More than 100 UK business leaders have taken part in a summit as part of UN Global Road Safety Week.
The Driving for Better Business Private Sector Leadership Summit was held earlier this month. It aimed to highlight the efforts of UK businesses and bodies to reduce the number of deaths seen on the nation’s roads each year.
Businesses at the centre of UK road safety
Speaking at the event, chief executive of Highways England Jim O’Sullivan stated: “We expect drivers who use our roads for business to have the highest standards of driving and compliance. There is no doubt that their companies have a role to play in this, not just for their own employees but right through their supply chains and business networks.”
A host of representatives from some of the largest automotive manufacturers and UK transport-focused bodies were in attendance.
Guests included Mandeep Dhatt, executive director of HR at McLaren Automotive, chairman of the Health and Safety Executive Martin Temple and James Haluch, managing director at Amey Highways.
“Promoting safe, sustainable mobility is now more important than ever as companies look to reduce both business risk and their impact on the environment,” argued Simon Turner, campaign manager for Driving For Better Business.
He concluded that leaders must now be seen to be upholding the most robust policies to ensure compliance with existing legislation and have a firm grip on their fleet activity.
Ellie Baker, brand manager at Fuel Card Services, comments: “Safety should be a top concern for every fleet manager in the UK. Businesses have a crucial role to play in maintaining the standard of their vehicles and ensuring their drivers are responsible road users.”
Volvo has announced the latest new model to be released as part of its major range overhaul – the third-generation S60 saloon R-Design Edition.
A premium mid-size saloon model, the new R-Design addition is described as being “generously equipped”.
Sporty and refined in equal measure
Developed to buck the trend of traditional thinking in design, this latest iteration is powered by Volvo’s 250hp T5 turbo petrol engine and is sportier than its predecessor.
It couples this with the marque’s eight-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive, to ensure “responsive and efficient performance”.
Meanwhile, premium features of the model include a driver’s head-up display, rear-view camera, front and rear parking sensors, heated steering wheel and a 600W 14-speaker Harman Kardon surround sound system.
Outside, the conservative lines of the S60 highlight the manufacturer’s aim of creating an uncluttered and refined aesthetic that will appeal to a wide range of road users.
Jon Wakefield, Volvo Car UK managing director, said: “Focusing on our brand strengths of design, technology and safety, we are confident the S60 has the potential to perform strongly in what is traditionally a very competitive market segment.”
He added the success of the manufacturer’s mid-size range – most notably its V60 estate and XC60 SUV – means there is growing appetite for updated models, like the S60, in the UK.
The new Volvo S60 will cost £37,920 OTR and will be available for UK buyers from May.
Ellie Baker, brand manager at Fuel Card Services, comments: “The new S60 R-Design Edition is sure to prove popular with fleet managers across the UK. It’s utilitarian design and high-end finish make it a top choice for many fleets.”
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.
