A reputation built on professionalism and integrity,
Results built on industry knowledge, engagement and collaboration.
A wealth of industry experts on hand to offer guidance, support and up to date industry information.
At freight people we understand the importance of surrounding ourselves with industry professionals who are approachable to speak to by all members our freight people community, be it business owners, Transport Managers, owner drivers, operational staff or any other industry workers – all are welcome.
We are delighted to have an eclectic range of expert sponsors on board, with an in-depth experience of our industry and a wealth of knowledge to support us on our journey.
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Meet Freight People Host & Sponsors
Host – Lesley O’Brien OBE FCILT
Lesley O’Brien is an award-winning business professional, an advocate for women in transport and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT). She is a tireless ambassador of the road transport industry using her voice whenever possible to promote the small transport operator, compliance, raise standards, improve road safety and change industry perception.
Lesley has over 40 years’ experience working in the road transport industry, leading both multinational and national haulage businesses and serving 9 years as an RHA Executive Board Director. She continues to work in family transport business, Freightlink Europe, enabling her to bring a wealth of hands-on knowledge to both the Freight People forum and Freight Train’s transport consultancy.
As a testimony to Lesley’s commitment to raising industry standards, Freightlink Europe was one of the first vehicle operators to earn the DVSA accolade of Earned Recognition Founder Operator status.
In October 2020 Lesley was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her commitment to diversity and inclusion in transport. She is a Sue Ryder Woman of Achievement in Business Award winner, an Inspiring Women Changemaker, Diversity Driven SME Award winner and a 2020 Yorkshire Power Women, Transformational Leader finalist (result pending).
Lesley launched Freight People in January 2020 as a tool to offer continued support to Freight Train and Freightlink Europe clients and the wider transport community. The Freight People forum provides an arena for ongoing collaboration, support and up to date industry information.
Connect with Lesley on LinkedIn 
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Email: lesley@freight-train.co.uk
OUR LEGAL EXPERTS:
Represented by Chris Stevens, Regulatory Solicitor in the Regulatory – Safety, Health and Environment Team
The DAC Beachcroft transport and logistics team brings together a national and international network of lawyers, offering a full range of legal services to both public and private sector clients across the road transport, maritime, rail, aviation, and logistics sectors.
Transport and Logistics is at the core of every economy worldwide. Having embedded itself within this sector, DAC Beachcroft understands the risks and challenges facing the transport industry and as such, is on hand to provide help and assistance, 24/7, 365 days of the year.
In addition to being available to serve businesses globally around the clock, the DAC Beachcroft dedicated teams offer full end to end sector specific service and propositions, ranging from cost effective legal advice, implementation of strategy, crisis response management, representation at Public Inquiry and at transport related police and health and safety investigations and prosecutions. Clients include some of the world’s leading transport companies, manufacturers, and suppliers.
Charlotte is a specialist Criminal & Regulatory Lawyer. She is frequently instructed to provide specialist advice in the immediate aftermath of a serious or fatal incident. She is recognised for her commercial approach, providing advice that takes into consideration the significant impact of the incident and investigation, as well as the wider reputational risks. Charlotte has extensive experience in representation at PACE and other interviews, and frequently appears in all criminal courts to represent corporate bodies or individuals. She is recognised nationally as a leader in the field of Fleet Risk and is regularly invited by corporates, insurers, brokers & fleet risk charities to provide training in relation to road safety matters, as well as providing practical solutions to criminal & regulatory challenges. Charlotte has a formidable reputation for standing up to prosecuting authorities.
Represented by Marie Walsh, Managing Director
Consilia Legal are specialists in Employment Law, Workplace Meditation, Family Law, Divorce Law, Child Law & Divorce & Family Meditation.
Its team of proactive and understanding specialist solicitors have gained numerous outstanding client reviews and were the winners of the Employment Law award at the Yorkshire Legal awards 2020 and were listed as recommended lawyers in Yorkshire in the Legal 500.
Its clients range from a number of SME’s with 5-25 employees to multinational organisations.
