Helping Jewson Reduce Accidents And LGV Driver Turnover
Reproduced From ‘Merchant Matters’ the group magazine of the Saint-Gobian group
Driving home safety message
Jewson’s goods vehicle driver development programme is on the right track. The scheme, first introduced as a pilot in 2000, is starting to meet its two main aims - cutting high staff turnover and accident rates.
Under the new programme, the Group Transport Centre at Southampton manages the recruitment of all LGV (large goods vehicle) drivers instead of Branch Managers. Those successfully coming through a three-stage interview process are sent on a five-day residential induction course at Jewson’s Challow branch, where they are given defensive driving and crane operation training, as well as learning about the company and its customer service values.
Another key element of the programme is transport and health and safety legislation, which covers areas such as safe loading and correct lifting, and future courses will also include product training.
Emma Shaw, Group Motor Insurance Manager, who is in charge of the scheme, said: “We decided action was urgently needed to reduce the very high driver turnover, which was running at around 45 per cent, and a horrendous accident record. Our research showed we needed to give all drivers a more comprehensive level of training before they started. We also felt drivers needed to know more about the company, to be rewarded better and generally made to feel part of a team”.
Figures show that the scheme is starting to cut turnover and there are fewer accidents.
Safety First: driver training at Jewson Challow – ETS Trainer Norman Ross (Left) putting another candidate through his paces.
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ETS are pleased to have been involved with the Jewson ‘Driver Development Programme’ from its conception in 1997.
With an increasing accident rate, high driver turnover, and new Health & Safety demands Jewson were looking for a way forward that embraced the identified problems and also to reinforce the driver as an integral team member.
ETS were invited to assist Jewson to analyse the problem areas and together we were able to devise a programme that would start by sourcing a particular driver profile and then, via bespoke training, to develop each individual into a professional builders merchants LGV operator.
A potential new LGV driver’s first contact is a telephone interview conducted by Jewson Transport staff, ETS would then hold face to face interviews producing a short list of potential drivers for the relevant branch managers to interview. Once appointed the operators would then attend a five day induction / training programme at the dedicated training venue - Challow branch.
This included an introduction to Jewson & Saint-Gobian, Customer Care, Manual Handling, PPE, Transport Legislation, slips trips and falls, defensive driving, vehicle loading, load securing, roping, sheeting, tachograph rules and vehicle mounted loader training.
We are pleased that our bespoke training course has proved so successful, in addition to meeting legal requirements and the original objectives, Jewsons results show that the cost of such a programme, correctly structured and administered can easily be offset from the reduced accidents, reduced stock damage, less lost time and reduced staff turnover. In addition to meeting the original objectives the course has contributed to better customer relations, additional sales, increased general safety record and reduced plant maintenance costs.
For information about our bespoke courses, or to discuss a current project, please contact John Steel at our Head Office on 01536 517889 or email John on