Tag Archive for: driving

Back to School: How to Start a Career in Logistics

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It’s September, which means millions of people, young and old, are returning to an educational establishment of some variety in order to, ultimately, better their prospects in the employment market. Here at Barnes, we pride ourselves on employing experienced transport professionals in our teams, in order to ensure a superior service for our clients – but how exactly can one go about starting a career in logistics?

 

There is no one route into the logistics industry given the incredible variety in roles – leading to a diverse workplace filled with workers from a range of backgrounds.

 

For those who know that the supply chain industry is their goal, there are a huge range of higher education courses available – Coventry, Edge Hill and Liverpool John Moores are just a handful of Universities who offer degrees such in supply chain and transport management at both Bachelors and Masters levels.

 

Of course, it is certainly not uncommon that those at the age of 17 are unsure of which sector they wish to spend their post-graduate lives; so, logistics and supply chain courses are not the only path into a career. Those who have degrees based in law, business and management, IT, design or engineering will find a career in the logistics industry where their skills can flourish. From HR to fuel efficiency testing, working in an industry with high levels of professional standards and the strive for continual improvement will provide graduates with a challenging yet satisfying career.

 

Particularly in the last few years as fees have been hiked exponentially and interest rates on student debts seem to see no stability, going to University is not always a plausible, or even possible, route for young people to take. This is where the benefits of apprenticeships cannot be applauded loudly enough: providing the opportunity to gain relevant industry experience and training without the pressure of fee debts.

 

Early next year, the Supply Chain Academy is due to launch an integrated degree-apprenticeship, where students will be employed throughout their training, and will spend a fifth of their time on academic study. This is an incredibly exciting scheme that will allow apprentices to benefit from a fully professionalised course, leading to the younger generation entering the industry to bring far more skills than ever before.

 

Of course, we cannot discuss careers in the logistics industry without mentioning the most vital players in the supply chain: our drivers. To become a professional driver, one must be over 18 and hold a full car driving license in order to complete their Driver CPC – the Certificate of Professional Competence – on a provisional lorry license. Just as in a car driving test, the Driver CPC involves theoretical and practical tests; which incorporate hazard perception and the analysis of case studies.

 

Potential new drivers must then complete the practical test: lasting an hour and a half, drivers must answer questions on vehicle safety and complete both on and off-road driving. Finally, upon successfully passing the practical driving test one must complete a practical demonstration test, where one shows the ability to safely assess and load a HGV, their ability to deal with emergency situations and how to stop the trafficking of illegal immigrants – a subject much talked about in the news recently, as hauliers have seen a 12% increase in fines due to illegal migrants in their vehicles.

 

If a career in the diverse, exciting and demanding world of logistics is one which you might be considering, get in touch with our Barnes team today.

Black Dog In The Cab – The Unwanted Passenger

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In a slight redux of a blog post from April of this year we’re going to examine, in greater detail, a particularly concerning health trend in transport professionals – that of mental health, and the causality of problems therein. We have been inspired to further explore this on the back of a recent call, by the Road Transport Industry Training Board, for operators to prioritize the mental health of employees. It’s not an unreasonable suggestion, and as a company which takes a wholistic approach to the conditions of the most important assets we have, devoting some energy to this problem and limiting its potential occurrence is nothing if not sound practice.

It is important, however, for us at Barnes Logistics to consider this from an industry-wide perspective, and not to complacently suppose we are the only company whose drivers are vulnerable to the issue. No… in order to work towards a solution, we must first identify the problems which are, unfortunately, inherent within road transport, and consider what we are doing and what we can do better. Only then will sustainable action be possible.

What can really mislead the casual observer, with little operative knowledge of logistics, is that it looks like a stroll in the park, being paid to drive a well-appointed truck and have a constantly changing vista from one’s office as you traverse the nation. These very true aspects can equally throw many relatively inexperienced, recently qualified, professionals impressed by the huge responsibilities entrusted to their care by a company actively supportive of the recruitment of the future generations of road transport operatives.

