Drivers travelling between Craibstone and Parkhill in Aberdeenshire will benefit from a new road layout and reduction in congestion in the months and years to come.
Delivered as part of Transport Scotland’s ongoing Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie to Tipperty (AWPR/B-T) project, the latest section of the A90 to undergo a transformation is set to open to all road users on Tuesday (February 19th).
New layouts to get used to
In total, a 4.5-mile stretch of new road will link the southern route out of Craibstone to Stonehaven and the Charleston section with Parkhill.
Meanwhile, other upgrades to the route will see the permanent closure of the A90 junction with the A96, as well as the opening of a new connection to the C89C Chapel of Stoneywood to Craibstone Junction.
Safer roads and less congestion
Douglas Laird, project manager for the AWPR/B-T scheme at Transport Scotland, said: “This new section of road between Craibstone and Parkhill will bring a range of benefits to road users, including reduced congestion, improved journey time reliability and enhanced safety.
“However, we would like to remind road users to drive with caution for their own safety and to consider the safety of other road users as there are a number of changes to the road layout to become accustomed to.”
Mr Laird went on to state there will likely be a degree of uncertainty for many road users over the coming weeks and months, but the impact of these changes will be felt in the area for years to come.
Ellie Baker, brand manager at FCS Scotland, adds: “Further improvements continue to come online as part of the ongoing AWPR/B-T project, with members of the local community benefiting from safer, less-congested roads. All in all, this is great news for drivers and the area as a whole.”
There’s more to being a good employer than providing a monthly wage packet. By also offering wellbeing support, you’ll improve driver retention and have a more successful business.
It’s easy to think if you’re paying your drivers a fair wage for a job they’ll be content with their lot. But there’s more to a happy workforce than that; wellbeing is being increasingly recognised as one of the main factors driving employee satisfaction and company performance. According to workplace consultancy Great Place to Work UK in its 2016 study on ‘Wellbeing and the importance of workplace culture’ , “organisations with effective wellbeing programmes outperform the market.”
Wellbeing is hard to neatly define. Great Place to Work UK describes it as “a complex blend of the physical, psychological, social and relationship aspects of employees’ working lives. It includes factors such as their working environment and how they get on with their manager and colleagues.”
On a purely human level, every employer has a duty of care for their employees’ welfare, but employees’ wellbeing also makes commercial sense. An employee who feels cared for is more engaged with their work and this in turn improves performance, as illustrated by the graph below.
The flipside to this, according to Great Place to Work UK, is, “If the work/life balance isn’t right, or employees don’t feel respected, valued or treated fairly, they’re more likely to become demotivated, disaffected and eventually leave the organisation.” Given the driver shortage within the transportation industry, it’s more important than ever you retain the workforce you have. Besides which, you’ve already spent time and money bringing them into your company and equipping them with the right skills, so by providing a workplace where employees want to stay in the longterm helps to keep these costs down.
In a recent haulage drivers’ survey, carried out by Shell’s UK health manager Dr Marianne Dyer, respondents listed their top three most important wellbeing needs as: quality of sleep/rest and privacy; a safe, healthy environment; and keeping in touch with friends and family. Also ranking high in importance are: access to healthy food and convenient services on the road; and pro-active and supportive management.
In terms of whether drivers feel these needs are being met, the response was mixed. While 76% stated they mostly or fully agree they’re able to keep in touch with friends and family – their third most important concern – only 47% agreed they have access to enough healthy food – their fourth most important concern.
As for their top concern, 61% agreed they have the opportunity to take sufficient breaks, yet 18% disagreed with this.
When it comes to another high priority for drivers, a pro-active and supportive management, 59% agreed they feel treated fairly at work, 58% agreed they feel safe and cared about at work, 55% agreed they get sufficient training to perform well, and 54% agreed their work is valued and they receive regular feedback on their performance.
There’s clearly work to be done, so what can you do to improve your drivers’ wellbeing? The first step is to understand which wellbeing needs your drivers value the most.
Once you’ve identified your drivers’ needs, think about what you could be doing to take better care of them. The good news is, to be effective, looking after your employees’ wellbeing doesn’t necessarily mean spending money and could be as simple as paying closer attention to work schedules and providing flexible working to ensure your drivers have a better work/life balance.
