Risk management focus delivers major benefits to Sainsbury's Online shopping service

28 February 2007

Derryck White, an online manager at Sainsburys with Garry Hyde, business development manager at DriveTech (UK)

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Supermarket giant Sainsbury’s has evolved its ‘tick box’ driver safety course into a comprehensive, occupational risk management programme across its home delivery fleet.

A driver assessment and training programme, introduced four years ago at the supermarket group in conjunction with DriveTech (UK), has developed into a multi-faceted, incident-reduction programme focused on the company’s rapidly-expanding 800-strong home delivery fleet and its drivers.

To-date, more than 1,800 drivers have undergone training and assessment at the 110 stores nationwide from where Sainsbury’s Online home delivery operates and covers 82% of UK households. The programme for all drivers, as well as back-up drivers, is expected almost to double in the next three years as the home delivery service is rolled out to more stores.

Apart from driver assessment and subsequent on and off-road training tailored to individual requirements, experts from DriveTech (UK), the leading provider of ‘driving at work’ risk management, driver assessment and driver training solutions, are also focusing on improvements in vehicle maintenance and loading.

A training/booking website has been introduced that enables each online manager and HR manager directly to book training as soon as possible for individual drivers. It also gives online access to driver history and all accident details.

With drivers consistently delivering to meet the one-hour customer time slots, time management is essential both in terms of ‘in-store’ shopping and journey planning.

Jason Soar, delivery operations manager, Sainsbury’s Online, said: “Our drivers have to undertake a lot of parking and manoeuvring at customers’ addresses as well as in loading areas at stores. Historically, this has resulted in damage to vehicles. Training has significantly cut repair costs to the company”.

A Sainsbury's Online home delivery vehicle

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Ensuring the health and safety and overall welfare of delivery drivers is essential and all vehicles are equipped with satellite navigation and telemetry to aid fleet operating efficiency. An SOS facility also enables ‘lone’ working drivers to communicate with a contact centre.

Additionally, keeping vehicle downtime to an absolute minimum is a vital part of day-to-day fleet operations and a daily vehicle inspection schedule has been introduced. This encourages drivers to ensure the mainly Mercedes-Benz 3.5 tonne gvw vehicles are maintained in tip-top condition with fluid levels and tyre pressures checked daily.

Jason explained “Vehicles have also been damaged as a result of being kerbed and drivers misjudging space when travelling, so it has been important that colleagues receive advice and training as appropriate to ensure our delivery vans remain on the road as much as possible. If required, a DriveTech trainer will be deployed into a store to advise on a specific training intervention following an incident.”

A further initiative, for example, has seen reflective yellow tape placed on the back of wing mirrors to give on-coming drivers a better idea of the size of Sainsbury’s Online vehicles. In trials, incidents of wing mirrors being damaged has halved.

All accidents, however small and whether or not they involve a third party, are now investigated by DriveTech (UK) with recommendations made that can range from further training, which is always carried out while deliveries are made, to verbal advice or, in the most serious cases, the colleague being stood down from driving duties.

Jason added: “The programme in trial stores has resulted in a reduction in damage of about two-thirds of previous levels.”

Additionally, as a major high profile company, maintaining the right public image is essential to Sainsbury’s. Jim Kirkwood, managing director of DriveTech (UK), said: “Sainsbury’s has recognised the importance of its colleagues driving responsibly and ensuring its vehicles are well-presented. Too many companies forget the corporate responsibility they owe to the public in terms of managing their fleet and drivers, who are very much its public face.”

Additional occupational road risk management measures are in the pipeline including interviewing and risk assessing all new drivers and further training being provided in vehicle checking and vehicle & driver security.

Apart from working with Sainsbury’s Online drivers, DriveTech (UK) also supplies driver assessment and training to company car drivers, including directors’ personal assistants.

Editor’s notes

DriveTech is the UK's leading provider of  ‘driving at work’ risk management, driver assessment and driver training solutions.

DriveTech’s goal is to reduce both an organisation’s vehicle business costs and the personal risk for ‘at work’ drivers, by significantly improving driver ABC – attitude, behaviour and competence – therefore supporting driver safety and corporate ‘duty of care’ requirements.

DriveTech (UK) has won the Institute of Transport Management’s ‘Fleet Award for Driver Training’ in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 and its ‘European Driver Safety Specialist’ award in 2005.

For further information contact:

Ashley Martin (telephone 01733 390691) or Arthur Dalziel (0121 445 6633)
AWD Communications Ltd.