Fleet drivers at Northern Powergrid have responded enthusiastically to the firm’s new Advanced Driver Training, with scores of employees taking up the offer.
The energy supplier runs a fleet of 2,200 vehicles, including 800 commercial vehicles and 1,400 company cars.
While all its fleet drivers already undergo rigorous assessment of their driving skills before they are approved to drive company vehicles for work, a new initiative with IAM RoadSmart enables employees to undertake further development of their driving skills in their own time, and to achieve IAM RoadSmart’s Advanced Driver qualification as a result.
It’s already proved popular with staff. More than 190 fleet and grey fleet drivers from Northern Powergrid took up their employer’s offer of an Advanced Driver course in 2020.
John Wilkinson, driver safety and performance manager at Northern Powergrid, said: “With some of our employees covering more than 30,000 miles each year in the course of work, we’re really pleased with the uptake of our offer to support our employees in becoming safer drivers.
“With our vehicles travelling in all weather conditions, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, covering an area of nearly 10,000 square miles across a mix of major, urban and rural roads, we will be considering further opportunities in the future to ensure our workers have the skills they need while on the roads.”
