While attending the AfMA fleet conference in Sydney, I heard rumours that representatives from the London Metropolitan Police were attending. I was keen to find out why. What were Fleet Managers doing in Australia that had captured their attention?
It took a while to find Richard Wenham, Inspector Commercial Vehicle Unit at Metropolitan Police, in the crowd of 700 delegates. But late in the evening on the first day we had a quick chat.
My first question was, why did you come to Sydney to attend the AfMA Conference?
So the AfMA conference is part of why we came. We also came for the Brisbane Truck Show. So ultimately I’m in charge of heavy goods vehicle police in the UK. Looking at load security, abnormal loads and serious injury collisions. My unit investigate them
And then obviously with AfMA we’ve come to look at modern technologies, the move to EV and green fleet. But equally we’re working with New South Wales and Sydney transport authorities who are looking at bringing in versions of the fleet operators recognition scheme and CLOCS, which are safety schemes, which the London and the UK Government have spent tens of millions of pounds on. So they’re looking at looking at the best practice without having to spend the 10s of millions of pounds on reviews, picking the bits of work and implement that in Sydney to protect vulnerable road users.
What is CLOCS?
CLOCS is everything that goes into and onto a construction site. So it’s planning where vehicles go in so they’re not in conflict, or blindsided to vulnerable road users. But also the type of vehicles that goes in with systems like side protection where they’re most vulnerable, turning alarms, proximity sensors that sort of thing that are also cross pollinated across FORS as well (Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme), who operate a gold silver bronze standard on the safety of their vehicles.
And you visited the Brisbane Truck Show, what things did you want to see there?
The UK Government are looking at bringing in multi trailered vehicles. So the equivalent of your road trains but nowhere near as big. Rather than having two semis running two containers. One semi running two containers is efficient and cheaper. We’ve got the same driver problem as Australia as we can’t get HGV drivers in the UK. So we can have one vehicle doing the same as two, its ecologically and economically sensible.
What were your impressions of the Brisbane Truck Show compared to the ones in Europe?
Huge, absolutely massive and it’s really strange to see the real mix between European and American built vehicles. You don’t see bull nose vehicles in Europe. So the Kenworths, the Macks, and that sort of thing, we just do not see them.
So you’re doing some work while you’re here with our local road authorities?
In Sydney, we’re speaking to advocates of cycling safety, pedestrian safety and just basically making things safer for vulnerable road users. But keeping drivers as professionals, recognising them as professionals. No one sets out in the morning to have a fatal collision. They happen and if we can reduce it like I have in London, then it’s worth all the investment in the effort.
How have you found the professionalism of fleet management in Australia so far?
Gold Standard, it really is gold standard. People are committed to driving safety. Ecological, the move into EV fleet, the hydrogen fleet and the hybrid fleet is a real drive. Even speaking to the buyer from the Victoria State Fire Service as they’re moving into an all EV, that was really fantastic.
You’ve now been to two Australian cities, I’m going to put you on the spot by asking which one is better?
Brisbane was sunny and happy and Sydney was sunny and happy but it’s got the Opera House and the bridge so I’m gonna go to Sydney.
