As a friendly, family-owned business running a fleet of trucks
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and offering an excellent service, Stephen Sanderson Transport is the quintessential Palletline and Transport Association member. In common with many other hauliers from those organisations, the Market Harborough firm runs an efficient operation with compliance and health and safety on top of its list of priorities.
But MD Stephen Sanderson is not about to rest on his laurels and is keen to offer drivers the best CPC training available. Sanderson employs a driver trainer from fellow Transport Association and Palletline member CS Ellis Group, who visits the depot and provides a variety of courses.
"Many of our staff have been with the business for more than 25 years. I was surprised men in the game for so long took to the Driver CPC training so well," he says. "Drivers who have had no infringements for years came in on Saturdays to do it and responded positively. The modules on tachographs and the Working Time Directive were very good and particularly informative.
High standards
"We have hired some good agency drivers in the past, but prefer to employ full-time staff because we have expensive kit and want to make sure the drivers are trained to the highest standards." The company, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, has expanded into a £9m-a-year turnover business with 500 customers and more than 80 employees
—65 of them drivers. It also employs part-time compliance advisor Len Smith, a former fleet manager for Tungsten Batteries of Market Harborough, who Sanderson says knows the drivers' hours regulations inside out. Sanderson says: "Len works three days a week with us. He checks the tachos and will talk through any infringements with the drivers.
"It's great that we can use that wealth Ai of experience, you can't buy that sort of knowledge."
When asked where he thinks well-trained drivers of the future might come from, Sanderson says: "I'm very impressed with the number of young lads sending us their CVs, offering to work for us, having paid for their LGV and CPC training themselves. Their commitment is refreshing, I've got a lot of admiration for them, it shows there's a bright future for this industry."
When asked where he thinks well-trained drivers of the future might come from, Sanderson says: "I'm very impressed with the number of young lads sending us their CVs, offering to work for us, having paid for their LGV and CPC training themselves. Their commitment is refreshing, I've got a lot of admiration for them, it shows there's a bright future for this industry."
The haulier, which employs seven mechanics, carries out all servicing and repair work in its four-bay workshop, ensuring its fleet is maintained to the highest standards. There is also an approved rolling road for dynamic brake testing. Sanderson says: "All maintenance is done in-house and all the fitters have attended Scania courses so they know all the parts and mechanics of the trucks. It includes training in electronics so they can deal with all the latest high-tech equipment on the vehicles." One of the firm's key customers is German garage door manufacturer Hormann, a contract that started in 1983 with one lorry and has expanded into an operation with