At Travis Perkins, we’re striving to become an inclusive employer and create opportunities for anyone who is willing to work hard and develop their skills. We are proud to establish diverse teams within our Group, and we’re on a mission to ensure our colleagues feel completely comfortable working in a secure, and inclusive safe place.
Donna is a Fleet Business Partner at Keyline in Edinburgh, part of our Group. She spent four years in the Territorial Army (TA) until 1997 where she gained her HGV licence and passed several other driving courses, including DROPS vehicle training.
‘I loved driving and decided to make it my full-time career’
‘As a DROPS vehicle trained driver, I almost had the opportunity of being one of the first women ever sent to the frontline. But sadly, I had to be discharged from the TA’s Transport Corps for medical reasons, which was hugely disappointing. However, I loved driving and decided to make it my full-time career.’
After moving to London, Donna worked as a driver for Travis Perkins and other builders’ merchants. She also spent time working at London Underground, where she gained her Transport Management qualification. Clearly Donna has a passion for continuous learning and development, and it’s serving her well. In 2004, Donna moved back to her native Scotland and began looking for another job in driving, which led her to Keyline in Edinburgh.
‘It’s great to be out and about meeting people’
‘I started out as a full time driver, which was great fun. There is lots of freedom with the role and providing everything is completed by the end of the day, you’re essentially your own boss. It’s great to be out and about meeting people, building customer relationships, and finding out about projects in your local area.’ We know there are many reasons why driving is a great career choice, click here to find out more.
In 2010, Donna’s driving career was put on hold while she was pregnant with her second child. During this time, she was made an interim Transport Coordinator until returning from maternity leave, when she was able to start driving again. However, Donna enjoyed the role so much she was delighted to be promoted to Transport Coordinator on a permanent basis.
Now she’s risen through the ranks to Fleet Business Partner for Keyline. Donna’s role is varied, and she looks after Keyline’s commercial fleet of vehicles and Materials Handling Equipment (MHE) nationally. She oversees the compliance aspects of the fleet and drivers, allocation, movement and disposal of the fleet and dealing with legal aspects such as driver tachographs. She also holds 2 driver engagement sessions per month to give our professional drivers a place to ask questions or point out issues that they are experiencing.
‘I love being busy, finding ways to solve problems and making our customers happy’
‘The biggest challenge about my role is ensuring the fleet remains compliant and that colleagues in branches are trained sufficiently in the systems and processes we use to assure this. I've found that the time management and organisational skills I learned in the TA have come in very useful in my role at Keyline, not to mention the ability to work well under pressure! Having said that, I love being busy and finding ways to solve problems, keep our fleet running to ensure customers get their deliveries.’ Working for our customers is one of our core values, so this is music to our ears!
Within the Travis Perkins Group, we create opportunities for progressive careers. Our people have access to the company’s online iLearn system which offers a wide-ranging menu of courses and opportunities which you can use to develop your knowledge in new areas. For example, Donna has undertaken courses in tool hire, fire marshalling and people skills, to name just a few.
‘Initially I didn’t realise Keyline was part of the Travis Perkins Group’
‘I've enjoyed progressing within the Travis Perkins Group; I was previously based at Keyline's Portobello branch in Edinburgh, but later relocated to Leith, which led me into a compliance role because of my specialist transport knowledge. This later opened an opportunity for my current role as Fleet Business Partner.
I've always been familiar with Keyline, but it wasn’t until joining that I found out it was part of the Travis Perkins Group. It was a nice surprise because I was always hoping to be part of a big, stable company that could offer me good career prospects!’ We have many businesses within the Travis Perkins Group, and we’re upheld by our family values that set us apart from the rest.
‘Driving is a great career choice for anyone leaving the armed forces’
‘In my view, driving for Keyline is a great career choice for anyone. You’ll get all the training you need and have the reassurance that your vehicle is always safe and well-maintained. The company also offers a lot of support, such as the driver consultation programme that’s held every year to collect feedback and discuss issues.’
As with any company, you’ll need to apply yourself and work hard to succeed at Keyline. But once your foot is in the door, the opportunities to progress are limitless.
Travis Perkins could be the place for you
We’re developing our female workforce at Travis Perkins plc and we’re setting ourselves apart from the rest – join us on our journey as we strive to become a truly inclusive place to work.
Browse our driver jobs today and enjoy a fulfilling career within the Travis Perkins Group.
