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Ii he firm employs a full-time trainer to ensure drivers remain up to
Page 35
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scratch. "Rob Ellis has been with us for 18 months and the motiva tion behind his appointment was the Driver CPC," says director Paul tion behind his appointment was the Driver CPC," says director Paul Denyer. "There's so much emphasis on training, and having Rob gives ability to do that in-house. He did some work with us delivering NVOs to drivers and then we offered him a job here because it's an area we can expand."
The plan is to build a training school using Ellis and a couple more trainers who will sell training to other hauliers. "We will focus on the Driver CPC and digital tacho training, but will also offer training in load restraint, health and safety fuel-efficient driving and we will probably have a driving school too."
And while the industry as a whole is struggling with driver shortages, Alan Firmin has no trouble finding drivers. 'We do not have many leave," says Denyer. Two drivers retired in February — one had been with the firm for 37 years and the other 32. Alan Firmin also takes on a lot of novice drivers. "Because we have Rob we can spend time with them. We have taken on guys with their Cat C and put them through their class Cat C+E. These are the types of drivers we like because with Rob's help they become pretty much the perfect driver, because they haven't picked up any bad habits anywhere else." While many operators would struggle to insure new LGV drivers, Denyer says: "We have a very understanding insurer who understands that we spend time training novice drivers and is happy for us to employ them."