The team prides itself on understanding its client’s individual business needs, giving straight talking, pragmatic legal advice and offering creative solutions in the most cost-efficient way, saving time, stress and money. Clients have a dedicated specialist solicitor handling their case ensuring the highest level of client care from beginning to end.
The team are able to advise on all employment matters ranging from contract/policy drafting, HR issues, disciplinary and grievance procedures, managing sickness absences, redundancy processes, discrimination, TUPE and settlement agreements to complex tribunal claims.
Marie is an employment solicitor with over 19 years PQE. She is a visiting lecturer at the University of Law and BPP law school and regular webinar presenter. She is also chair of the CIPD Skipton Branch and ELA regional Chair.
OUR ROAD SAFETY EXPERTS:
Represented by Andrew Drewary FCILT MAIRSO AMRSGB, Managing Director
Road Safety Smart identifies problems, provides solutions and shapes a Company’s vision for operating a safer fleet with healthier drivers, ensuring roads are safer for all road users. Road safety is about good management and not good luck! By building Company resilience to exposure to risk, Road Safety Smart shows that being proactive about road safety delivers substantial cost savings. Through a collaborative approach, Road Safety Smart supports clients on their journey by influencing behavioural change, were best practice becomes the norm and road safety is front and centre of everything companies do every day.
Represented by Directors David Somers and Susie Marsh
21st Century Professional Development for Drivers and Managers.
Road Skills Online (RSO) is an accredited e-Learning programme for professional development in the transport sector. Monthly, safety focused e-learning workshops engage drivers, develop and embed knowledge, improve behaviour and road skills and enhance Company brand and reputation.
The RSO learning experience helps drivers to think better, drive well, control costs and contribute to public safety. Using the RSO exciting and engaging platform means that professional drivers remain involved with a focus on the company’s interests, while keeping their knowledge and behaviour current in a relevant and easy-to-use way.
Given that most operators encounter challenges to running a regular, relevant and consistent training programme and/or meeting regularly with drivers, the RSO Professional Development Plan provides the ideal tool for every operator wishing to develop Professional Standards, as it embeds what a driver needs to know:
- O Licence compliance – inc. Public Safety which is the first objective of the O Licence system
- Driving at Work
- Driver personal health and lifestyle
- Health & Safety in Road Haulage (inc. Workplace Transport)
- Road Traffic Act
- Highway Code
In addition, the RSO on line system provides evidential training to meet both the FORS and DVSA Earned Recognition standards.
Accredited by CPD Standards Office (August 2020)
Represented by Gareth Salisbury, Regional Sales Manager
The D.tec International mantra is ‘Policy, Educate, Deter and Detect’. It works with clients to create a robust and active D&A policy or amend an existing policy and provides a variety of different training courses to suit individual business’s needs.
For over 20 years, D.tec has been working with blue chip companies and public sector organisations to provide fully certified drug and alcohol (D&A) screening solutions.
It supplies many different types of D&A testing equipment, is the sole distributor in the UK and Ireland for the Securetec range of instant readout disposable ‘DrugWipe’ drug detection products and is contracted by the Home Office to supply all police forces in England, Wales and Scotland with its high-quality DrugWipe products.
It partners with several hundred corporate clients and smaller businesses including most major national bus companies and a significant number of logistics operations for both transport and warehousing.
As well as supplying D&A screening solutions, D.tec offers a confidential ‘full service’ partnerships with all clients to ensure seamless implementation, together with 24/7 support where necessary.
OUR VEHICLE SECURITY EXPERTS:
Maple Security
Represented by Paul Nunn, Marketing Manager
With more than 45 years of experience, Maple offer Europe’s widest range of security solutions for the road transport and logistics industry. Passionate about security, Maple works closely with its clients to deliver the most appropriate, secure solutions that help maintain control and integrity of goods in transit operations.
Maple’s product portfolio caters for all budgets and security requirements, including simple, effective locking applications through to integrated electronic sealing and high security access control solutions. Maple is committed to investing back into the transport industry, working collaboratively to combat commercial vehicle crime and promote best practice.
