Any operator running 24-7 needs to keep a close eye on drivers' hours, but Milton Keynes-based Cawleys goes that extra mile to prevent slip-ups.
Tachographs are analysed on the spot so traffic controllers have all the necessary information to debrief each driver at the end of every shift. The time lapse between starting the shift and driving off is also scrutinised to see if drivers had sufficient time to complete their daily walk around vehicle check.
Complete compliance
Transport manager Dave Buckingham (pictured above right) says: "We feel it's a very important part of the day to know exactly what the driver has been doing and has complied with everything we do."
Cawleys' fleet ranges from 7.5-tonners for collecting office waste through to liquid tankers that deal with chemical and toxic waste. It operates throughout London, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire.
Although controllers spend around five minutes debriefing each of Cawley's 120 drivers, Buckingham feels it is time well spent. "If the driver did not do the daily checks, for instance, and went out with a bald tyre which caused an accident, the costs would not come into it."
The personal touch is also applied when communicating new legislation. "The biggest change for us was the drivers' hours revision three years ago," recalls Buckingham. "We had to review our drivers' working week because they were all working five-and-a-half days and could no longer work every Saturday."
Daily debriefs were extended to around 20 minutes so the changes could be fully explained on a one-to-one basis. This was backed up with a booklet, but Buckingham is wary of relying solely on printed information to communicate legal changes to drivers. "It could go into the next bin they walk past or into a drawer at home."
New legislation is also covered during toolbox talks delivered by the company's in-house driver trainer Rob Jones. Buckingham describes him as an important contact point for drivers who feel uncertain about any point of law. "I don't know why but, even in our culture, some drivers don't like asking the office. Rob is a former driver himself and is at the right comfort level for them to ask him questions."
Rewarding good drivers
Cawleys has no formal incentive scheme to raise driver productivity for fear of compromising its stance on compliance.
Buckingham says that with skip lorries in particular, some drivers are invariably quicker at completing jobs than others. As a result, they end up doing more work.
He feels that offering a clearly defined reward for this could result in some areas of compliance, such as keeping within speed limits, being ignored.
Instead, depot managers reward drivers on an ad hoc basis. "He will obviously see what work the driver has done on a daily basis and also what the vehicle has earned for that week. We don't put a figure on it. Drivers are aware of it, but they're not chasing it."
Cawley's top tips
Show employees what their responsibilities are and the thinking behind them by using clear, effective communication methods.
Ensure systems and procedures are realistic and workable and review them frequently.
Keep records up-to-date and publicise ones such as accident rates to help to raise awareness.
Persevere with any changes because the benefits will not always be realised immediately.
Prepare drivers for new assignments by warning them of potential hazards before they go out on the road.
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