hard-nosed executive you can look at the cost of training and question where the return on income is – but in our business it is a no-brainer,” he adds. “We come into your house and deliver a service for you so it is important that we do an amazing job because if we can keep the consumers happy, then the clients who pay our bills are happy.” And so £50,000 was committed to set up a training facility to replicate the everyday situations the firm’s two- person delivery teams face (see box opposite).
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Sponsored by
AN ACADEMY IN THE MAKING Launched in May 2018, ArrowXL Training Academy boasts a purpose-built apartment with a working kitchen, child’s bedroom and a living-room kitted out with furnishings donated by clients such as Feather & Black, which supplied bedroom furniture, and Smeg UK, which contributed a range of white goods. The academy also houses two classroom-style teaching areas and the back of an HGV body equipped with a tail-lift so staff can practice loading and unloading, product restraint, safe use of the tail-lift as well as vehicle ingress and egress techniques. All new staff have a tailored induction at the Academy, including delivery crew members who receive a two-day core programme, as well as a two-day assembly induction for those delivering the firm’s white glove high skill set delivery and installation in-home Platinum service. So far the Academy has delivered more than 1,200 training sessions including Driver CPC, induction, materials handling equipment, Institution of Occupational Safety & Health, first aid, and customer service modules, as well as its Squad programmes. The company plans to open a second ArrowXL Academy at its new facility in Worcester, which was built to replace the depot destroyed in the 2017 fire and is set to open this month.
But if the Academy was to work it also had to be underpinned by a well organised and centralised training programme. This was no easy task. In the aftermath of the fire, the company found that, aside from losing training documents, many other training records were scattered across different systems, making them difficult to find. Taking a fresh look Then, in early 2018, Zoe Sinclair, director of people services at ArrowXL, became involved. “I realised that the existing system lacked co-ordination, traceability, consistency and had no clear overall link between training and business goals,” she recalls. This left significant blind spots in the way staff were being trained, not least as the team was unaware of how many training days had been delivered in previous years and struggled to collate training information from the firm’s different areas. The company’s response was to take a completely new approach to its training strategy, putting Sinclair in charge of a new centralised in-house training programme and creating a new training team consisting of four operational trainers, an administrator, a manager and a soft skills trainer. The newly-formed department set about organising and standardising all training, with full audits completed, improved governance put in place, and scheduled monthly standardisation meetings implemented as well as trainer observations. “This quickly identified room for improvement in all operational activity areas, including our approach to health and safety,” Sinclair explains. All company-wide training programmes now sit within the Academy, including those relating to health and safety, leadership and management development, as well as compliance. The company also recognised that key to the success of any training programme is employee engagement. To this end it launched a management and leadership programme dubbed ‘Squad’, which helps develop the skills of first line managers such as supervisors. It 23.9.19
also launched Squad Plus for more senior team members and Squad Lite, which is aimed at potential managers. Shiels explains: “We made a point of talking and mainly listening to our first-line management team, our shift manager and supervisors, and realised we needed to invest more time in them and their leadership capability. “We wanted to show them how to better motivate people and more importantly how to avoid demotivating people. Let’s face it, most people come into work wanting to do a good job and the trick is not to demotivate them – treat them well and allow them to do a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay.” All Squad sessions also involve the ‘Brave Conversation’, which, Shiels says, has helped improve communication throughout the company. “During these sessions the staff can ask me or my team anything. Nothing is off-limits. “One thing that did become clear in these conversations was that historically this industry has been a bit shouty. We now make clear that is not the way we treat people. We are a company with integrity and we say to our managers, if you want to treat staff in that way you are in the wrong company because we cannot deliver a great service with unhappy, demotivated employees. It is that simple,” he says firmly. Nor are any of the training sessions delivered by third-party providers, says Shiels: “There is no better person standing in front of a driver than a manager talking about what we are about, what we believe in, our values, our integrity and why it is important to do a good job. “You can have a third-party provider saying it, but it does not have the power or resonance of me or one of my managers saying it, because we are all colleagues and we are all in it together,” he explains. The results of the programme speak for themselves with the firm achieving 70% or more on service level scores each month, a TrustPilot score of 9.3 and a 10% fall in staff turnover levels. Employee engagement rates have also shot up, says Shiels, since the training programme was launched. “Last month we had 60 nominations for employee of the month and those nominations come from other employees. That is amazing engagement,” he states. “I spend a lot of time writing congratulations cards which is a lovely job, and often employees write back to me saying how much they appreciated the card. It is not rocket science. People want to be appreciated and their contribution recognised. He adds: “Our aim is to be a really, really great company. That means we have to recognise that we have great colleagues at the coal face who do the heavy lifting for us every day, and we need to make sure that everything we do is about them, and that we make everything they do as easy as possible. “Our people are not moving mobile phones all day. Try moving an American fridge-freezer into an apartment block where the lift has broken. “This is hard work and in these days when drivers are hard to find, we have to make sure people want to work here. Its all about treating them well and valuing them.” ■ MotorTransport 27
Everyone talks, one delivers. The new Actros. Predictive Powertrain Control. The new Actros with enhanced Predictive Powertrain Control can achieve a fuel saving of up to 3% on motorways and as much as 5% on regional routes in comparison with its predecessor. Fitted as standard, the enhanced system now works on mapped A and B roads as well as motorways and uses a satellite-based positioning system, as well as extended digital road maps. Speed is adapted to stored speed limits, junctions and roundabouts. Find out more at mercedes-benz-trucks.com