1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182 
THE PANEL
Page 36
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Kevin Brooke
Fleelmaster Operational Support Services Leeds Kevin Brooke is managing director of a three-branch driver agency, with between 100 and 200 drivers on his books depending on the season. The company has a dedicated training vehicle which is used solely for its own workforce. He is convinced that the Driver Training Directive is a good thing, "It's long overdue," says Brooke, who was involved in setting up the training programme Safe and Fuel Efficient Drivers (SAFED).
"One driver who came onto the programme said it was the first training he'd had since he passed his test in 1960," he points out. "A lot of people seem to think that because someone has been driving 30 years they are good. From what I've seen, that's not necessarily the case."
The big issue will be who pays for the training. Brooke spent 275.000 on driver training last year To ensure a return on his investment, drivers' contracts tie them into working for the agency for at least three years. This kind of arrangement, he predicts, is one way the industry might cover the costs.