The perception of a job in driving is changing. What was once a stereotypically male job, has now become an increasingly diverse and broad role. The Department for Transport recently referenced the driver shortage and stated there will be a big focus on improving working conditions and diversity. As a Group, Travis Perkins is taking steps to lead the industry; we are proud of our working environment and our drivers are a diverse mix of people with a wealth of experience from various environments.
What’s more, as part of our goal to reduce our carbon emissions, we are aiming for more efficient driving standards. We’re looking into alternative fuels, plus we’ve introduced innovative virtual reality training technology across our Group that has so far helped to train more than 1,000 drivers, delivering significant environmental benefits.
If you’re looking to make a rewarding career change or start a job in driving at a diverse and welcoming company, there has never been a better time. Read more to find out why.
A good work/life balance
The perception of a job in driving is often that it’s a career choice with unsociable hours and few benefits. At Travis Perkins, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Across the Group, we offer all our drivers full time, permanent working hours, ensuring you have a good work/life balance. Our drivers’ hours reflect the branch opening hours, so no over nights stays or late evenings. We also feel our drivers deserve recognition for high quality work, therefore we offer a Driver Safety and Efficiency bonus based on vehicle telematics, essentially a black box. The data is reviewed to monitor driving efficiencies and if our drivers hit the standard, a bonus is paid which can be up to £1,800 per year. Read more about our benefits.
Meeting new people
The isolating nature of the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us all the importance of interacting with others. In a driving job, you get to meet lots of different and interesting people. Routes and logistics are varied and no two days are the same, so there are always new friendly faces to interact with. Drivers like Derek enjoy working with us because of the daily interaction with customers. Although he’s kept busy, usually making around 30 stops per day, Derek always makes time to have a conversation with our customers whilst the delivery is being unloaded and the paperwork is filled out.
Building relationships
There are many different types of driving jobs that you can choose for your career, including warehouse drivers, delivery drivers, fork-lift drivers, HGV drivers and more. Whatever the role, we give our drivers great responsibility in delivering first class service and with that, we’ve found they build natural relationships with customers and team members alike. This requires a certain level of communication and people skills, which our Group are proud to nurture. Jason, for example, says it’s a rewarding feeling knowing customers have everything they need.
Being part of a team
At Travis Perkins, whilst our drivers get out and visit various destinations on the road, they also play an important role in our warehouse teams. Although our Group has grown over the years, we always maintain a strong sense of community and camaraderie, which is one of the many reasons our people stay with us for so many years. David, for example, likes to plan his route so that can spend time with the team at the yard on his break.
Attaining new qualifications
We are committed to career development and providing colleagues with the training and resources they need. That’s why we recently launched a Certificate in Driving programme, a 12-month Apprenticeship where you can ‘earn whilst you learn’ and qualify for your Category C (Class 2) drivers' licence.
We also reward those who go the extra mile (pun intended) with our Driver of the Year award. Richard Ellson, a CCF driver, had been with the company for eight years when he was awarded Driver of the Year in 2018. He is now a Class 1 HGV Driver who has thoroughly enjoyed his journey with the Group.
Drive your career forward with us
The Travis Perkins Group has strong family values and we encourage all our colleagues to enjoy a good work-life balance. Our regular work hours enable all our team members, including drivers, to spend more time with their family.
We are looking for people who have an enthusiasm for driving, a positive attitude and above all safety conscious. Find out how you can drive your career forward with us and apply for a job as a driver today.
