Alltruck plc and Harmony Timber Solutions Ltd. achieve FORS Bronze Accreditation

Protecting the value of our customer’s brand and reputation drives everything we do, it’s where our passion lies.

On Friday, our Key Account Manager, Wayne Nicholson, shared with the rest of the company some FANTASTIC news which exemplifies that very passion and drive!

Here is the “Good News Friday” email from Wayne that we all received:

 

Hi Alltrucker’s! I am so so so pleased & proud to announce Alltruck plc has reached another milestone in our amazing history……..we have just been awarded FORS Bronze Accreditation for our distribution contract with Harmony Timbers.
Not only have we achieved the accreditation but we were then randomly chosen for a second quality control audit and still on our first attempt we had a 100% compliance pass rate!!

 

What is a FORS accreditation?

The Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) is a voluntary accreditation scheme for fleet operators with almost a decade of established history behind it. Now with well over 4000 members nationally, it’s renowned as a valuable set of standards that both benefit the wellbeing of vulnerable road users and brings a range of advantages to fleet operators.

The distinction of being FORS-accredited gives the operator a demonstrable sign of their commitment to managing road risk, as well as reducing their carbon footprint while boosting their operational efficiency. This not only earns them credit and professional respect from within the industry but in many cases can help attract contracts and other forms of business from clients who admire the operators’ ethics and initiative.

You can find out more about the FORS accreditation on their website:

What is a distribution contract? Why both Alltruck plc and Harmony Timber Solutions Ltd. are celebrating the FORS Bronze achievement

At Alltruck plc, we offer distribution contracts, which is the arrangement we currently have with Harmony Timber Solutions Ltd..

Our distribution contracts differ from our contract hire solutions quite significantly. In both our contract hire and distribution contacts, Alltruck plc will provide the truck, arrange livery if required, maintain the truck (e.g. sort out MOTs, inspections, LOLER tests, tachograph calibrations ect.), as well as having a dedicated fleet team to help you deal with any breakdowns or issues with your vehicle.

However, with our distribution contracts, Alltruck plc will do all the above, as well as provide you with our own drivers, employed by ourselves. This means we will arrange all the drivers’ training, deal with health and safety measures, arrange cover for the drivers’ holidays, or when they are off sick and we’ll assess and monitor your driver data through tacho analysis.

Alltruck plc holds the O-Licence for the companies who have a distribution contract with us, and therefore deal with the compliance, which is why it is ‘Alltruck plc’ on the FORS bronze certificate as opposed to Harmony Timber Solutions Ltd..

Finally, one of the main factors of our distribution contracts is our open-book account policy with the companies who opt for this solution. A Contract Manager is assigned to your company and will present the open-book accounts monthly, look after the drivers, and take on the responsibility and will advise you on how to keep a clean O-Licence. They will also take the time to truly understand you and your business, ensure that you have the correct vehicle for your needs, and they will be there to listen and offer their expert logistical advice.

What will becoming FORS accredited mean for Harmony Timber Solution Ltd.?

Firstly, becoming FORS accredited will open the door to many more customers for Harmony Timber Solutions. This is because more and more companies, across many industries, are now requesting that their suppliers are FORS accredited. This is particularly notable in London, but it can be seen across the country.

Not only could the FORS accreditation gain more customers for Harmony Timber Solutions, but it means that they are more aligned with their values than ever. Harmony Timber Solutions’ Group Managing Director, Garrett Dempsey is already “committed to the environment” and the company “only uses certified timber from sustainable forests.” By becoming FORS accredited, this further shows their dedication to being as environmentally friendly as possible. In 2019, FORS Gold accredited members showed a 12% improvement in fuel usage, 14% reduction in CO2.

A bronze accreditation also confirms that Harmony Timber Solution demonstrates dedication to the driver, pedestrian, and vehicle safety, as well as improving their operating practices through effective monitoring of fuel and tyre usage.

What does that mean for Alltruck plc?

Our Account Managers, Wayne Nicholson, and David Moore have worked tirelessly over the past few months learning all about the FORS processes and procedures and they have been applying them to our Harmony Timber Solutions’ vehicles, as well as teaching them to our Harmony drivers and associated staff.

Having achieved a 100% pass rate, we can now confidently say that Alltruck plc has expertise in FORS accreditation, and we look forward to helping more of our customers achieve their FORS accreditations in the near future.

 

Wayne’s Good News Friday email went on to say:

 

Here goes with my Oscar type moment 😊
I would like to thank Alan, Arthur & Clive our amazing drivers at Harmony for supporting us during this application and carrying out the many tasks & eLearning Dave has asked of them.
I would like to thank Harmony Timber Solutions for their support with their required operational tasks and plenty of patience whilst we were challenged with the implementation and application process during a pandemic.
I would like to thank David Moore for his positive can-do mentality & vast knowledge. Mr Moore is the FORS Champion and must continue to maintain these standards.
Finally, I would also like to thank Peter Gale for his support and help with creating the processes and documentation for this accreditation. You have been awesome.

 

Congratulations Wayne, Harmony Timber Solutions Ltd., our Harmony drivers, David Moore, Peter Gale, and everyone else involved – what an achievement!