AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

All together now

29th September 2011
Page 28
Page 30
Page 28, 29th September 2011 — All together now
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Stay compliant through teamwork, communication and leading by example, says Freightlink Europe partner Lesley O’Brien

Words: Guy Sheppard/Images: Tom Cunningham Whether big or small, staying compliant boils down to the same thing, according to Freightlink Europe boss Lesley O’Brien, who has run both types of haulage irms. Two years ago, she quit her job as the UK MD of a multinational haulier to become a partner in her family haulage company in Bradford. Although Freightlink Europe is far smaller than Giraud International, her approach to compliance remains unchanged.

“Drivers’ hours, vehicle maintenance and weight limits are issues facing all hauliers, whether small or large. How they address these issues totally depends on their work ethos.” She argues that although big operators may be better resourced, they can end up placing too much reliance on procedures and policies that nobody actually buys into. For her, nurturing a sense of teamwork is the way to avoid this. “You want drivers to do things right because they don’t want to let the team down,” she explains. Freightlink, which has a leet of 18 mostly 7.5and 18-tonne trucks, was set up by O’Brien and her husband Kevin in 1995. “Probably about 80% of our client base is other international operators – we provide consolidation and distribution for them,” she says.

In order to buy into a corporate ethos, she says employees need to be aware of what it involves from the word go. That means questioning job applicants about the legal requirements of driving and how they might react if under pressure to break them.

“At the induction, I go through the employee handbook with them and cover things like drivers’ hours, working time regs and safe manoeuvring.”

Creating an open environment

Although acknowledging this may be all too familiar for many recruits, she believes it encourages openness about any gaps that may exist in their knowledge. “One of my aims is to create an environment so that if there is an issue, they won’t be frightened to ask about it.” Informal training sessions, which are held every three to six months in drivers’ own time, are another way of reinforc ing Freightlink’s approach to compliance.

“Part of it may be linked to something that has gone wrong,” explains O’Brien. “It could be to do with an accident so that if, for example, a driver has fallen out of his cab, we would give refresher training on maintaining three points of contact when getting in and out of vehicles. We always have a record of the meeting because without that, how can you show that you have addressed the issue?” A talk by one of Freightlink’s external suppliers is another feature of these meetings. “I will try to make sure the drivers are not always listening to me so, for example, I would get the insurers in to talk about accident report ing,” says O’Brien.

Using the expertise of external suppliers is an impor tant part of O’Brien’s teamwork ethos. “We want to work with suppliers who are better than us; if not, how are we going to improve our performance and standards?” The company’s tyre itter, for example, comes in once a month to check all of the leet’s tyres. There is also an agreement with its insurance provider for Freightlink’s health and safety procedures to be regularly audited.

Communicate with your employees

As well as cultivating a sense of teamwork, O’Brien is also keen to develop a willingness to communicate. “Our business is built on that concept. If we expect drivers to give us concise and timely information when they are delayed or have a problem, then we also have to be active in responding to their needs. Whatever a company’s mantra, management must embrace it and lead by example,” she explains.

This means that if Freightlink receives a prohibition notice or has a mechanical issue, the cause will always be fully investigated and, if necessary, it will then be discussed with drivers and/or maintenance providers at an informal meeting.

She believes that if employees are to be fully committed to the irm, it must show commitment to them in return. As a result, each driver’s workload is carefully planned to ensure they do not feel pressurised to break drivers’ hours regulations and weight restrictions. “A lot of employers would do well to treat drivers as they would like to be treated themselves,” she says.

If a breach of tachograph regulations is discovered, her initial reaction will be to ind the root cause and see if the company is in any way to blame. She is reluctant to use disciplinary action, arguing it can erode a sense of common purpose. She questions the value of incentives for the same reason. “Drivers will stay with us because they have

conidence in the company and feel part of the team.” n

Tags

Locations: Bradford

comments powered by Disqus