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Investing in all our futures
Page 74
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Gary Hawkins has been busying himself with the matter of driver training, and his message is clear: we need to work together.
Recently I was at a training conference all about the new legislation for the Driver Training Directive, and I overheard a conversation."I low many people work for you?" somebody asked."About half of them," was the answer. Although I found it funny, it gave me food for thought about our company 3.nd the problem of recruiting good drivers.
Reviewing our driver situation. I realise that in five years' time, 15 )f our drivers will be at or around S5 years old.And 15 have worked br the company longer than me 23 years) and nearly as long as fly dad (66 years). So 15 staff, by ength of service, have more to ay than me. Perhaps! should isk them how to address the -ecruitment issue. So I did.
After many a smile and "I've kidded more miles than you've !riven, son," looks, [began to understand that the problem isn't new.
Bigger and better experts can ramble on for hours on this subject, so I won't. Bull will say that you don't see the value of a driver — whether English or Polish, and I employ three of the latter—until you work with them, assess them and see what they really know, as opposed to what they say they know.
All this comes back to a major problem that !believe we're all guilty of: neglecting to provide proper training in order to create and attract good quality drivers. How can we moan about the quality of drivers in the industry, whether they are British or other EU nationals, when we don't invest in training them?
I hear a lot of companies saying that they don't use agency drivers and that they refuse to employ foreign drivers. But it's amazing how seeing a truck without its wheels turning can lower your standards and your principles.
So what's the answer? We're all in the same boat on this one, and no one wants to be the first to put their hand in their pocket to pay for quality training because of the fear of poaching once drivers have been trained. But we have to do something.
I was approached this week by a training provider who is setting up an industry forum to bring road transport companies to the attention of funding bodies. It will lobby to secure money to attract new recruits, and give them a proper training programme to ensure they meet the industry requirements.
This all falls in line with the new Driver Training Directive that's being pushed onto us—as if we need more legislation. Looking at it sensibly, though, perhaps it's time we do start training our drivers better.Then maybe the industry will begin to he seen more as a profession again, As well as that, hopefully we'll get drivers with the qualifications and work ethics we need. I really believe we need to work together as an industry, with one voice — and perhaps industry forums working with funding bodies could be the solution.
I'm not saying that [have the answers, but! certainly have the problems. Let's all work towards some recruitment remedies in the new year!
Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2006. •