K S Gill Haulage LTD – Going for Gold!

K S Gill Haulage Ltd is a sub-contractor for Tarmac Industries. K S Gill Haulage Ltd has been successfully transporting tarmac materials since 1981. Since joining FORS, K S Gill Haulage Ltd standard of practice has increased in quality and efficiency. After achieving their first GOLD accreditation with FORS at the beginning of 2018, it was noted that the company was producing the lowest amount of CO2 emissions since establishing in 1981. With the help of the FORS scheme, K S Gill Haulage Ltd was also able to lower their KMPL figures. Managing director of K S Gill Haulage Ltd, Kuldip Gill, explains how FORS has been beneficial to their company.

We first discovered FORS online when searching for ways we could decrease our fleets KMPL and emission output. After reading over a range of case studies on the website, written by companies similar to ours, we were convinced that joining the FORS scheme would help us achieve our goals. As we are going for our Gold accreditation for a second time with FORS, we can confirm that working with FORS and following the required procedures for the Bronze, Silver and Gold accreditations all together will help you improve on your fleets fuel usage and overall emission output levels.

When working towards our initial Bronze audit, we noticed improvements almost instantly with our drivers, as we implemented FORS driver training modules and courses into our driver’s schedules. From this point, we were encouraged to keep following the FORS recommended practices and procedures, and utilising their e-learning resources and toolkits.

Once we achieved all three levels of accreditations with FORS, we were able to maintain the practices and procedures of each accreditation, which made for a smooth renewal of all accreditations the following year. When maintaining the procedures and practices of the business, we made good use of the FORS toolkits, in particular the PCN tracker, which helped us keep track of, and reduce the number of PCN’s and FPN’s received by our drivers.

‘The wide range of toolkits provided by FORS has helped us improve on our overall efficiency as a freight company.’ – Kuldip Gill

Another benefit, which we mentioned earlier, was the wide range of e-learning resources provided by FORS which are easily available to our drivers. This year we added a new module to our drivers training matrix, known as the Security and Counter Terrorism module. This module informed our drivers of potential security and terrorist threats that commercial drivers may face, and how to react to particular situations regarding this matter.

‘Our drivers are much more knowledgeable and confident on the road thanks to the FORS e-learning resources.’ – Kuldip Gill

At K S Gill Haulage Ltd, we want to continue being a FORS Gold accredited company as it increases our credibility as a freight business and reassures to our customers and the general public that we are operating with the best possible practices and procedures.

In the ­­­­­last twelve months, we have increased our KMPL by 13% thanks to FORS.

• At K S Gill Haulage Ltd, we believe the health of our employees should be a priority, as an unfit driver is a major risk to other road users and the general public. We ensure our drivers are fit to drive by requesting them to complete a health questionnaire prior to employment. If there are any health concerns, they will be referred to a GP for further consultation. Furthermore, our drivers have their eye sight checked every six months.
• As we are a company operating with only one vehicle, the demand for new drivers is not high. However, if we ever plan to expand our company, we have a two-week training plan in place, which opens the doors for drivers new to the industry with no previous experience as a HGV driver.
• After reading the FORS anti-idling toolkit, we added the new technique into our driver’s handbook for them to begin implementing to reduce our overall noise pollution levels. Furthermore, by reading the FORS Quiet Equipment Guide, we were made aware of alternative equipment that can be used to reduce our vehicles’ noise pollution also.
• At K S Gill Haulage Ltd, our mode of work requires a vehicle with a PTO system in order for us to successfully pick up, transport and deliver our materials. Currently there are no alternative vehicles or different modes of transport available other than the one we currently operate with, which is suitable for our kind of work.

At K S Gill Haulage, to continue making improvements within the business, we plan to keep informed of any changes made in the freight industry where we could possibly implement a more environmentally friendly vehicle or mode of transport. Furthermore, we plan to keep our current method of transportation up to date with the latest safety and noise reducing equipment.

By remaining a FORS gold accredited company, it would validate our efforts of maintaining the quality and efficiency of the practices carried out during our operations. Furthermore, it would show our clients that we are still using the best possible practices and have continued to be consistent as a freight company. We look forward to continuing to work with FORS and further improving our business in the future with the help and guidance provided by the FORS scheme.