- Simon Page appointed as first ever in-house driver trainer
- Driver numbers expand in line with Miniclipper’s ambitious growth plans
- New recruits reduce average age of drivers
Miniclipper Logistics is reaping the benefits of launching its ‘Warehouse to Wheels’ driver development campaign in 2022 with its first two drivers qualifying as Class 2 licence holders.
The scheme was launched to future proof Miniclipper’s driver talent by offering warehouse staff the chance to upskill and get behind the wheel of a truck.
Twenty-six-year-old Tom Alford and 20-year-old Callum Calcutt both gained their licences late in 2022 and have joined Miniclipper’s team of 50 drivers. Both drivers are now being put through ADR training to enable them to transport hazardous goods with the opportunity to upgrade their current Class 2 licences to Class 1, depending on their preference to drive short or long haul.
More future drivers are joining the scheme in the first half of 2023 at a time when Miniclipper is expanding its warehouse footprint into Northamptonshire.
The recruitment campaign began with Miniclipper outsourcing training but after a few months this was taken in house with the appointment of Simon Page as Miniclipper’s first ever driver trainer. He has 10 years’ experience with multiple blue chip logistics companies and is leading the company’s driver training activities. Page is an NRI-registered LGV instructor and has his transport manager CPC qualification.
“We launched the campaign with the aim of giving our warehouse team a chance to upskill into drivers and to strengthen our driver talent pool. Warehouse workers are ideally placed for the transition as they have a close working knowledge of both the transport and freighting side of our business,” explained Peter Masters, Miniclipper Logistics’ managing director.
“We took the driver training in house led by Simon as this is a long-term investment to grow and nurture driving talent rather than a short-term project. Tom and Callum have already helped reduce our driver’s average age by a full year to 47 and we believe this will continue to fall as more drivers come on board,” he added.
Both drivers have supplemented their training by spending time with Miniclipper’s experienced drivers, doing both long-haul trunking and short distance multi-drop deliveries. They are also getting behind the wheel of a Terberg tug unit, shunting trailers at Miniclipper’s Dunstable distribution centre.
“Our focus is to create a driver that can do the complete job rather than just pass their test to drive a truck. That’s why we are immediately putting them through ADR training, so they become well-rounded drivers capable of handling any type of freight,” he added.
Picture caption: New drivers Callum Calcutt and Tom Alford standing in front of one of Miniclipper’s new MAN 18-tonners.