Another no-cost yet important way to improve wellbeing is to make sure you know and respect your drivers, recognise them as individuals, and show you trust and appreciate them.
Beyond that you could consider implementing a more specific wellness programme. Some examples Shell has put in place for drivers include providing information about affordable, high quality, healthy food, introducing a shift work-acclimatisation programme, partnering with providers for access to free Wi-Fi spots, setting up an emergency SOS service to get drivers home quickly in case of family emergency, and offering access to health facilities.
It’s best to introduce just a few objectives at a time.
Some ideas:
Health topic on the agenda of every meeting
Fitness challenge for charity
Success stories sharing
Ultimately, whatever approach you take for your company, it’s clear that looking after your drivers’ emotional, mental and physical needs helps to foster a safe and happy workplace, which is key to moving your business forward.
Source: Fluid Thinking – Shell
Fuel Card Services, one of the largest independent providers of fuels cards in the UK, has been selected to become an FORS Affinity Partner – the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS).
Working in collaboration with FORS, we have created FORS Fuel Expert, offering discounts and benefits to FORS members.
Fuel Card Services’ Managing Director, Denise Frost, said, “With FORS Fuel Expert, we now offer up to 16 different types of fuel cards, including all major brands – with exclusive service, savings, and security for FORS members and those working towards accreditation.”
Denise Frost
Service benefits include:
• Exclusive personal account manager • Experienced FORS practitioner • Full support for existing and prospective FORS members • Up-to-date knowledge on the FORS standard
Savings benefits include:
• Up to 5ppl saving (against UK average) • Up to 10ppl saving on motorways • FORS members save 60% off standard card fees • Time and money savings
Security benefits include
• Fully secure cards with PIN, limits, fraud alerts and more • 24/7 access to your fuel card account • All major fuel brands available • Backed by a FTSE 100 company
FORS Fuel Expert also includes FORS Reporting, a substantial package of reports including fuel consumption with MPG reports. These can be downloaded to Excel or can be exported to FORS Fleet Management System (FORS FMS), which is powered by Fleetcheck who are another FORS Affinity Partner. The package also includes C02 certificates providing information on greenhouse gases produced by the company vehicles – essential as evidence during the audit process.
If you are a FORS company, or if you are working towards accreditation, your business is entitled to some exclusive fuel cost saving offers from FORS Fuel Expert from Fuel Card Services. Click here for more information.
Freight drivers in Scotland may find conditions increasingly difficult as snow sweeps across the country.
The Met Office has issued a series of yellow weather warnings for ice in various parts of Scotland. These regions include the Central, Tayside & Fife, Highlands & Eilean Siar, south-west Scotland, Lothian, Borders, and Strathclyde regions.
This means almost all of Scotland, bar the east coast, is facing significant weather challenges. Ice poses a particularly obvious peril to drivers of vehicles large or small. Places like Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee will be fine for now, although this may change as weather systems sweep in.
However, over the course of today (January 22nd) no weather-related road closures have yet been reported by Travel Line Scotland, with some closed due to other occurrences such as roadworks and the laying of gas pipes.
Naturally, the gritters will be out in force, but if the snow keeps coming and the temperatures remain low as expected, many roads could become a lot slower, with drivers being forced to cut their speed.
Preparing for the worst
So far this winter conditions have been generally mild across Scotland. Snow mainly confined to the upland areas, but that could now be at an end.
For that reason, drivers should take extra precautions to ensure they are safe in the event of cold weather. This includes warm clothing, warm drinks and extra food in case they get stranded for long periods; or even overnight.
Indeed, last year’s Beast from the East showed that problems can still occur right into early spring.
The coldest temperatures in Scottish winters tend to occur in the eastern Highlands. Those using the A9, for example, may pass through Aviemore, where the mercury has been known to drop to -22C on winter nights.
Braemar on the other side of the Cairngorms range can be similarly cold.
Ellie Baker, brand manager at FCS Scotland, comments: “Winter has arrived with a vengeance, and it could get worse, so now is an important time for freight drivers to take all the necessary precautions.”