However, with experience comes the knowledge that very real stresses are ubiquitous in even the most average of days, and such stresses have, over time, become the accepted ‘new normal’. Be it the pressure of doing battle with the obstacle which is a road network which is increasingly congested in aiming to meet very strict delivery time-slots, finding one’s self away from home for more nights than is ideal for a desired work-life balance, or realizing that an accumulation of familiar factors, otherwise beyond one’s control, will leave one with a perceived, and false, sense of shortfall against routinely professional personal standards of work.

To name all but a few, manfully, in what remains a disproportionately male-dominated arena, conceding that this is just the way it is for all is to avoid the issue, leaving one susceptible to more profound problems which can, if allowed to fester, compound both cause and consequence, challenging one’s motivation, purpose, and rational sense of accomplishment under difficult circumstances; and however one may attempt to re-package this for personal ease, the most rudimentary diagnosis is that it is a mental health problem.

There are likely more scientific or clinically sophisticated terms for any such denial, but it is broadly understood as ‘bottling-up’, and there need be no place or need for such in a world and workplace which is constantly in quest of greater efficiencies through tactility and a better understanding of human resource needs. It only does good to talk, and there will always be an ear.

We would like to think, at Barnes Logistics, that our business model challenges old-fashioned convention in road transport, that our ‘open door’ policy and efforts towards encouraging a social camaraderie after we have all clocked-off in some way help to mitigate stresses which characterize a typical shift, and that the conditions we offer our professionals make the battle one easier won.

However, it is a salient point that the needs of BLL, and fellow logistics providers, is very much the whim of our customers in broader industry, and until we have all made a concerted effort towards a quantum jump in operations, which as good as puts the potential metaphorical ‘black dog’ to sleep, we must all keep our sights on the incremental improvements in conditions which have a barely noticeable impact on customer needs, and a huge positive impact in maintaining a positive and motivated attitude in a workplace which will always have stresses in some shape or form.

It has taken many years of effort in pursuit of the goal which has seen visible illnesses such as obesity and coronary heart disease, associated with road transport, progressively become the exception to the rule. It’s time we all, afflicted or otherwise, fully opened our eyes and saw the hidden which is everywhere, for the equally damaging malady that it is. Conventional wisdom encourages one to express ailments such as an upset stomach, and understand the cause with no stigma attached – mental health should have no inalienable privilege to the contrary.

Intelligent Design – An Evolution For The Environment

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The following paragraphs almost read quite differently to how they currently do, with writes, re-writes, and much editing down in an attempt to try and get over a point which is of much concern to us and, we hope, the broader public. It was few thousand words which, at times and rather uncomfortably, teetered on the edge of that chasm of apocalypse which characterizes the, understandably impassioned but often irrational, debate regarding pollution and the environment which it, without any doubt, is doing great damage to. Then an announcement was made by the Department of Transport, and it changed, entirely, the tone in which this latest blog speaks, with negativity giving way to positivity.

The announcement stated that the UK government intends to bring to an end the sale of new diesel and petrol-powered cars by the year 2040. That is, at present, only ‘the sale’, and specifically ‘new cars’, and comes as the latest in a line of announcements by other governments and of car manufacturers, indicating some strong momentum away from internal combustion. At a first cynical glance, from a UK perspective, this means that the used fossil-fuel car market will take a good decade-or-so to wind down, and there may suddenly be a mushrooming of sales of small vans as people attempt to take advantage of such loopholes. So it is, realistically, quite a long time down the road, and much can happen before then. I mean, to lend the timeline some perspective, a young couple who may have just invested in a smart new car, could, if purchase and re-purchase trends hold, be on their fourth or fifth new car some twenty-three years from now, and on their way to a maternity unit to welcome their latest grandchild into the world.

How does this affect the operations of Barnes Logistics? On the face of it, not a great deal. However, it isn’t some irrational display of clairvoyance to predict that heavy goods vehicles will one day benefit from a massive propulsion re-design, and it got us thinking as to what will our fleet of lorries will look like in the year 2040. It’s just that we’re not planning on going anywhere but forward, up to and beyond that date with destiny for cars, in the future.

