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Many operators are reluctant to allow untried agency drivers anyvvhere
Page 20
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near their truas — but Chris Evans Df DHL hopes to change that. Chris Tindall reports.
I. he recent claims that agency drivers are less professional than their full-time counter)arls upset and angered many iriver agencies. But behind the .cenes, amid allegations of incom)etence and illegal practices, a vorking party believes it is putting ogether an effective solution.
Chris Evans, health & safety risk nanager for freight giant DHL. is pearheading a group that says the Inswer lies in an industry standard or all agency drivers. Similar in heory to the CORGI badge worn )y gas fitters. the START (Standrdised Traini ng for Agency Work Is in RoadTransport) programme ntends to put all agency drivers hrough a series of courses in order o bring them up to a standard ccepted by employers.
Anticipating the Driver Trainrig Directive due to be introduced 1 2()09, Evans hopes that if his chetne gains credibility it will arm part of the Directive. He is iming for an Apri12006 launch. "There are lots of agency drivers out there," Evans goes on to explain. "The good agencies are compromised by the cowboys. They need to demarcate themselves and START is designed to do that.We're going to standardise the training for agency drivers across the logistics industry."
The programme will put drivers through a series of courses, such as basic health and safety and road risks. Once the courses are completed, the drivers will he issued a card stating the standard reached. This will allow companies to recruit safe in the knowledge the drivers have been trained to an industry standard.
Serious interest
Companies that already offer induction courses covering these elements will be able to choose to recruit drivers who have not been given this assessment.
Evans has been working on the project since March last year, when he discussed the idea with the Health and Safety Executive ISE).The plan has since grown, attracting interest from major logistics companies and recruitment agencies including Exel, Christian Salvesen, Ryder, Driver Hire and Wincanton.
A recent meeting in Birmingham was attended by the Road Haulage Association (RHA), Freight Transport Association (FTA) and Skills for Logistics.
The same hymn sheet
Steve Ellis, the RHA's national training manager, says: "It's a very good idea. It's something I'm more than happy to support in whatever way we can. In this industry there are splintered projects, where several organisations say.'I have a version of that'. The point of the meeting was to make sure everyone was singing from the same hymn sheet."
Brian Szukala, training manager for the VIA, is also supportive of the idea.
Evans plans to convince the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) to administer the programme, as it already represents recruitment agencies. Otherwise he will have to set up a non-profit-making organisation.
Shrewdly, he got the HSE on board at an early stage. A spokesman says it is behind the initiative "which could improve safety standards for an estimated 60,000 British lorry drivers". Evans hopes bosses at the top 50 haulage and logistics companies will be encouraged by this backing and commit themselves to the scheme by taking on START drivers in preference to others.
He adds that the feedback he's received from the agencies so far has been positive — they are desperate to improve their image and are watching profits fall as companies opt for foreign drivers over agency workers.
The haulage industry is also keen. "No matter how good a company is in terms of policy and procedures, there are occasions out in the depths of the UK at three in the morning when you may have to hand an agency driver the keys," says Evans. "No company I've spoken to has said agency drivers are perfect and there are no problems.'.