RHA member H&P Freightways is the UK’s largest independent ISO tank haulier, delivering tank containers loaded with bulk liquids, powders and gases, since 1975.
Toward the end of 2023, H&P Freightways signed up for The Driver Handbook via a new partnership with the Road Haulage Association. With approximately 90 drivers across the UK, from Scotland to Purfleet and Hull to Widnes, H&P Freightways was in the final stages of completing a digitisation plan to reduce the amount of paper used in the business. The company’s drivers were already using technology for daily checks, job allocation and tachographs, but their driver manual was being issued in a paper-based format.
The manual was due for renewal, which involved a slow and costly process of reviewing and updating content; collecting in all current copies from drivers and then producing, printing and re-distributing new versions – whilst also ensuring the latest version contained no errors, to avoid the associated costs and effort of re-printing.
Around this time Daniel Raymond, Director H&P Freightways spotted the launch of The RHA Driver Handbook in December which piqued his interest:
“As part of our digitisation process, we had previously explored having an app developed for our driver manual, however, the costs and work involved were prohibitive. When I saw what The Driver Handbook promised it could do, I was interested and so booked a demo.”
H&P Freightways has now proactively been using the TDHConnect system and The RHA Driver Handbook app since December. Daniel initially set about creating the company’s own driver manual within the system, supplementing the standard information, with specifics relevant to its own drivers and business operation.
Daniel said, “Whilst the library of information and toolbox talks available via The Driver Handbook is great, what really sold the solution was the ability for me to customise everything, as much as I needed, for our business. We not only have our company branding in the driver app; more importantly, we’ve been able to include a range of our own information including policies; updates; memos; certifications; vehicle-specific procedures and so much more.
To update our existing paper-based manuals would have taken weeks, now I can make any amends or revisions whenever I need to and distribute it to all our drivers (no matter where they are in the country) with the click of a button – this is one of the best features of TDHConnect. It’s been designed so I can quickly and easily manage it all myself”
The company originally planned to use the solution just for its HGV drivers’ manual, however, it’s also taken advantage of using The Driver Handbook’s car content so that all members of staff who drive company vehicles have access to consistent, ‘live’ information.
“Because we’ve now fully removed our paper-based manuals from circulation, the ‘live’ approach to sharing information has meant we’re more likely to retain readers’ interest. Driver engagement with the app content can easily be monitored and managed via TDHConnect. This means we can keep an eye on drivers’ interactions with our manual. We can access data on who has read information, when and for how long and this assists us with training plans and helps to identify any potential risk areas within our driving pool.
Whilst I am generally cautious in making recommendations on anything, this solution has delivered on all of the initial promises made. The discovery of The RHA Driver Handbook has meant we’ve been able to complete our digitisation journey within H&P Freightways.