One of the things we like to do is prepare for the future. Looking ahead and working several months in advance is essential for helping our clients to get ready for a wide range of eventualities.
We may only be in June, and before you ask, we do realise there is still time at school before the summer holidays. But now is the time you should start thinking about how you plan to cope with the back-to-school rush this autumn.
At CJC Transport Consultants, a core part of our work is to work with you to streamline your processes and ensure you have everything in place, ahead of time. We can deliver training if your bus or coach drivers need to update their CPC hours. We can also help you with your wider logistics to reduce any stress and help you prepare for the upcoming school year.
Here are some of our top tips to prepare for the back-to-school rush.
Use the school holidays as your opportunity for vehicle maintenance and driver training
If your business relies on the education sector for a core part of your business, you should use the school holidays as a time to review your vehicle logistics and training needs. The last thing you want is to wait until September before realising that your fleet needs servicing, tyres need changing, or discover that your drivers have expired CPC cards.
It’s also worthwhile checking with your education clients to see if they have additional needs, such as new pick-up and drop-off locations. You want to make sure that you have all of the plans in place so you can make sure that you continue to deliver a first-class service.
Failing to act now and leaving it to the last minute to only get started once the school holidays are here could lead to severe logistical issues that could cause long-term reputational damage. If your contract involves taking children to and from school or managing school trips, parents and teachers will rely on you to exceed their expectations.
Check your drivers’ CPC periodic training hours are up to date
It’s always important to make sure your drivers are up to date on their Driver CPC training. Ideally, if you’re working within the education sector, you’ll want your driving team to manage their training during the school holidays. That way, you can minimise any disruption.
You and your drivers can check the status of your Driver CPC periodic training hours via the official government website.
If you know some of your drivers are behind on their training, now is the time to book them in for their training urgently. Failure to do so could leave you at risk, with drivers unable to work. It could cause a logistical headache that could have contractual ramifications.
CJC Transport can manage your training needs
Our CPC training is flexible and adaptable to your business needs. We can offer dedicated group training workshops if you have several drivers who need to complete their CPC training. These sessions can be held directly at your premises or book individual drivers onto one of our CJC training courses held on specific dates in our new premises near Great Yarmouth.
You can choose between 3.5 or 7-hour sessions, making our training flexible to your business’ logistical needs. What’s more, our CPC training has modules designed for both PCV and HGV licences.
When was the last time you checked your fleet?
As part of the back-to-school preparations, you should check your fleet of buses and coaches to ensure there are no defects and that it represents your company in the way you wish.
Ideally, you want to do this during the summer holidays, so now is the perfect time to get each vehicle booked in for a good clean, inside and out. As part of your maintenance checks, you need to focus on making sure that each vehicle has been fully serviced and MOT’d. You also want to check tyres and seatbelts are fit for purpose. By booking it in ahead of time, you’ll have plenty of options available to source new parts (if required), and potentially benefit from lower delivery costs.
If you know you have a deadline, taking proactive maintenance in the summer before it reverts back to regular use will help you manage your fleet logistics.
If you’re pressed for time or have a staff shortage due to the summer holidays, leaving your fleet maintenance to a later date may be tempting. But if you find a problem with a bus or coach that could leave it out of action, you could be putting your reputation at risk.
Instead, why not talk to our team about our consultancy services? We can help you to prioritise your workload and manage your fleet maintenance on your behalf – saving valuable time and money, but most importantly, protecting your stress levels!
When was the last time you renegotiated contracts?
Before starting a new school year, we always advise reviewing any existing contracts with local authorities or education providers. Costs are always increasing, and you need to make sure your business is not running at a loss. With fuel prices fluctuating, it’s essential to double check your contracts regularly.
It’s also beneficial to periodically review your contracts to make sure the partnership is still working well between all parties. This allows you to double-check if there are any anticipated changes to passenger numbers or any new drop-offs/pick-ups to contend with. Knowing all the details of your upcoming school transportation services will help you manage your driver needs and identify which fleet you need to use for individual journeys.
With as much advance notice as possible, you’ll be better prepared for the months ahead.
Talk to CJC Transport to find out how we can help you prepare for the upcoming school year
We want to make sure your transport business is ready for the next school year.
The summer holidays are the optimum time to check you have everything in place, from vehicle maintenance to contract negotiations.
But the most critical aspect is to ensure all drivers are up to date on their training and are legal to drive, with no disruption to your services. If you need help organising group training or want to ensure everyone has the latest first-aid training or even up-to-date DBS checks, please speak to us.
Booking early is essential to ensure your transport business continues to run seamlessly over the next academic year.
To find out more about our training courses, why not check out our upcoming training dates?
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