Suckling Transport Ltd scoop EuroTra Safety and Innovation Award 2011

Suckling Transport Ltd, based in the United Kingdom, has been awarded the top prize for their innovative combination of a skills builder programme and specialised intervention training.

The process began back in 2009 with the foundation laid for a new type of skills development programme. Through the formation of small team responsible for skills development to standards of driver performance rivalled by just a handful of SME companies, Suckling Transport have produced a targeted programme worthy of industry recognition.

Peter Larner, Managing Director of Suckling Transport, said;
“Safety has been the top priority since Suckling Transport began to specialise in the distribution of fuel 25 years ago. Significant sales growth has now produced a company that delivers nearly two billion litres of inflammable liquid in the UK each year. So, safety is an integral part of the business. But, in a sector dominated by multi-national logistics providers, an SME like Suckling Transport needs to stand out. And what better way to differentiate itself than through an innovative approach to road safety.

”The key is to make training work for you. Our use of telematics data to highlight areas of concern has informed our training requirements. The benefits are abundantly clear from subsequent improvements to our accident frequency and severity performance, with the added bonus being a significant reduction in our insurance premiums.”

James Tillyer, President of EuroTra, said;

“I'm delighted that the award panel recognised the significant efforts made by Suckling Transport to improve the safety culture within its driver workforce. This pragmatic approach has clearly paid dividends, and it leads the way as a model that most European transport companies could apply within their own environment.

“The core value of the award is enhancing safety through new and innovative ways of thinking, and the skills builder programme and intervention training fits perfectly with this value.”

Suckling Transport has succeeded in achieving a safety culture based on the consensual ethos of the work force, rather than proscription. With this in place, Intervention Training, as the Company refers to it, monitors and improves the driving skills of its workforce.

In 2011, the company introduced its Skills Builder Programme, which targets the intervention training to correct any skills deficiency and fills training gaps that occur. The Company constantly monitors six specific areas of driving skills, including fuel economy, speeding, engine idle time, sweet spot driving, over-revving and harsh braking.

The EuroTra Safety and Innovation Award was created to recognise the efforts of individuals, organisations or companies who have made efforts to improve road safety for the European road transport and logistics industry.

The Award is sponsored by the Volvo Truck Corporation of Sweden.

EuroTra is made up of 22 leading training organisations in 14 countries all over Europe. The focus is on the exchange of best practice values and jointly working on European projects with the aim of;

Developing and training human resources
Enhancing the image of the transport and logistics branch
Stimulating of the development and implementation of innovative training methods and tools
Promoting road safety across the industry