Nobody could really say operating a modern fleet of trucks is fun recreation – it’s costly, a headache of regulations, and they are rather attention-seeking when it comes to the strict maintenance regime we observe. A fleet consumes thousands of litres of fuel per day, and operations are replete with any number of factors which can impede or halt progress. However, they are quite an essential tool in industry, supporting people and growth and contributing to prosperity for all. Aye, there’s the rub, and as things stand, it is a real question of ‘To be or not to be?’ if one wishes to retain a presence in the road transport industry. For the present and for the movement on the roads of the size of loads our trucks and those of other operators carry, diesel trucks are the only cost-effective show in town. For the future, however, we at Barnes hasten the advent of economically and environmentally efficient hybrid commercial vehicles. The technology is there, and has been for many, many years. From the once familiar sight of an electric milk-float, right up to some of the largest quarrying trucks, moving 350+ tonnes per-load. It is a question of range and efficiency with regards application, but it will come, and we welcome it.

I think one of the dilemmas for the majority must be that we have, in rather a short space of time, become very conditioned to the internal combustion engine as the pinnacle of transport engineering, and the idea of not having it or of having the choice of ownership taken away is considered a violation against the personal. Yes…it is a marvellous piece of engineering, in its time, in the same way a valve television once was. Like such televisions, the engine as we know it may well, one day, occupy a place in a museum of historical curiosities. I relish the idea of our successors looking upon such an exhibit with amusement, as a token of a time when things were less sophisticated and less advanced; and, like more enlightened thinking about now outdated and less efficient forms of transport of goods and people saw an end to certain other fuel sources’ use, so it will with regards to current modes. To give the understandable environmental concerns all the credit for re-design is to miss a point, as the perpetual enquiry inherent in technological research was always going to render much of what we know and currently use to be obsolete, given a long enough timeline.

Another bit of misdirection which the eventual eradication of diesel and petrol engines lends itself to is a kind of panic thought that we will not recognize the few vehicles we perceive will remain, when oil-burners have gone. Except, just as evolution of an organic species is a slow and long game, the technological evolution of manufactured goods is a rapid one which implements re-design to a consumer block so accustomed to upgrading with every tenth breath, with the majority of re-design being solely in function, and only a slight margin given to appearance. This is intentional, as whilst we demand improved function and application, our eyes are an early warning system, and if something looks too suddenly alien or a threat to what we understand, we’re less likely to readily engage. In the manufacture of vehicles, this has put far more not instantly recognizable hybrid cars on the road in the last decade-or-so than we would believe, and our obsession with the known aesthetic is why these cars of the future have few of the very acute angles and long sweeping arcs which our naive imagination had us drawing as children. Yes…a mid 20th century vehicle looks markedly different to a new vehicle on a forecourt, today. But, given that the engined car is, only about 130 years old, it’s a cosmetic evolution as comparatively slow as us creeping from the primordial swamp, to where we are now.

However the inevitable socio-economic evolution alters truck design, the Barnes Logistics of the future will embrace such changes, as we’re sufficiently pragmatic to understand that all evolutions have one steering principle…efficiency. Like anything evolved, the internal combustion engine is going, and it was on its way out as soon as it was formed, as there are certain engineering design compromises which lend it a certain efficiency, but nowhere near the potential of yet to be exploited sources of energy. As a company, we equally demand new efficiencies, and embrace all mechanisms which encourage such. We just eagerly await technological advances in truck design, as newer and more sustainably efficient trucks will be good…the four charging horses of Barnes Logistics on their bodywork will be better.

Summer Driving – It’s All About Attitude

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We’re marching on through July, and we here at Barnes Logistics have been considering the challenges which annually face our transport side as the summer holidays and the heat of the season takes over, in earnest.

One of the issues, if one can call it such, is that the majority of our core clients and their industries are not really in a position to pause production for a period of note, with the ‘butterfly effect’ of the supply chain demanding we, as a key link in that chain, continue in our endeavours of getting the goods to exactly where our clients want them, when they want them; and our team of transport professionals are at the sharp end of making this happen. Of course, being summer, members of our workforce are equally keen to take well-earned leave themselves; and with our transport management team co-ordinating operations to ensure staffing levels are right to keep the industry moving, it is never far from their minds just what the challenges are for our drivers out on the road; and they know it isn’t just sunshine and an unequal tan to one’s right arm. It is a time of year which presents its own peculiar problems and considerations.

