LEAMINGTON SPA: Wolseley UK has achieved Van Excellence accreditation for its high standards of van operator compliance.
Wolseley UK, one of the first companies in the building services industry to receive Van Excellence status, has met these standards by implementing regular and documented van maintenance programmes, driver logs, daily inspections of vehicles and regular driver training. It also passed a rigorous independent audit, which saw auditors visit 10 of its branches at random and examine 10 driving licences and training records of employees.
Emerson Combstock, the national merchant's transport planning manager, said: "It is very important to us that we look after the people driving our vans, along with the vans themselves and achieving Van Excellence status publicly demonstrates our commitment to operational excellence.
"We're proud to be one of the only firms in our industry to demonstrate consistently high standards across our fleet, from our biggest lorries to our smallest vans."
Mark Cartwright, FTA's head of vans and light commercial vehicles, said: "The benefits of achieving Van Excellence accreditation are many. Not only are accredited fleets more economical, which means they are kinder to the environment, they ultimately reduce operating costs.
"By signing up, businesses will learn about how the best operators train and look after their drivers and show how this affects their vehicle damage expenses, fuel costs and whole-life vehicle costs. It's not just a set of standards but a way of sharing best practice, too."
