See what our members are getting up to, and what they say about TruckSafe and the benefits it is having for their business.
FELLOWS BULK TRANSPORT
Fellows Bulk Transport is a family owned business operated by Paul and Jenny Fellows. The company has been operating successfully from its Deniliquin, NSW, base since 1997 and has grown from a single vehicle to a fleet of thirteen trucks with operations in the Eastern states.
Fellows Bulk Transport has been a TruckSafe member since 2001 and in 2016 was awarded the TruckSafe John Kelly Memorial Award for their dedication to safety and commitment to the TruckSafe program.
We caught up with Paul Fellows to chat about how TruckSafe has benefited his business and why TruckSafe accreditation is so important.
Why did you choose to become TruckSafe accredited?
“I had been running our transport business for four years and had joined up the NHVAS Mass and Maintenance but was looking for something more than a permit scheme. I had heard of TruckSafe and believed that it was the best accreditation scheme, mainly because it was industry-specific, not a broad scheme.
My perception of TruckSafe was, and still is, that it is a transport industry best practice accreditation scheme and I wanted my business to operate at the highest standards.”
What does TruckSafe mean to you?
I believe TruckSafe to be the accreditation scheme operating at the highest level. I want my business to operate at the highest level and need an industry specific accreditation scheme to suit our aims.
TruckSafe gives our compliance structure and is a one stop way of addressing all of the major standards my business needs for compliance to the new chain of responsibility (CoR) Heavy Vehicle National Law. It is a comfort to know I am taking the best practical steps for CoR.
TruckSafe operators are regarded as industry best, and I always know if I am dealing with a fellow member they will be operating at a standard similar to ours.
How has TruckSafe benefited you and your business?
TruckSafe has been an enormous benefit to us. It has enabled us to tender for work and be recognised by companies as a professional business giving them comfort to know our compliance is at industry best standard.
It enabled us to be accepted by another company as a professional operator which led to us gaining a contract that has had an enormous impact on our business and the prosperity of our family.
TruckSafe has been a great networking tool which has enabled us to become more involved in the ATA in which we have made many friends throughout the industry. It also gives us a broader perspective on the industry.
TruckSafe is relatively easy to implement and I have been able to meet the standards and comply with these for the 18 years. I am a truckie, not a HR uni graduate and believe that if I can do it anyone can.
What makes TruckSafe different from other safety accreditation programs?
The NHVAS schemes are simply permit schemes with a carrot approach to complying.
The most important part of the transport task is the driver. TruckSafe is the only scheme that addresses driver health and training. The TruckSafe medical has saved lives in our business. One prospective driver went in for his medical and was admitted to hospital immediately as he was on the verge of kidney failure and would have died if he had not been treated. Recently a driver went in for a medical and the doctor found a melanoma on his ear which was removed immediately.
TruckSafe goes along way to addressing driver health and preventing drivers from dying of preventable illness.
When you add in all of the TruckSafe standards you realise that TruckSafe is in a world of its own compared to the NHVAS Schemes.
I’m happy with the TruckSafe program and working through the new standards which I don’t find too difficult. The TruckSafe team have an excellent knowledge of the new standards and the new matrix makes it easy for old members to upgrade their systems to comply with the new CoR laws.
New members should not have any major problems setting up their own TruckSafe system and the team is on hand to help people through their journey.
At the end of the day I know that I am doing my best to operate the safest business I can and operate at transport industry best practice. Being a TruckSafe member has enabled to do this.”
SRH MILK HAULAGE
SRH Milk Haulage is a proudly owned family business that started in 1996, initially based out of the Harvey family home in Aberglasslyn, NSW.
Since the inception SRH Milk Haulage have secured various contracts in NSW, including Dairy Farmers, Parmalat, Saputo, Norco, A2 and Richmond. To date, the company has a fleet of 60 trucks and 100 tankers over NSW, Victoria and Western Australia.
We took some time with Blair Harvey to have a chat about TruckSafe’s role in the company and how being part of the system has provided compliance confidence and made them feel part of a bigger community.
Why did you choose to become TruckSafe accredited?
Scott and Regina Harvey started SRH Milk Haulage in 1996 when receiving their first contract carting milk with one truck and one trailer. Scott being a truck driver and Regina working in the financial industry, they did have some knowledge on policies and legislations. However, being new on the block they wanted to be part of an accreditation / community that would help them gain knowledge and assure that their business has high standards and duty of care in the running of the transport company.
What does TruckSafe mean to you?
Being accredited in TruckSafe is not just another accreditation. It is a reassurance that you as a company are doing everything correct and also above average standard.
This includes knowing that your vehicles are on a strict maintenance scheme and TruckSafe medicals are there to make sure employees are fit and healthy.
When the new CoR came out when most companies were confused with the standards. TruckSafe made it easy to understand and explained to us that majority of what was need was already in place. TruckSafe took the worry out of the question: ‘are we doing this right?’
How has becoming accredited improved your business?
Becoming a TruckSafe member has not only improved our business but also made the business what it is today. From when TruckSafe was implemented it has structured the business to run equipment that is safe, well maintained and drivers are fit and healthy for each trip.
When applying for NHVAS Maintenance the process was quick and easy as we already had everything required as a part of our TruckSafe accreditation which we had been audited on for years before.
Being in TruckSafe also assures us that we are not alone, and there is a lot of transport businesses that are facing the same issues. At annual events there are opportunities to take different solutions back to our business to make a change.
What makes TruckSafe different from other safety accreditation programs?
Even though TruckSafe is an accreditation by the way it is set out and audited, it is a lot different to other programs. It is easy to understand and if you don’t understand it you can call any of the team from TruckSafe and they will explain it, or if they can’t they will put you in contact with someone who can.
TruckSafe is a program that is there for your business. It doesn’t focus on just one module of your business, it focuses on your biggest assets: your drivers and your equipment.
The accreditation program in a great foundation for any trucking company starting off as if you stick to the guidelines and pass your audits you know as a business you are doing the best you possibly can.
In our experience with TruckSafe, we have found that we always have information out to members as soon as possible, providing a summary of changes so things don’t get overwhelming having to read and read.
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