Aujla Bros Haulage Ltd – Maintaining Gold Accreditation

Aujla Bros Haulage Ltd is based in Heathrow, Colnbrook and supplies aggregate, tarmac and stone for the construction industry. Kuldip Singh Aujla, Company Director and Transport Manager, explains how Aujla Bros Haulage Ltd has managed to reduce their CO2 emissions through application of FORS procedures.

We are a franchisee of Aggregate Industries who require us to be FORS accredited to a minimum of Silver standard. FORS Gold accreditation allows us to achieve best practice by constantly searching for ways to reduce our emissions thereby reducing our environmental impact. This is thanks to the wide selection of training courses FORS provides to both drivers and managers.

We passed our initial Bronze audit the first time round. This encouraged us to maintain the organisation of our driver training records, and to keep up to date with any new available courses for drivers and managers.

Upon accreditation we really made the most of the benefits on offer, in particular the range of e-Learning modules and classroom courses available. Knowing that the FORS website provides a list of relevant training courses all in one place makes training much more accessible. The LoCity e-Learning courses are especially useful for reinforcing driver knowledge on driving efficiently and maximizing MPG, and for educating managers on alternate methods of transport. We find the Cycle Safety and the Security & Counter Terrorism e-Learning courses to be useful when creating a culture of health and safety for our company.

“The LoCity e-Learning courses are especially useful for reinforcing driver knowledge on driving efficiently and maximising MPG”. – Kuldip Singh Aujla.

One key benefit we have seen since adopting the FORS standard is a reduction in all emissions (i.e. CO2, Oxides of Nitrogen and Particulate Matter). By following the FORS standard of continuous improvement, we are closer to our goals of minimising damage to the environment and keeping vulnerable road users safe.

“By following the FORS standard of continuous improvement, we are closer to our goals of minimising damage to the environment and keeping vulnerable road users safer”. – Kuldip Singh Aujla

Once we were Silver we decided that we should progress to Gold as we believe that the FORS toolkit and standard has improved the way in which we operate our fleet. We achieved Silver accreditation in 2016, while Gold was achieved in 2017. Becoming Gold accredited allowed us to consider the impact our vehicles are making on the environment and to learn more about the future of environmentally friendly vehicles. In the twelve months we have been following the FORS’ Gold standard, we have seen our CO2 output, NOX and Particulate Matter decrease. By continuing to maintain our Gold certification, we believe we will see continuous improvements that will be beneficial to our company.

Over the last twelve months, we have decreased our CO2 output by 0.25% thanks to FORS.

The health and the wellbeing of staff is taken very seriously at Aujla Bros Haulage Ltd. We strive to collect as much information and data from all employees about their health and fitness. We review our Driver’s Health Declaration every year and once over the age of 45 their doctor completes a medical examination, as required by law. Our drivers complete an eyesight check every six months.

When applicable, Aujla Bros Haulage advertise online for new driver recruitments and offer them a 2-week buddy plan that allows new drivers to adapt to their new working environment. Throughout the recruitment process of new drivers, we ensure all drivers are actively engaged in training programs we offer.

Drivers are made aware of measures that can be taken to reduce noise, thanks to the FORS training and toolkit. Switching engines off when idle for a long period of time has been one approach that we have implemented to reduce noise pollution and emissions.

For the type of work Aujla Bros Haulage carries out, there are currently no alternative transports available. The type of work that we carry out requires a PTO system and insulated bodies, to store and transport materials at high temperatures.

To make continuous improvements, we will ensure our drivers receive regular training and are reminded of the policies that are in place.

For Aujla Bros Haulage Ltd, being FORS Gold accredited would mean we are achieving the best possible practice. FORS training courses ensures our drivers are up to date with safety training and allows continuous professional development as a transport manager. We will continue to do this in the future. A further aim for the future will also be to continue to assess the impact we are making on the environment, and be vigilant about ways we can reduce this.