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Proctor believes the value of good training makes more financial
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sense when times are tough. All his drivers have been on courses for defensive driving and Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving (Safed). Although initially costly, Procter argues that the investment will be more than repaid in the long-term through better driving.
He says good, regular maintenance also saves money in the long run, citing a failure to properly align wheels as an example of this because it adds to tyre replacement costs in the future.
Maintenance is handled by a local garage and truck dealerships. Every week, all the truck tyres are checked by an outside company to see if any need changing.
Proctor believes good maintenance has a significant impact on drivers' attitude to their work. "I trust them and they trust me that our vehicles are serviced on a regular basis and the tyres are checked on a regular basis and so on. They know that once that vehicle goes out, it is a safe vehicle to drive."
He is a stickler for maintaining the cleanliness of his 20-vehicle fleet which has a mix of trailer-mounted fork-lifts and cranes.
"I have even been in on a Sunday and washed them myself if they haven't been finished." He says driving a clean vehicle instils pride in the job which inevitably rubs off on a driver's attitude to compliance.