Time spent at any of the hotspots on the arterial routes to the UK’s holiday destinations during summer will inform the observer that traffic volume increases immensely, with those for whom the road network is their workplace noticing the seasonal change the most. With increased volume comes increased potential for any number of variable factors to have an acute effect on the progress of the working day, the health of one’s vehicle, and, of paramount importance, the health of one’s self. The potential for accidents to cause misery and delays, and for this to be compounded by a repetition, under stress and frustration, can not be understated. However, if we all pause to dedicate a few moments to consider how we are all simply trying to get somewhere, and how a little preparation of both the vehicle and the self can fundamentally improve progress for all, and there’s a strong possibility we won’t yield to the popular thought that the roads are a hellish cauldron of aggression inside a particularly unpleasant war-zone.

To present a tick-list of checks to one’s vehicle for summer driving wouldn’t actually read much different than likewise for winter. It’s tyres, oil, coolant, screen-wash, lights, bodywork, load etc. Professionals like Barnes drivers know this, and it is one of their first actions at the start of every working day. Hot weather is no bar to the unforeseen happening, and it does make a different set of demands on vehicle and performance; but personal responsibility and vehicle husbandry is the most effective mechanism for minimizing its effect.

Preparing the personal for the added stresses of operating on a vastly more populated road network is a strategy very much aided by attitude. You see, nobody really embarks on a journey with the intention to obstruct or delay others; but it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing so, if one’s own journey is hampered. It needn’t be so, and it is far better to be a part of the solution, as opposed to the problem. So if we consider that every road-user has equal merit and an equal desire to safely reach their destination, and that our journeys are actually no more or less important than those of others, we can possibly share a better level of understanding and co-operation. It’s a common-sense constituent part of professionalism, remaining calm and focussed when much around appears to be combining and conspiring to scupper one’s ship of progress. Equally professional is knowing when a short break can be the tonic to refresh and re-boot the self and one’s calmer approach. Five minutes sat on the other side of the cab, wrapping one’s self around some of the contents of one’s flask, can only have a positive effect.

Progress, productivity, and a better sense of accomplishment can only increase as a result of a re-think of approach, leaving us all to enjoy a glorious summer in a less stressful and far safer environment.

Mobiles at the Wheel: What More Can Be Done?

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It was reported this month that the latest crackdown on motorists who use their phone at the wheel is largely being ignored by drivers. A massive 6,000 motorists were penalised within the first four weeks of the implementation. Although the law was only implemented on March 1st, and it may take time for public knowledge of the new law to become widespread, these figures reveal that one driver every seven minutes is being caught using their phone at the wheel, which is an enormous figure for such a short time…

 

Here at Barnes, we’ve been wondering why exactly is the public choosing to disregard this new law? What can be done to encourage responsible driving, and what will it take for them to tuck their device safely away in the glove box?

 

Texting whilst driving may be due to our brain’s hardwiring, according to research by Dr. Susan Weinschenk of the University of Wisconsin. Every text and message we receive is the equivalent to a small hit of dopamine, or instant happiness – and, when it comes to motorway driving, distraction. As humans crave that dopamine hit, their hands will reach temptingly to view a text message. We also frequently overestimate our ability to multitask: if we’ve texted whilst driving once with no consequences, then it can become habitual, as we think we can do it every time without a hitch.

 

Yet the price of this overestimation and temptation is clear; in 2012 the Department for Transport advised that of the 88 deaths caused by distraction, the majority were due to mobile phone use. So, what can be done to prove to motorists the dangers of this distraction? One initiative that firms are rolling out is to provide all their drivers with hands-free Bluetooth sets for their vehicles to fully deter mobile phone use. While this is a potentially expensive solution, it would provide safer driving for motorists, as their concentration is fully focused on the roads ahead when on the phone.

 

However, this is not a completely perfect solution – as even Bluetooth hands-free sets can sometimes be a distraction themselves, if their settings need tending to or if something goes wrong with them – as is often the case with technology.

