With only around two weeks before a recent Public Inquiry, A S Miles Consulting were engaged by a Midlands based company to assist them, as they had reached a point of despair and lack of action with their current transport manager.
On attending the clients Operating Centre we found no systems of any worth being used, so simply installed all of our standard systems; the maintenance was not as it should have been and there was – apart from some emails – no evidence that the transport manager had actually attended the operation in some years.
Once the systems were in place we also, via our training company A S Miles Training & Development, put the company director through an Operator Licence Awareness and Management Course, this brought him up to speed with what he, as a director, should have been doing all along.
At the Public Inquiry, the transport manager described themselves not as an external but as a ‘remote transport manager’, a turn of phrase that was new to us. Apart from the emails mentioned earlier, the remote transport manager could not demonstrate any actions that they had carried out to ensure compliance. They had also been absent / remote when an audit had been carried out the year before, but considered that a phone call that evening to see how it went was sufficient.
Understandably the Deputy Traffic Commissioner hearing the evidence was rather unimpressed by what had been going on and tarnished the transport managers repute amongst other actions taken.
BUT THERE IS MORE ……
This ‘remote transport manager’ is also the transport manager on at least 2 other licences.
This transport manager, it appears, also has a full-time job as well as another business interest outside of transport.
Why would the level of service in this case be any different to the other operators?
The word REMOTE should really be changed to ‘ABSENT’.
…….. AND SOME BIG QUESTIONS FOR ALL OPERATORS.
Is your transport manager doing the right things?
- How often do they attend site(s) and speak with the drivers and other staff?
- Are there systems in place?
- Do they have continuous and effective management of the vehicles and licence?
- Do they give you a report on the state of the compliance to regulations on a regular basis?
And the really big one – when did you last spend time with them? In other words, are they ‘remote or absent’?
If you would like an assessment of your current operation or a full audit to ensure every detail is correct please call A S Miles Consulting on 01455 389053 or email leanna.miles@asmilesconsulting.com