Saints pledges £25 a week driver bonus
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tsy uerren Hayes HEATHROW-based air freight specialist haulier Saints Transport is to pay its drivers bonuses of up to £25 a week for driving efficiently.
Under the trial incentive scheme, which is set to start on 1 January and run for six months, all 350 of the firm's drivers will have their performance graded weekly on a sliding scale from A-G. Those in the top grade will receive a £25 bonus, while those graded B will get a £10 payment.
As well as rewarding drivers who keep fuel consumption and emissions to a minimum, the scheme will also identify those who need further training to bring them up to the highest standards.
Saints vice-chairman Piers Carroll said: "Drivers will have their braking, accelerating and idling measured and then given a grading.
If they drop below a C, they will be coming in for re-educating and assistance. The success of the business depends on a lot of people, so if someone is making a saving then they should share in that.
"Equally, if someone is not performing then you need to know about that because otherwise they won't change."
The in-cab telematics used to collect the driver performance data has been trialled over the past six months as part of an investment costing several thousand pounds a month. Earlier this year, Saints became the first UK operator to adopt MAN's driver feedback module, when it incorporated it into its MAN EcoStyle driver and vehicle management system in its 200-truck fleet (CM 8 May).
"We're looking to drive efficiency through reducing our fuel and environmental impact," adds Carroll.
If successful, Saints intends to make the incentive scheme a permanent fixture and has plans for a Driver of the Year presentation event, with prizes of £1,000, £500 and £250 for the top three drivers.
• Look out for an operator profile on Saints Transport next week.