Every properly established haulage services company is in the business of logistics management and the role they play is integrative in nature through their active involvement in the coordination and optimization of logistics activities at the operational, tactical and strategic level. Fundamental to the delivery of this service level engagement are the Drivers.
However experience has shown that a number of haulage companies don’t attach much importance to drivers’ quality and hence training. Most simply procure trucks (be it used or brand new), get some drivers mostly by referral, run an adhoc mock-test for competence verification and complement same with submission of majorly unverified references or guarantor forms, fuel trucks and then deploy for spot-hires or contractual engagement. Thereafter, the whole gamut of running the haulage business is simply reduced to the routine of fuelling trucks, scheduling them for loading and carrying out repairs or servicing as the case may be!
By extension, we have also discovered that a significant percentage of existing truck drivers in the employment of these haulage companies have never received any formal training for the job of professional truck driving. Most did not even train to procure the Drivers’ License that they flaunt as their proof of competence for the job. And not many haulage companies are troubled by these worrisome facts! Most drivers learnt to drive trucks through the rudimentary method of transiting from Motor-Boy apprenticeship under another truck driver that most likely passed through same routine.
The industry is therefore plagued by a pool of drivers lacking in basic competence for the job of professional truck driving. Most display crass incompetence, poor understanding of the industry and unprofessional attitude to work. There are also several reported incidences of criminal behavior and collusions among truck drivers.
This structural deficiency has over time morphed into a huge burden duly shared by all stakeholders in the haulage business. We examine briefly below some of these burden as it affect each stakeholder:
The Society:
- Increasing carnage and fatalities on our roads
- Loss of critical man-hours to traffic gridlock from avoidable accidents or breakdowns
- Collateral damage to people’s properties and temporary displacements of victims of avoidable accidents and disasters
- Increasing phobia for the highway among the traveling public
The Haulage Companies
- Preventable accidents leading to high maintenance cost, costlydowntime and loss of revenue.
- Gross driver underutilization and loss of truck hours as a result of diversion of truck for unauthorized purposes
- Overloading of trucks by drivers for pecuniary gains leading to increased wear and tear and loss of critical parts such as tyres and air springs
- Seizure of trucks by law enforcement agencies either for gross violation of highway codes or carriage of unauthorized cargo
- Preventable breakdown of trucks
- Breach of haulage contracts that could result in contract termination
- High fuelling cost as a result of pilferage by drivers or idling
- Use of adulterated fuel resulting in damage to critical parts
The Users of Haulage Services
- Delay in delivery
- Damage to products
- Breach of delivery contracts
- Unplanned inventory due to vehicle failure
- Loss of sales
- Loss of credibility and market share arising from serial failed deliveries or repeated shortfalls in delivery tonnage
- Financial and operational failure in the medium to long term
It is for the above reasons and many more that Speedcraft Logistics is passionately committed to providing a comprehensive and well-articulated training and re-training services for drivers in the employment of haulage companies operating in Nigeria.
JUSTIFICATIONS FOR TRAINING AND RETRAINING OF TRUCK DRIVERS
- Every organization has the obligation to train and retrain its employees amongst which are drivers
- The FRSC ACT of 2007 mandates that “Drivers training is a legal requirement for all drivers”.
- Safety is also a principal responsibility of all public and private sector organizations concerned with transportation or movement of goods. Training is a major tool for institutionalizing health and safety issues.
Finally, it must be emphasized that the effectiveness of a logistics and supply chain operation revolves around drivers with good driving skills, a solid knowledge of highway codes and regulations, good grasp of vehicle inspection techniques and proper appreciation of customer service. For this reason and more, we are of the opinion that every responsible haulage and logistics organization should view drivers’ training as an investment rather than a burdensome liability because training directly and indirectly reduces service failure, results in increased sales, and help forestall depleting market share.