Truck Excellence, unveiled at the CV Show (26—28 April 2016, NEC, Birmingham) has been developed by FTA members and will also be governed them.
“The scheme has been developed to include a modular approach, making it flexible enough to adapt to the changing standards of other accreditation schemes – looking to make the scheme both cost effective and future-proof,” comments Sally Thornley, FTA director of standards, audit and accreditation.
Thornley says Truck Excellence is the only national scheme that accredits operators against their operator licence undertakings – explaining that each standard maps to operators’ O licence obligations and associated legislation.
Key areas covered by the scheme include operator licensing, transport management, operating centres and vehicles, maintenance systems, drivers’ hours, working time and records, and good repute.
Operator audits will focus on the ‘Plan, Do, Check, Act’ approach recommended by the HSE and Institute of Directors in the publication ‘Leading Health and Safety at Work’, looking at the role of the licence holder as well as the transport manager.
FTA says accredited operators will be able to demonstrate the steps they have taken to manage their risk and obligations under their O licence, should one of their vehicles be involved in an incident.