West of England traffic commissioner Sarah Bell has told transport managers not to overlook the importance of their relationship with maintenance contractors, stating that "they should be considered as your best friend".
Bell made the comments as part of an FTA (Freight Transport Association) web chat, and also praised the work of transport managers.
"Transport managers have to be able to communicate with the drivers, with the training and support staff, right through, potentially for some, to board level, and that in itself is a talent," she said.
"Maintenance features heavily in public inquiries," continued the traffic commissioner. "Maintenance contractors not only tell the transport manager and operators a lot about their vehicles but also about their drivers.
"If they are doing a thorough inspection and if there are driver reportable items appearing on the preventive maintenance inspection sheet time after time, that contractor is telling you how your drivers are performing – not just how the vehicles are performing," she added.
