Safety first

Safety is one of four key areas of focus for our operation over the next year.

And Crewkerne Delivery Office in Somerset is already off to a head start, having been ranked as the number one office in the UK for vehicle safety in 2023-2024.

The criteria on which units are judged include: Trimble safety scores, speeding, management vehicle checks and idling.

‘I get the plaudits for this because my name is on the door, but this is really a credit to the whole team in this office,’ laughs Crewkerne COM Nick Martin.

So what did this medium-sized unit, which is based close to the end of the delivery pipeline in the South West of the UK, do to get top marks when it comes to driver behaviours in 2023/2024?

‘Well we display our Trimble safety scores every day,’ says Nick. ‘No names are displayed, because of GDPR, but we do identify the vehicle by the registration number and the scores.

‘If drivers are on a score of 95% or less we speak to them, bringing them in separately to discuss any issues.

‘We do chase and challenge where we need to – but these results are all thanks to the staff - there is nothing that we do to ‘make’ them drive this way – and they take a natural pride in driving safely.

‘As a unit, we’ve got 22 vans in Crewkerne that cover a total of 14,500 delivery points and a number of older – more experienced – drivers.

‘We have a lot of small roads around here as it is mainly rural which is challenging – so drivers do tend to be very aware of safety as a result.’

Nick and Workplace coach, Matt Sweet, admit that they are proactive when it comes to analysing the data from the unit’s vehicle Trimbles.

Matt says: ‘I can go onto the Trimble and show our drivers where they are going wrong and where they are doing well.

‘I think all managers should really understand how the Trimble works and how to use the data.

‘Because with the Trimble, you can analyse exactly where events happen on a route – and see where excessive braking and accelerating are happening so that it can be addressed.

‘Me and Nick have had to buy into using the Trimble data ourselves – but the staff have really bought into it too. If you use it to engage people properly, there is no need for coaching.

Driver Jade Hayward says: ‘I have been here for four years now.

‘The expectation for staff is that safety is the most important thing. Your safety is the most important thing – the message is to keep yourself safe and follow the Royal Mail rules.

‘I think ultimately you need to respect our vehicles as you would your own car – with no harsh braking or accelerating.’

WPC Matt says: ‘I recommend looking at Trimble data first thing in the morning when colleagues come in to work and discussing any issues then.’

‘Sharing the Trimble data has definitely improved this office,’ adds COM Nick.

‘It takes two minutes a day to through the data and every manager has access to it.’

However they do acknowledge that perfect scores do not always equal perfect safety.

‘You can’t always account for your immediate reaction to brake when there is something coming towards you,’ says Matt. ‘And in cases like that, safety comes ahead of Trimble.

‘Sometimes you do have to call IT to get the Trimbles recalibrated too.

‘But if you work with them and understand the data, they are definitely a great tool for reducing RTCs and ensuring that vehicle safety stays at the top of the agenda.’