FORS conference to help fleets raise standards

The FORS Members’ Conference will return this autumn, with an agenda designed to help commercial fleets become safer, smarter and greener.

The event, which takes place on Tuesday October 15, will be hosted at the National Conference Centre in Solihull and is free for FORS members.

The safer, smarter, greener theme reflects the organisation’s ongoing commitment to help its members reduce emissions, to lessen the environmental impact of road transport and offer a route to reducing costs.

A series of panel discussions and keynote presentations from major industry stakeholders will further explore these themes, including Highways England, Kier, Michelin and Rexel.

The conference will be hosted by Jo Godsmark, chair of the CILT (Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport) Outsourcing and Procurement Forum, and director of BigChange.

Godsmark is also a trustee of an international charity, Transaid, that seeks to provide safe, sustainable and affordable transport to communities in need across the world.

The event will be in support of Transaid with FORS matching each member’s voluntary donation made at registration to a maximum of £10 per place booked.

Alongside the conference is an exhibition featuring FORS Associates and Affinity Partners, each showcasing products or services designed to help members meet the requirements of the FORS Standard and assist in driving-up industry best practice. As ever, delegates will be able to claim 3.5 Driver CPD hours for attending.

FORS Members’ Conference 2019 key discussion topics:

• FORS update – recent scheme developments - Paul Wilkes, FORS
• Home, safe and well – John Kerner, Highways England
• Drivers’ mental health - Steve Croft and Natalie Geraghty, Kier
• FORS compliance and enforcement– Graham Holder, FORS
• Technology and compliance -  Ruth Waring, BigChange 
• Tyre management - how to deflate your running cost – Edwin Farquhar, Michelin  
• Smart tachographs - the future today – Adrian Barrett, Road Tech
• Driving safety when the supply chain never stops – Marc Holloway, Rexel  
• FORS future – the next steps – John Hix, FORS

FORS director John Hix (pictured) said: “FORS has now been active for over 10 years and our success in driving up industry standards is reflected in the impressive number of leading industry figures who will be at this year’s conference.”

He concluded: “FORS is committed to raising standards to help our industry become safer, smarter and greener and we look forward to exploring this with members at this year’s event.”

To read more on the FORS Members’ Conference, please click here.

The Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) is a voluntary accreditation scheme established in 2008. It is open to UK and non-UK fleet operators, and to the organisations that award contracts to those operators.