Whites Transport Ltd – FORS Gold Haulier

Whites Transport Ltd have been supplying road haulage services to customers across the UK and Europe for over 60 years. Our close proximity to London, befits our customer base, delivering to businesses in London and the surrounding area. Our fleet consists of 28 vehicles, ranging from small vans and rigid vehicles, to 44,000kg articulated vehicles and HIABs.

Jonathan White, Operations Director, explains how Whites Transport has achieved increased performance, improved safety culture and achieved significant reductions in fuel usage, through FORS.

Following a request from one of our customers in 2011, we began investigating FORS membership. As an ISO 9001 certified company, we have always focussed on quality standards, and are constantly looking for ways to improve our quality of service. The systems offered and encouraged by FORS were an obvious choice for us.

In October 2011, we successfully completed our Bronze audit. Since achieving Bronze accreditation, in addition to the FORS performance management practices, and e-learning modules, we have benefitted through pre-qualification in requests for tender with companies such as DSJV (Crossrail project), ATC and Thames Tideway, where FORS membership is a contractual requirement for all suppliers.

Following our initial Bronze audit, we took advantage of our TomTom web-fleet software, in order to track fuel usage and mileage along with looking into traffic incidents, and penalty charge notices, this gave us a clear starting point, to improve upon. We also took advantage of e-learning modules for staff, and reduced cost of Advanced Check for FORS members. These key benefits brought about immediate improvement in our operation, through more reliable checking of driver licences, and training modules. Although we were already heavily focussed on vehicle and driver safety, we used FORS e-learning modules, workshops, and newsletters, to gain vital safety advice, and fitted additional cycling safety systems onto all vehicles operating in urban areas. This has led to improved vehicle safety and increased driver confidence in urban areas.

‘FORS e-Learning modules are an excellent training tool and have encouraged our drivers to consider the risks found in their working environment, bringing clear improvements to our drivers’ quality.’ Jonathan White, Managing Director

FORS online ‘e-learning’ tool and FORS workshops & newsletters have enabled us to improve the level of training we offer to our staff, and to focus our safety improvements more effectively. In addition to this, another key benefit of FORS membership has been the incentive to keep track of our fleet data through the TomTom WebFleet software, which we have used to develop our performance management tool, and have seen marked improvements. Most relevant, is the reduction in CO2 output, over the past 12 months. After using the performance management tool for the base year, we identified the requirement to implement a more time-efficient system for monitoring fuel usage across the fleet. During The use of this system, combined with “Fuel efficient driving” e-learning module has assisted us in identifying the key areas for improvement, and in implementing systems, in order to improve fuel consumption.

‘FORS has provided an excellent platform for improvement within our company, and continues to offer innovative training and performance management tools.’  Jonathan White, Managing Director

So far, FORS has been extremely beneficial to us, and has been a key factor our continual improvement programme. Achieving Gold award in 2013 and retaining our accreditation in 2014, 2015 and 2016 represented a significant milestone in our safety and quality standards.

• Through better monitoring of fuel data across the fleet, reduction of idle time, and introduction of newer & more fuel-efficient vehicles, we have achieved reduced CO2 emissions across the fleet. In a comparison between August 2015 and August 2016, we identified an improvement in CO2 output of 0.03 lbs per mile. These savings have encouraged us to investigate other opportunities to improve efficiency.

• Driver health and fitness review – In order to minimise the risk of incidents as a result of underlying health problems or diagnosis of condition we are introducing the following initiatives; Communicating to drivers the benefits of the healthy diet as well as general exercising. Reinforcing awareness to drivers of the repercussions to their continued appointment should they encounter any preventable condition through a lack of out of work physical activity This will be driven home through regular toolbox talks. Encouragement for regular health screening through individual’s GP where we have identified any areas of concern affecting their driving role.
• Strategy for recruiting drivers – Whites Transport Ltd work with recruitment agencies and we advertise through Universal Jobmatch and Quest (specifically targeting ex-military candidates) for HGV driver recruitment – https://www.questonline.co.uk/
• Noise assessment – In order to reduce the risk to H&S from noise we have decide to take pro-active approach and hire a H&S experts to perform measurements of the noise levels due to the nature of our work with rail freight services.
• Modal shift and alternative vehicles – We have recently contacted Tesla motors to offer our business as testing platform for their incoming technology being introduced to Europe.

We are currently operating Euro5 and Euro6 engines in our vehicles. Our vehicle replacement programme is aimed towards promoting our fleet to the latest vehicle/emissions on continued basis and try to find further use of our Telematic system as this will help us to make further reduction in both fuel consumption and emission output.

FORS accreditation has been extremely beneficial to us, and has been a key factor in our continual improvement programme. Achieving FORS Gold accreditation and retaining the accreditation following years represented a significant milestone in our safety and quality standards.

Please note: All published FORS Gold case studies have been submitted by the accredited company named above and transcribed verbatim.