OVERLOADING, driver fatigue and the latest FORS standards were the headlining issues at a recent gathering of leaders in the LCV fleet management industry.
The first Van Fleet Forum took place this July and featured demonstrations by RAC and TGS, an industry update by Graham Holder, Associate Director and Head of Quality Assurance and Compliance at FORS, and a compelling talk about driver fatigue from Andrew Drewary, Road Safety Smart.
Guests included representatives from local authorities and the private sector, and the day was heralded as a great success. The event was hosted by VWS, the UK market leader in vehicle oniboard weighing, bin weighing and axle overload protection, at their factory in Chesterfield.
Andrew Drewary, Road Safety & Collision Analyst Consultant, said: “I was delighted to be invited to speak at the first Van Fleet Forum about driver fatigue. More than 50% of drivers admit to driving while feeling fatigued and 44% of collisions are fatigue related. The event gave me, and the other speakers, the opportunity to discuss safety issues that are often on the periphery of fleet operators road risk policies. I think many of the delegates left thinking differently about how they tackle road risk within their organisations.”
Kate Lloyd, Marketing Director of VWS, added: “The Van Fleet Forum brought together van operators, leading industry suppliers and experts in the field of safety and compliance. Everyone who attended was able to take something away from the day.”
“The feedback has been excellent and has paved the way for more events like this in the future. We are already planning a follow up in the South West in October.”