New accreditation designed for van owner drivers has been introduced by the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS).
It says it wants to drive up standards of safety, efficiency, and environmental protection, based around a version of its FORS Bronze audit intended to suit van drivers.
FORS says that, although van operations are regulated, the requirement to evidence compliance, conduct checks, carry out training, and retain records is less stringent than for businesses running under O-Licence conditions.
It says the FORS Bronze audit includes management responsibilities, driver competence and fitness, vehicle roadworthiness, and operational management.
FORS concession director Geraint Davies said: “Following our assessment of owner van driver operations, we identified a marked gap in the availability of resources, information and training for this growth sector.
“Over the past decade, fleet industry practices have developed to address some of the key safety and environmental concerns, and we found that self-employed drivers needed more targeted communications on these issues and a different approach to achieve the requirements of the FORS Standard.
“There are some excellent examples of best practice in the owner van driver sector, and they are rightly very proud of the small businesses they run. Through FORS accreditation, we want to recognise these drivers and ensure potential customers are able to identify good operators in their buying decisions.
“We wish to make FORS easily accessible for everyone, including owner van drivers, and that’s why we’ve carefully looked at the FORS audit, support material and cost of accreditation for this vital and evolving sector.”
