Travis Perkins plc is the UK’s largest distributor of building materials and a leading partner to the construction industry. With one of the largest fleets in the UK and a driver base of around 3,000, drivers are at the forefront of the Travis Perkins plc business. They deliver building materials to customers across all segments of construction and are often required to drive specialist vehicle types including LCVs and HGVs.

 

As part of the Group’s commitment to continuous improvement, the business commissioned PsyDrive to undertake a study which involved a comprehensive literature review of existing research and took into consideration studies in other industries, such as aviation, blue light (emergency services), marine, military and the rail industry to review their learnings. The research project concluded that without practice, people experience skill decay, and cognitive skills like decision-making are particularly vulnerable. This has implications for safety when driving for work. 

 

Key findings from the study were first presented at the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Annual Safety Forum Conference in November 2023, in the company of CILT patron, Her Royal Highness Princess Royal, and other distinguished guests, where Karl Wilshaw, who is Travis Perkins plc’s Policy and Engineering Fleet Director, explained: “We will use these findings to guide our driver strategy; informing areas, such as policies, intervention, training, recruitment and wellbeing. Nothing is more important to us than safety, and so as members of several key transport forums, and the leading partner to the construction industry, we will also consider how we can share these learnings more widely, to breed best practice and encourage a cultural shift where drivers feel able to come forward to discuss any life challenges they may be going through, and promote more regular training beyond compliance requirements.”

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