Arla Foods is in the driving seat when it comes to training

Arla Foods is going the extra mile and leading the way when it comes to making sure its drivers are maintaining high standards of driving and road safety.

All 650 of the company’s drivers completed a level 2 NVQ in carrying goods or transporting goods by road.

The qualification is based on drivers passing seven mandatory areas, including monitoring others loading the vehicle, maintaining the safety and security of the load, self and property, maintaining awareness of driving conditions and driving the vehicle in restricted spaces.

Steve Care, national driver development manager at Arla Foods, said: “We always aim to improve road safety at the same time as helping to maintain high standards of driving, all while delivering for our customers.

“By law all drivers must hold a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence and take part in 35 hours of periodic training every five years. However, as a business we feel it is important to take this one step further so that colleagues within logistics are improving their driving standards and service levels continually.”

In order to pass, the NVQ drivers are observed by an independent assessor during their daily routine and are also assessed on how they operate. They are expected to be able to show competence through a range of methods such as producing working documentation, including delivery notes and vehicle check sheets, as well as following Arla’s company policies and procedures.

“The NVQ provides Arla’s logistics colleagues with an additional qualification and ensures that they are achieving the high standards the company expects,” added Steve.

Arla Foods UK plc is home to some of the UK’s leading dairy brands including Cravendale, Lurpak and Anchor. Processing approximately two billion litres of milk a year Arla continues to be one of the UK’s leading dairy companies and a supplier of fresh liquid milk and cream to the top seven retailers.

Over 2,500 daily deliveries are made directly to stores nationwide and Arla brands can be found across the dairy category. As well as the leader of the butter, spreads and margarine sector, and a major supplier of other added value products including flavoured milk and cheese, Arla continues to build working relationships with Arla Foods Milk Partnership, a unique group of dairy farmers, which supplies around 90 per cent of Arla's total milk requirements.

Behind this leading business is a team of circa 2,800 people across the UK located at our dairies, distribution centres and head office.