Keith Parry, National Business Development Manager at Lloyd Morgan Group talks to John Lewis about the broad portfolio of services his company can provide to help operators
How confident are you that your firm is complying with all the undertakings it gave when it obtained its O-Licence?
Do you suspect that things might have slipped a little bit in one or two areas? Or are you only too well aware that they have because you have just been hauled over the coals by the Traffic Commissioner?
If you are in either of those situations then your business would benefit from an O-Licence audit according to Keith Parry, National Business Development Manager at Lloyd Morgan Group. [wlm_nonmember][…]
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Offering a wide variety of services to bus and coach operators, the Staffordshire-based company can send in an experienced auditor who will look at every aspect of O-Licence compliance and the systems the operator has in place. That includes, for example, whether drivers are carrying out daily walk-around checks and what is done about recording and remedying any defects they may find.
As with so many other aspects of O-Licence compliance, proper record keeping is vitally important said Keith. “If the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) come in and can’t find any defect records, then they will assume that walk-around checks aren’t being carried out,” he observed.
The same goes for recording the results of brake tests. “The recommendation is that brake tests are performed four times a year and roller brake tests are preferred,” he pointed out.
Lloyd Morgan Group audits are carried out in line with the DVSA’s latest Guide to maintaining roadworthiness. “Having completed the audit we can make recommendations concerning any changes that need to be made,” he said.
Drivers Hours compliance can be made the subject of a separate audit and Lloyd Morgan Group provides an analysis service that covers both digital and analogue tachographs.
Another area it addresses is O-Licence awareness for employees who may not be as aware as they should be that the firm’s licence can be jeopardised by their actions; the manager who wants someone to drive for another 25 minutes for instance, despite the fact that the individual concerned is out of hours, and sees nothing wrong with issuing this instruction.
Founded eleven years ago by Managing Director, Pete Thompson, who has a bus industry background, and his former business partner, Lloyd Morgan Group is a DVSA-approved Earned Recognition auditor said Keith. It is busy helping operators obtain Earned Recognition status; something which needs to be encouraged, Keith contends.
“It means that having been audited to very stringent criteria, their vehicles are less likely to be stopped in roadside checks,” he pointed out. “It’s a chance for firms to demonstrate their excellence and it is worth noting that if you gain Earned Recognition then you can use the logo on your paperwork. “That’s something that will reassure your customers, especially if you happen to be on school work for example.”
Lloyd Morgan Group offers bus and coach drivers periodic CPC training courses covering areas such as health and safety, daily checks and customer care. “We run open courses which anyone can attend, but we can carry out tailored training for individual companies anywhere in the country,” Keith said.
Bus and coach drivers who acquired their vocational licences prior to September 10, 2008 and acquired their current Driver CPC through periodic training have until 9 September this year to complete their latest 35-hour training block. “We’re expecting quite a glut of last-minute bookings,” he said. “I suspect it will be panic stations so far as some operators and drivers are concerned as the deadline approaches. Some people seem to think that the Driver CPC will disappear when we leave the European Union, but it won’t.”
With a full complement of experienced staff and the ability to call on the services of a number of experienced associates spread countrywide, Lloyd Morgan Group carries out management CPC training, including refresher courses. A Traffic Commissioner unhappy with an O-Licence holder’s conduct may insist that the transport manager attends a refresher.
Last year saw Lloyd Morgan Group become a registered IMI (Institute of the Motor Industry) Approved Centre for the IRTEC licensing scheme and it can run IRTEC assessments in-house. It offers assessments for Service Maintenance Technician, Inspection Technician and Advanced Technician. It has also expanded its vehicle inspection training service with an eye to the requirements of the latest tester’s manual.
“We’re Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) compliance partners too,” said Keith, whose career includes 15 years spent working in the transport compliance industry.
“We like to run courses that are of practical relevance to businesses and that are interactive because that way, the people attending them learn more. What we don’t do is run courses that show people the best way to pick up an empty box.
“Most operators are aware of the importance of health and safety and want to stay on top of it. They don’t want to get caught out and end up in trouble with the Health and Safety Executive.”
Lloyd Morgan Group has an automated online driver licence check system to ensure the holder has not accumulated penalty points he or she has not admitted to and to ensure the licence has not been revoked. This automated system also links in with the firm’s own tachograph analysis system.
Lloyd Morgan Group can also provide temporary transport managers who can step into the breach if the permanent incumbent is on long-term sick leave and it has also recently started marketing personal protection equipment and logoed work-wear through its online shop.
“Our list of clients for all the products and services we offer ranges from single-vehicle operators through to multiple-thousand-fleet national operators and we cater for all clients regardless of size or location,” Keith concluded.
“We like to think of ourselves as a one-stop-shop.”
MANAGING DIRECTOR PERSPECTIVE
Shortage of technicians
Recruiting technicians is proving to be a major challenge for bus and coach operators said Lloyd Morgan Group Managing Director, Pete Thompson. “Apprentices are proving especially difficult to attract from the feedback I have from clients.
“There is a significant lack of people entering the industry. This is already having serious implications long-term because a lack of young technicians today is likely to lead to a shortage of engineering managers tomorrow.”
So why the shortage?
“I believe there is no single issue, but a multitude of smaller issues making the larger problem,” he explained. “Some of these issues may be because some teenagers who might otherwise become apprentices are pursuing careers in sectors of industry that are cleaner, more appealing to the younger audience and physically easier to work in than a bus and coach workshop.
“Fewer of them want to get into a trade and may be more interested in a social media-driven career,” he commented. “The culture has changed. Socially we live in a throw-away society where people don’t repair things like they used to which used to inspire the younger generation to be curious about how things worked mechanically. I know I loved watching and helping my dad repair mechanical stuff when I was younger, which inspired me to apply for apprenticeships when I left school.”
Another factor is the extent to which those young people who are genuinely interested in becoming technicians and have the ability to do so are being snapped up by franchised dealerships. So how can the problem be resolved?
Is it money, or do working conditions need to improve?
In Pete’s view there is no single answer. He feels, however, that there is a need to make the career appealing to attract youngsters and a need to express to youngsters – and their parents – that becoming an apprentice could result in a rewarding career long-term. Bus and coach operators are full of very successful senior executives who began their careers on the shop floor getting their hands dirty.
“An apprenticeship can be the gateway to an attractive career path,” he said. “That’s what I did – and I’m thankful for it.”
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