One of the Bristol area’s largest bulk haulage operators has been recognised for helping to make the UK’s roads safer.
TJ Transport, which has a major depot at Avonmouth, scooped the Transport for London award for reducing occupational road risk for the company’s 165 drivers.
The business, headquartered in Fareham, Hampshire, operates a fleet of just under 40 vehicles from Avonmouth, which is among the largest of its nine sites.
All 39 drivers based there have taken part in the firm’s new online driver induction and road safety programme.
The scheme, introduced following an investment of more than £12,000, has resulted in a sharp drop in work-related road risks.
The accolade was presented in front of 270 delegates, representing 60 organisations, at the Mineral Products Association’s (MPA) health and safety conference and awards in London.
Criteria for the award included showing how technology, management systems and behavioural initiatives can reduce road accidents.
TJ managing director John Gosling said: “Transport for London’s trophy means a lot to us, representing how we have overhauled our approach to driver training, with the clear aim of achieving a working environment free of accidents and ill health.
“Our online training portal has enabled the driver training to be consistent, interactive and trackable, as well as improving the ease of delivery of inductions, both internal and external, for our mobile workforce.”
Learning segments were professionally filmed as part of the programme, allowing drivers to build in their own training timetable in either one session or bite-sized sessions.
John added: “TJ’s online training portal, for which every member of staff has a dedicated log-in, resulted in a dramatic reduction in occupational road risk.
“There has also been a significant drop in the number of minor vehicle safety defects because of driver-managed care and maintenance.
“We have redefined the delivery of driver training, doubling the total training to 40 hours on average in one month alone.”
With the portal, drivers can also be inducted into the protocols and procedures of TJ’s customers, such as Tarmac, Cemex and Hanson.
TJ has been in business for 22 years and employs 220 staff. It works for 3,000 companies and organisations across the South West and Southern England.
Pictured, from left: Awards ceremony keynote speaker former M16 intelligence officer Julian Fisher, TJ in-house driver trainer Lee Downer, and marketing manager Luke Haskell
