Buried deep in the Traffic Commissioners of Great Britain annual report for 2021-22 is an interesting statistic: “ . . . an estimated 85% of roadside infringements could be avoided if drivers performed a walkaround check prior to the journey.” Poor loading and sheeting of tipper lorries was also highlighted as a particular concern.
“In the current tough economic climate, I’m sure that operators are looking for every opportunity to contain costs,” says Chris Chidley, Driver Hire’s Chief Executive. Every little helps and cutting out fines for roadside infringements that could be avoided has to be an obvious and easy contender. With that in mind, Driver Hire has produced a free ‘Daily Walk Round Check’ poster which is available from our offices. It provides a really useful aide memoire for both drivers and transport managers.”
Driver welfare was also referenced in the report which drew attention to the additional pressures on drivers caused by the pandemic and the current premium placed on experienced and reliable drivers. The report states: “Driving can be a solitary job, placing drivers at greater risk. As a consequence, drivers must feel able to report issues with their health and talk about any problems.”
You can view Driver Hire’s ‘Daily Walk Round Check‘ resource online, as well as ‘Professional Drivers Mental Health‘.