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CASE STUDY: JW SUCKLING Tanker operator JW Suckling puts all
Page 40
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its maintenance out to third parties, but it keeps a close eye on everything that is done to its vehicles.
MD Peter Lamer says: "We've got 16 service providers we run trucks out of 16 locations — and carry out regular audits of their performance. If vehicle downtime is excessive at a particular site, or the MoT first-time pass rate is below par, then we go and find out why."
Last year the average pass rate was 88%, with seven of the 16 providers achieving 100%. In those circumstances JW Suckling will investigate how the best performers achieved their success so the lessons learned can be passed on to the less gifted.
In my view you can be more objective about measuring the performance of third-party suppliers than you can about measuring the performance of an in-house department," he says. That is especially the case if the workshop is run by a relative, as happens with many familyowned transport operations.
The abilities —or otherwise of local dealers certainly influence the marques Lamer runs: We operate a lot of Oafs, but in some parts of the country Oaf dealers don't have workshops that comply with the Petroleum Regulations. As it happens, the MAN dealers in those areas do -so we run MANs there instead."