 

Could more be done by the Government to show the public the devastation that is caused by using mobile phones on the road? It would seem that tougher sanctions might not have had the desired effect. Iconic ‘It’s 30 for a reason’ videos and posters have been shown over the past decade depicting people haunted by graphic images of child victims, from their choice to speed in 30mph zones. Might it be time for the Government to tackle mobile phones at the wheel with more hard hitting videos and posters alongside their current imagery, which simply show phones in a glove compartment and a sign with two messages?

Whether it comes from business leaders, local councils or a national campaign from the Government, one thing’s for sure: one driver every seven minutes caught using mobile devices is a startling figure which must be tackled.

Warehouse Safety Tips

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While employee safety is a priority in any field, particular care needs to be taken in distribution, warehousing and manufacturing industries. And since June is National Safety Month, we’ve compiled some safety tips which we abide by at Barnes that are essential for working in a warehouse environment.

 

Training For Employees – It may seem simple, but the importance of thorough and regular training cannot be undervalued. Without it, it is undeniable that accidents are more likely, as employees will not know the proper procedures and the right health and safety regulations. With proper training, employees are equipped with the most up to date knowledge if they happen to be faced with dangerous situations.

 

Safe Spaces – Did you know that falls and slips are the most common accident within the workplace? This includes warehouses – but if employees are well aware of their surroundings and guard rails are installed, falls can be prevented. Likewise, spillages and messes must be cleaned up as soon as possible to avoid this kind of accident.

 

Good Organisation – Keeping the work environment clean and well organized is another simple way to prevent disaster which can often become overlooked. Good storage is necessary to prevent overflow issues; and storage solutions should be clearly labelled and easily accessible. Employees should also be able to co-ordinate with one another and communicate effectively to work in the most efficient and safe manner, and prevent accidents that may occur via miscommunication or mismanagement.

 

Safe Equipment – Another safety tip is to ensure that proper safety equipment is easily accessible and available and – most importantly – regularly used. Whether using hard hats or safety harnesses, employees who are capable of protecting themselves and do so as second nature are much less likely to be injured. This equipment should be regularly inspected to ensure that it offers maximum protection. Many companies have found success by adopting a zero-tolerance policy for employees who fail to use safety equipment or use it inappropriately.

 

Fire Prevention – Fires cause enormous and disastrous damage in the workplace, ruining lives and families – and yet can be so easily prevented. To prevent disaster: remove electrical cords from under carpets, check for leaks in containers holding flammable gasses and liquids and regularly replace worn and exposed wires. Should the worst happen and a fire break out, it’s vital to ensure that you have practiced regular fire drills (you’d be surprised how effective these are to keep employees calm in the case of emergencies), and make sure everyone knows where the fire exits are in the building, and actually know how to use a fire extinguisher and first aid kits.

 

Regular Maintenance – All equipment—especially any heavy machinery—should be regularly inspected and properly maintained. This not only helps prevent injuries, but keeps the warehouse running smoothly and efficiently. When it comes to the safety of your warehouse employees, spending a bit up front in proper safety training as well as in proper storage units and ergonomic tools can go a long way to saving considerably more in the high costs of workplace injuries.

 

We hope you join us in celebrating National Safety Month, and that these top Barnes tips will help to make your warehouse a safer – and, therefore, happier and more productive – place for your employees.

A Day in the Life of a Barnes Driver

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May is National Share Your Story month, so we thought we’d celebrate by walking a day in our very own drivers’ shoes, and discovering what it’s like to be a Barnes driver. So many people dream of having a career flexible enough to travel the length of the country every day, or even hopping overseas, all whilst having the opportunity to meet new people as well as receiving consistent support from their employers. At Barnes Logistics, this lifestyle is a reality every day for our team.

 

Brendan Norman is a highly valued driver within the company. To offer a genuine insight into what it’s like to be a Barnes Logistic employee, we caught up with Brendan to find out what life on the road is really like.

 

Brendan starts every day by catching up with his work colleagues, relishing the value that close working relationships bring. “Every morning I get to see my work mates and have some banter,’ says Brendan, ‘and of course the first thing I do each morning is perform my vehicle safety checks. This is everything from checking and adjusting tyre pressure to scanning the truck for physical faults. After this, it’s time to load up! Depending on how many stops I need to make that day affects how long loading takes, but I always make time for a drink. I can’t start my day without my decaf coffee – I’ve recently given up caffeine!”

