Truck owners unlikely to be taken in by fake licences

The hot topic of fake
drivers’ licences – which
has come to the fore in the
wake of the shocking road
safety statistics over the
festive season – thankfully
appears to be much less of
an issue in the heavy duty
vehicle market.
“If you’ve got the money
you can get anything –
including a fake licence,”
says Freightliner Transport
MD Kevin Martin.
“And while there are
some companies who’ll
hire a driver by his face,
not many sane truckowners
would give the
keys for a rig – and a load
to deliver – to a stranger
clutching a licence from
somewhere in the far bundu
and a weather-beaten
pile of copies of copies of
references from truckers
whose company names
leave even Google puzzled,”
says Martin.
You’ve got to test them.
It’s that simple.
Or take it a step further
as Martin does, and have
a permanent driver trainer
looking after the driver
skills and certification
in his f leet of rigs, shorthauling
containers to-andfrom
the port and place of
collection/delivery. “And
the driver trainer has
got to indulge his canine
sense of smell and sniff
out the truth of everything
documentary, and be able
to apply a rubber stamp of
approval…..or an axe!”
Then it’s time to get the
driver behind the wheel.
“And most companies will
give the guy some sort of
test. Our procedure is to
identify how familiar he
is with the controls and
support systems in the
cab – and what, why, when,
where and how they do
it; then press the starter
to test his basic vehiclehandling
in the yard.
Manoeuvres with which
he should be familiar and
comfortable.”
During this and what is
to follow, he is observed
and guided by the trainer or
an experienced driver.
Next comes the road test
over a route(s) chosen to
cover the range of skills and
challenges a driver faces in
his day-to-day schedule.
And once again the
stamp or the axe.
A driver trainer plays a
cohesive role in assessing
driver performance
throughout the year, but
also should encourage
community in the team.
“The training and
assessment programme
should be carefully preplanned
and function well
in practice,” said Martin.
“Things like refresher
courses are vital. They add
more driver knowledge,
and erase any bad habits
adopted.
“If your drivers are
happy, you will be happy.
That’s true," he added.
It has been proved in
practice. “Drivers who
are comfortable and f luid
behind the wheel, and have
the skills needed to be
competent, significantly
reduce a company’s
accident rate.
“And when million is
quite a common word
in big vehicle collisions,
the ability to reduce or
even erase these costs
could mean the difference
between survival and a
healthy future.”