Fleet briefs: CitySprint recruitment drive and Scania technician celebrates 50 years

CitySprint recruiting 600 couriers across the UK to meet demand

CitySprint is looking for an extra 600 couriers across the UK, with the business focusing primarily on couriers with small and large vans.

The new couriers will join the 3,500 vans, bikes, and cars that CitySprint already uses, helping to ease the increased demands on the delivery network. In particular, they will support their high-growth retail and healthcare segments.

The recruitment drive is in response to a significant uplift in logistics demand, especially in the London area, says CitySprint.

Mark Footman, chief operations officer at CitySprint, said: “We are committed to deliver a first-class service to each of our clients all year round so we’re pulling out all the stops to ensure the fleet is prepared to face anything that comes our way in the coming months as the business continues to grow.

“The new couriers will also help to ensure we continue to hit and exceed our targets in the London area, which has seen service levels increase dramatically over the last year.”

Longest-serving Scania technician celebrates 50 years

TruckEast has celebrated the longest-serving Scania technician, David Keeling who retires this month after 50 years of service at TruckEast Stowmarket.

The Suffolk based Scania dealer presented Keeling with his long service award earlier this month.

John Biggin, managing director of TruckEast, said: “Fifty years of service is a truly momentous milestone for Dave to achieve and I am delighted to present him with this award on behalf of TruckEast and wish him the best with his imminent retirement.”

Joining, what was then Scantruck, in the summer of 1971, Keeling began his journey with the Scania brand as an apprentice technician straight out of school only one year after the Stowmarket branch had opened.

He said: “The first six months I was buddied with a welder, I assisted with drilling the chassis, fitting headboards etc. Trucks didn’t arrive from the factory ready to go.

“We’d always have about a week worth of work on each unit and there was a lot of fabrication involved.”

Fleetmaxx Solutions partners with Road Skills Online for fleet e-learning package

Fleetmaxx Solutions and Road Skills Online have announced a partnership to create a fleet driver safety e-learning package to help transport operators.

Road Skills Online’s Professional Development Plan (PDP) aims to take the hassle of professional development away from operators, with the e-learning platform delivering monthly, industry-recognised Toolbox Talks direct to drivers at a time of their choosing.

The 36-month programme prioritises common high-risk topics from personal health and wellbeing through to customer service and teamwork. 

The training has accreditation from the CPD Standards Office. The 36-month PDP provides a tick in the box for several industry standards such as FORS D4, S5 and G5, and DVSA Earned Recognition Section 7.2, not to mention O Licence compliance. 

Rachel Pearson, Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) practitioner and key accounts manager at Fleetmaxx Solutions, said: “The quality of Road Skills Online’s comprehensive approach to road safety creates an exciting proposition for our clients.

“As FORS Associates we are delivering together on our commitment and empowering customers to operate some of the safest fleets in the world.”

Developed by experts in transport, haulage and road safety, the Professional Development Plan is designed to encourage positive behaviour among drivers, reminding them of best practices, the law and much more. 

Futures Housing partners with GMP Drivercare and Ctrack

Futures Housing Group has teamed up with GMP Drivercare and Ctrack by Inseego to implement a technology-enabled fleet management solution.

GMP Drivercare will provide a virtual fleet department for Futures, while Ctrack will be responsible for rolling-out an advanced fleet and video telematics solution across more than 115 vehicles.

“We have plans to build up to 300 more homes a year over the next three years, it is essential that we have the fleet management processes in place to support our customers in existing properties and those who will be part of our ambitious growth strategy,” said Wayne Green, head of repairs at Futures Housing Group.

“GMP Drivercare is providing a seamless extension to our internal team, backed by Ctrack’s advanced telematics, to free up resources and help us to operate more efficiently, productively and responsibly.”

Under the agreement, GMP Drivercare will provide a fleet management solution, initially handling the procurement of new vans that will increase the size of the fleet.

This will be complemented by a range of specialist services, developed for the precise needs of public sector fleets, including servicing and maintenance, accident management and direct driver support.

Meanwhile, Ctrack’s vehicle tracking system, with driver ID functionality, will be combined with fleet dashcams and a driver engagement app.

This will support Futures’ duty of care commitment to staff, residents and the communities it operates within.

The telematics solution will also be used internally to better coordinate the organisation’s team of mobile tradespeople, while GMP Drivercare will access the system to gather vehicle and driver data for any accident investigation.

Maxus expands UK dealer network

Maxus UK is growing its dealer network with Northside Maxus confirmed as the latest dealership to offer the Maxus range.

Northside Maxus is part of the Anderson Group of companies, which includes Northside Truck and Van.

The new facility at Sandtoft stands across five acres and is a dedicated Maxus facility, offering a full dedicated sales and aftersales service. It specialises in dealing and processing large fleet accounts as well as normal retail sales. The company already has service locations at Leeds and Bradford.

Mark Barrett, general manager of Harris Maxus, said: “There will be a big focus on our latest new platform e LCVs, the e Deliver 3 and the e Deliver 9, and we are looking forward to seeing more Maxus vans on the road.”

TruTac ‘simplifies’ fleet management for JG Pears

JG Pears says it has simplified its fleet and driver management by using TruTac’s compliance software suite, TruControl.

The company, which operates a fleet of more than 60 HGVs – predominantly 6x2 tractor units – and 300-plus trailers, collects material from around the UK and delivers it to the firm’s three primary processing sites at Bradford, Newark and Market Harborough – among other secondary locations.

The vehicles run 24/7, every day of the year, with around half an hour’s downtime between their 12-hour day and night shifts and are manned by around 120 drivers.

Each truck is fitted with a digiDL unit, which automatically remotely downloads both driver and VU tachograph data straight into TruControl for complete tachograph and compliance management.

“It saves an awful lot of issues with trying to get the drivers to download data from their cards,” explained Peter Tod, group logistics compliance manager at JG Pears.

“We have to make sure the downloads happen within the legally prescribed times at three major depots. If we had to do that physically, I’d never be out of my car.”

JG Pears also utilises TruTac’s TruAnalysis management system to oversee compliance, including the working time directive.

JG Pears is planning to use TruTac’s software to register as an approved DVSA Earned Recognition (ER) Operator of excellence, in the future. Both TruTac’s TruAnalysis and TruFleet systems are fully DVSA Earned Recognition approved.