 

When on the road, Brendan has his go-to playlist to help him along any long drives: “Anything by Elton John, especially his more upbeat songs. They really help keep me motivated, and are definitely an advantage during heavy or standstill traffic!”

 

When he’s driving, Brendan knows the temptations that roadside stops and cafes can bring! But Brendan resists, well aware of the health risks which can be associated with the driving lifestyle.  But who can say no to a Friday treat? “I pick myself a chocolate chip cookie when I fuel up – only once a week mind!”, says Brendan.

 

Now, onto the big question: What’s Brendan’s favourite thing about being a Barnes driver? “It’s hard to pick one thing! I suppose if I narrowed it down, my two favourite things about being a driver with Barnes has to be the team I work with, plus the hours work really well for my lifestyle.”

Battling Drivers’ Health Threats

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Organised by WHO, World Health Day was a global health awareness day on 7th April. In honour of this day, we are looking at two increasingly common health threats to those working in the road haulage industry and how to combat them: obesity and stress.

 

Obesity

Many studies throughout the years have shown that those in the road haulage industry are at a higher risk of developing obesity. The Institute for Occupational Safety and Health conducted a study on thousands of American truck drivers, and found that drivers were twice as likely to be obese than the rest of the working population, with 69% percent of participants being overweight. Although there are some cultural considerations to be taken into account, this does show that obesity seems to be a risk to haulage drivers, which brings with it an increased risk of further diseases such as diabetes and heart attacks.

 

This is most likely to be due to long periods of time spent sedentary in the cab, combined with limited options for healthy foods on the road. So, what can be done to combat this? You don’t need to run a marathon or sweat it out every night at a spin class – even 10 minutes of activity every day will help to move your muscles and joints, raise your metabolism and get your circulation pumping. If you have time, before your lunch take yourself for a quick stroll or perform some simple stretch exercises such as lunges, squats and these great full body stretches from Positive Health Wellness. If it’s not possible to get these exercises in over lunch or breaks, do them once you get home. It may be hard at first, as we all know how tired we feel when we walk through the front door after a long shift, but keep telling yourself that it’s only ten minutes, and your body will thank you.

 

Another great way to help curb the risk of obesity is to plan and prep your meals. Many truckers fall prey to irregular meal times and rely on unhealthy snacks such as crisps, chocolate bars and fast food to keep themselves going. By prepping your favourite home cooked meals, you can be sure that you’ve got wholesome and satisfying foods to keep you fuelled on the road – who can say no to homemade chilli con carne or chicken casserole? Finally, remember to keep a water bottle on you at all times – hydration is incredibly important.

 

Stress

Over the last decade, stress has become part and parcel of working in post-economic crash world – everyone’s stressed out, right? But it shouldn’t be this way – a small amount of stress in some situations is normal, but constant stress builds up in the body and has effects on both our physical and mental health.

 

Tight deadlines and financial situations can lead to a constant feeling of dread, anxiety and overwhelming fear of failure. In the past couple of years, more focus has been put on recognising stress and the damaging effects it has, as well as how it can be treated. One of the first steps which you can take to combat stress is to reach out to friends or family to let them know how you feel – this can seem tricky and you may feel vulnerable, but nothing adds on to stress more than holding it all in!

 

The healthy eating and exercise tips above help beat stress, and further simple steps like trying to get enough sleep will help. We understand that many drivers work on shifts and can be driving throughout the night and into the early hours of the morning, so it can be difficult to go to bed at the same time every night – but what you can do is to make sure that the sleep that you’re getting is good quality. The best way to do this is to not look at any screens an hour before you go to bed. Yes, that means putting your phone down, not sneaking a look at your tablet and turning off the TV! Use the hour before bed as a treat to yourself – light a candle and read a book, or take your time to relax as you prepare and cook your healthy meals for the next day.

 

A further step which can be taken if you find your stress levels are starting to affect your health and relationships is to talk to your company. Book an appointment with HR to discuss your issues – it is highly unlikely that anyone will judge you negatively; in fact, they will more than likely praise you for your courage in admitting that your current workload is having a negative impact.