The Met office is warning there will be a significant change in the autumnal weather this week, as Storm Diana moves from the Atlantic and is set to bring rain and gales to the UK, from Wednesday.
Here is some advice to your fleet drivers from IAM RoadSmart on how best to cope with it.
Heavy rain:
Heavy rain will affect your visibility, so take it slow. Rule 126 of the Highway Code states that the braking distance between yourself and the vehicle in front of you should be two seconds when driving on a dry road, and at least four seconds in the wet. It is even longer on icy surfaces. IAM RoadSmart recommends up to 10 times the braking distance when driving on ice.
Your windscreen should be clean, wipers effective and the jets positioned correctly and aimed at the screen. It is sensible to clean the windshield, make any necessary adjustments and remove anything from the main area before you start your journey.
A good rule of thumb is that if you need windscreen wipers, then you need your headlights. Automatic light settings will not always activate in lousy weather conditions, so it is up to you to make a sensible decision as to whether these need to be turned on.
Aquaplaning:
If the water is standing in puddles on the road surface, your car is at risk of aquaplaning. Aquaplaning is where a wedge of water forms in front of the tyre and lifts off the road surface, causing the tread not to be able to displace the amount of water present. To recover form aquaplaning, ease gently off your accelerator, have a firm grip of the steering wheel and be sure not to make any sudden steering actions. The car will eventually regain its grip as the water clears.
Floods:
First, ask yourself – can you take another route? If not, then you need to identify how deep the water is. If the standing water is more than six inches deep, avoid driving through it. If you are familiar with the road, you can judge the flood to the kerb.
If heavy rain was not the cause of the flood, then what was? Moreover, what impact on the road does it have? For example, if it is a burst water main, the standing water may look like a normal flood, but the road surface beneath the water may be completely broken up. If you are unsure how the surge has formed, then avoid it altogether.
Are there other vehicles similar to yours that are safely driving through the water? From this, make a judgement call as to whether it is safe to travel through or not.
If the water is fast flowing, do not attempt to drive through it, as there is a real danger of being swept off the road in your car.
If you have considered everything and decided to drive through the flood, be sure to do so slowly. The best approach is to press lightly on your clutch and add gentle pressure on your accelerator to increase your engine revs. Do so without increasing your speed, in a similar way to how you would undertake a hill start. Doing this will prevent water from entering your exhaust. If you are in an automatic car, accelerate slightly but control the speed with your brakes. When you have passed the flood, test your brakes to make sure they are dry and working correctly.
If you are in the slightest doubt, then turn around and don’t go through the flood. Often modern saloon cars have the air intake in the wheel arch, which may be below the water level. If your engine should take in water, it will take immediately hydro lock, and the vehicle will stop.
Remember to stay alert and avoid splashing pedestrians. If accidentally done – even when causing splashed when driving through puddles at the side of the road – you could receive a fixed penalty and three points on your license for driving without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other road users. If deliberately done, it could be a public order offence, a court appearance and a fine.
Planning for nasty weather can take much time. At My Fleet Solutions, we understand that managing a commercial fleet is more challenging than ever. Register with us for free, once the details of your vehicle are in place, you’ll have access to a nationwide garage network with significant savings on fleet servicing, maintenance, repairs and MOTs, at the right price for your vehicle.
My Fleet Solutions is here to step in when road traffic accidents occur. Register for free and if a crash does happen, feel safe in the knowledge that we will handle the first notification of loss, to ensure accurate insurance claims reporting. There is an accredited helpdesk primed to support distressed drivers. A network of courtesy cars to keep your fleet moving. Expertise to inspect, instruct and approve nominated or independent repairers. Moreover, by choosing My Fleet Solutions to claim and manage the insurance process and recover losses, you will have the incredible reassurance that incidents and accidents will not have a significant impact on your business or fleet.
At My Fleet Solutions, we also offer FCS Insurance Solutions, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA licence number 759713). Through our parent company Fuel Card Services, we can negotiate more significant discounts and introduces quotes for all probabilities: Mixed Fleet Insurance, HGV Dedicated Insurance, Employer’s Liability Insurance, Product and Public Liability Insurance and Goods In Transit Insurance.
