#InTheHeadlights This Week: Debbie Halliday

In the run-up to National Lorry Week, which begins on the 16th of November, each week we’ll be sharing stories from our very own HGV Heroes here at Alltruck plc.

 

#InTheHeadlights this week is Debbie Halliday

 

Debbie Halliday is Alltruck plc’s Finance Director, as well as co-owner of the business. Debbie is there to make sure everyone’s got the right tools to be able to do their jobs effectively. She also keeps the travel of the business going in the right direction, ensuring that the business continues to grow, allowing our people to flourish.

 

Watch Debbie’s video here:

 

 

 

How long have you been working in the Transport Industry?

Since January 1999, when I joined Alltruck plc. I joined the company as a Managing Accountant.

Before then, I had no experience in the Transport Industry at all.

 

What did you do prior to joining Alltruck plc?

Before I joined Alltruck, I was a Managing Accountant at Triumph Motorcycles for a couple of years.

My graduate role was with… Well, it was a joint venture at the time between Vodafone and Ericson – so I was in the Mobile Phone Industry.

 

What are your thoughts on the Transport Industry?

The Transport Industry is a necessity that people take for granted. People don’t really appreciate the importance of the Transport Industry, and the way that goods get from A to B is via the Transport Industry. People don’t understand the importance or the complexity of what working in the industry entails.

 

What’s one thing about the industry you wish people who aren’t in it knew about?

I have a real appreciation for our drivers on the road driving HGVs. Most people don’t realise that all HGVs over 7.5t’s are restricted to 56mph.

So, when we get frustrated as one lorry overtakes the next one and we get stuck behind it. I think we don’t realise that they can’t actually go any faster. It’s just that one calibration of 56mph isn’t quite the same as the next calibration.

And, again, I don’t think people realise how much space they need when they pull out to overtake, because of the fact that lorries haven’t got as much visibility. Although that is being improved all the time.

Secondly, I don’t think people appreciate the legislation that exists in the industry.  Every commercial vehicle has to be inspected, often every 6 weeks, and I think that’s just completely unknown to the general public. They may assume that they just have to go for an annual MOT, but actually, there’s a lot that goes on to make sure that our trucks are safe on the road.

 

What do you think you are the biggest challenges that the industry faces today?

I think it’s trying to understand what the future of the industry looks like from an environmental perspective.

If it’s not going to be a diesel engine – what is it going to be? Is it going to be hydrogen? Is it going to be electric? What does that look like?

We need to think about how we can continue to create the movement of goods that we need to in the most environmentally efficient way. That’s the challenge.

 

What makes you proud to be in the industry?

I’m incredibly proud of Alltruck and what we’ve achieved. There are lots of companies that rent trucks, like we do, and operate trucks.

For me, what makes me proud is our people. Our people are amazing.

How we serve our clients is very people-driven. How we deal with breakdowns, how we are proud to ensure that we keep our trucks well maintained, how our staff takes what they do very, very seriously. We respect the industry and we respect what we’ve got to do in it, but it’s the people at Alltruck that make me proud every day.