 

We hope this brief insight into the common health risks facing haulage drivers will help raise awareness on how to deal with these issues. Remember, if you’re ever worried about your health, visit your GP.

The Benefits of ‘Just In Time’

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We live in a fast paced world where many of us are controlled by our strict schedules – be this in our personal life or our work life – and, as a result, we are constantly striving to achieve new goals and meet deadlines. Other daily pressures often come from the fear of over-production; we are consistently encouraged to produce as little waste as possible, despite small volumes of waste often seeming inevitable.

In the logistics industry, these factors are even more prevalent, particularly as the strive to meet customer demand is a daily task. That’s why at Barnes Logistics, we aim to maximise our efficiency through a ‘Just In Time’ strategy. This, combined with our experience and expertise has proven invaluable to a number of industries.

The concept of ‘Just In Time’ (JIT), may sound stressful, or remind you of the colleague who regularly arrives at the office ‘just in time’, but in reality the method is consistently efficient and helps reduce global waste, so everyone’s a winner! As a result, the approach has been adopted within the manufacturing sector for a number of years.

The method is simple: flow times are reduced as orders are only moved to specific locations at the required time; reducing the amount of inventory, which in turn reduces waste and saves money.

This means that a production cycle is only started after a customer order is placed and stocks delivered only when necessary. The process has been coined ‘lean production’ – but what exactly does this mean? The philosophy began at the British Motor Corporation plant in Australia, before heading to Japan where its usefulness was maximised. The Japanese wished to eradicate ‘muda’ – any form of waste, from effort to materials to time. Although the method requires intensely designed warehouse systems, sophisticated tracking and accurate and synchronised operation management, the philosophy has been incorporated into our own business.

But why bother with a ‘Just In Time’ system? Whilst it may seem a complex scheme with extensive planning and management (which it does!), companies such as ours revel in such processes due to our experience in managing ‘Just In Time’ logistics. Our primary aim as a business is to keep our customers happy, and through this methodological approach, we know that our services are maximised, allowing an improved outcome for the customer, from a trusted logistical source.

We can help with a range of logistical matters, no matter how big or small. Feel free to get in touch with us today.

Show Your Truck Some Love

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February: the month of love. But put down those flowers and chocolates because here at Barnes we think it’s time to show your truck some love! Not only will taking some time out of your day to ensure your truck’s at its best help with driving efficiency, but it will also hugely increase safety for yourself and other road users.

 

Firstly, always ensure that you have time for a walk around inspection of the vehicle – the best time to do this is just before it’s about to be driven; and is even more important when the vehicle hasn’t been driven for some time. If anything looks out of place, do not take any risks and report it.

 

Brakes are one of the most important safety measures, so check their efficiency with a brake test. Your vehicle should be loaded to ensure that a higher brake force before wheel lock can be tested (you should aim to apply at least 65% of the design axle weight on each axle), and brakes can be tested on a clean and well-gritted roller-brake tester (or RBT). The number of wheels which lock will differ from vehicle to vehicle – but remember that a locked wheel does not always mean a good brake.

 

Refresh your truck and give it an oil change – but might it be time to look at a new oil? There are so many choices out there from the commonly used E7, but consider switching to an oil which can be more fuel efficient such as E4 as E6. Even though many manufacturers have specific oil types, E6 oils meet many E4 and E7 requirements. Whichever oil you choose to use, why not take the time to check and top up or replace your oil to revitalise your HGV.

 

Finally, when was the last time you had a look at your headlights? The days may be getting very marginally brighter, but headlights are still a necessity not only for night time driving but also for driving in adverse weather conditions. But remember, when replacing a headlamp one of the most important factors is aim. Since April 2015, the Government changed that way headlamp aim is measured on MOT tests, aimed at making them more simple to understand and pass.

We hope that these top Barnes tips will persuade you to take just a little time out of your day to show your truck some love this February, and will help make your driving safer and more efficient.

 

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Barnes Logistics’ fleet operates from more than seven sites across the country and supports a nationwide client base.

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We supply ‘just in time’ logistics support and warehousing to businesses across the UK.

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Barnes Logistics Ltd
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