Be responsible
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The report by David Craik (Call for agency liability change, CM 16-22 October) raises important questions about the way in which many driver employment agencies refuse to accept responsibility for the drivers they send out on assignments.
Industry's Driving Force was set up by the United Road Transport Union precisely because we believe that every supplier of labour should accept that responsibility.
All drivers supplied by IDF are full-time employees. of the company and can be covered by Driver Negligence Insurance in our standard rate, to cover the client against incidents of the kind described by Maurice Machado of Transhaul UK.
Before going out on assignments to drive customers' vehicles they are tested for driving ability and undergo an advanced and defensive driver training programme.
Not only have all our drivers been carefully selected and had their references checked before being trained to meet customers' requirements but they also enjoy full employment rights, including guaranteed weekly earnings, holiday and sick pay. They are provided with smart uniforms and safety
footwear and, because they are regarded by IDF management both as a valuable resource and as partners in the enterprise and are eligible for profit-sharing bonuses, they take great care of their customers' vehicles.
Roger Wrapson, area manager of the Road Haulage Association, says that the RFIA/FRES joint code of practice needs to be improved.
If all agencies employed drivers on full-time contacts and took responsibility for their actions, instead of regarding them as selfemployed and ducking the liability issue, the kind of problems experienced by Transhaul would not arise and liability problems will be a thing of the past.
Douglas Curtis Head of Campaigns & Communications, URTI.I.