says King. If drivers are subsequently found wanting, they undergo
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further training and, if unsuccessful, their contract may be terminated after a three-month probationary period. Agency drivers have to be accredited by King before being used.
King was taken on in 2007 after it became apparent that the Opcom system was not proving fully effective. “By sharing the responsibility for implementation among other managers, it was hard to control and went off track,” recalls Holland, adding that more emphasis can now be put on training because King does not shoulder any operational duties.
King has been trained as an instructor for the Driver CPC and uses training materials provided by an external contractor. “The majority of drivers are very enthusiastic about the training,” says Holland. “They realise that it’s a cost they should have to pay themselves, but we’re planning to give them one day’s training a year.” Road Skills, the company behind Opcom, provides training for any new legislation that has an impact on drivers. King implements this either by talking to drivers individually or in groups to make sure the message gets across. They then have to sign to show that they have understood it.
Pride in their job is encouraged through a bonus system, and payments are withdrawn when standards set by Opcom are not met. “But they wouldn’t lose bonus for not getting to a delivery on time because of trafic,” Holland points out.
He believes that setting high standards instils a sense of pride and this in turn reduces driver turnover. “In the last two years, we’ve probably only lost six drivers who have been with us for more than six months.”
Founded in 1972 as Rick White, the name was changed to White Logistics in 2008. Current expansion plans have coincided with a rebranding exercise that includes replacing the company’s green and white livery with a black and white one. Retaining white in both its name and livery may well help bolster White’s image for exemplary compliance. ■