NavCIS (National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service)
Represented by Mike Dawber, Police Officer
NaVCIS is a national police unit that works to protect communities in the UK from the harm of vehicle finance crime and associated serious and organised crime. It is dedicated to developing and disseminating intelligence that helps forces pursue offenders and prevent crime.
The NaVCIS team is a mix of police officers and police staff, who have a vast range of experience across the policing sector. Six areas of crime are targeted which include investigation (vehicle finance crime), intelligence, freight, agriculture and plant, leisure and analysis. A centralised, specialist police capability is dedicated to developing and disseminating intelligence that helps forces pursue offenders and prevent crime.
Mike Dawber provides each forum with a wealth of up-to-date information with regard to vehicle crime hot spots, current crime trends and crime types. In addition, Freight People attendees receive a monthly update via email.
OUR ACCOUNTANCY AND FINANCE EXPERTS:
Novis & Co Chartered Accountants
Represented by Claire Howarth, Managing Director
Novis & Co Chartered Accountants have a proactive and personal approach to accounting. It works closely with clients to provide a service tailored to individual company needs, be it a sole trader, partnership, limited company or start-up. Its dedicated team of accountancy professionals help to run business and personal finance in the most tax-efficient forward-looking and profitable way.
Alongside formidable expertise and experience Novis & Co offers a full range of accounting services from Personal and Corporate taxation, Payroll and VAT, Management Accounts, Audit, Cloud Accounting and Bookkeeping Services and Training. Covering a broad range of business areas, including many in the transport and haulage industry, the advice and guidance offered allows companies to run their businesses with an informed and confident approach.
Represented by Chris Leverett, Business owner
Driven Asset Finance specialises in B2B finance, ensuring that clients secure the most competitive funding available to them, whatever the requirements.
A focus on understanding the specific requirements of the road haulage industry enables Driven Asset Finance to provide hauliers with relevant, cost effective finance packages. This knowledge, coupled with a product range that includes HP, Finance Lease, Re-finance, Operating Lease and Cash Flow Finance means that Driven Asset Finance has a solution to suit every business need.
OUR HEALTH AND WELLBEING EXPERTS:
Represented by Jennifer Rawlinson, Business owner
Flourish in Mind Ltd is a training and consultancy organisation specialising in workplace mental health and wellbeing. It works with companies and individuals to develop wellbeing strategies from scratch or to offer support on specific elements of an existing strategy. It provides outstanding training programmes such as mental health first aid and is proud to boast ongoing exceptional levels of feedback. Whatever a company’s needs at Flourish in Mind Jennifer Rawlinson uses her experience alongside her qualification as an MHFA England instructor to develop wellbeing strategies, training programmes and provide mental health education to encourage workplaces where all individuals can flourish.
OUR FLEET EXPERTS:
Motus Commercials
Represented by Bob Stringer, Head of New Truck Sales and the inspection, maintenance team.
Motus Commercials is the UK’s largest independent commercial vehicle dealership and the world’s largest DAF dealership.
Represented by Motus Commercials in Huddersfield (previously F & G Commercials), Motus clients enjoy a global offering with a local, personal approach. The Motus range of products includes expert advice on the purchase of new and used vehicles, vehicle inspection, service and maintenance, parts and accident repair.
OPERATOR LICENCE COMPLIANCE EXPERTS:
Freight Train
Represented by host Lesley O’Brien OBE FCILT
In addition to its monthly Freight People forums promoting compliance and safety in transport, Freight Train offers operators’ licence compliance consultancy, including audits, workshops and driver CPC training.
Managing a business, whether an individual, partnership or multinational, always poses challenges and it may feel like an uphill struggle. Fleet and operator licence compliance can often be overlooked as business needs and daily challenges take priority.
Research shows that businesses/individuals that seek support are more likely to survive and succeed. Freight Train works with businesses and teams to input structures to ensure that operator licence compliance is not overlooked but becomes the norm. Linking with Freight People and its sponsors enhances the Freight Train offering.
>Drivers should be a company’s strongest asset but without collaboration, strong communication and ongoing support and development can be a company’s weakest link, posing a liability not only with regard to licence compliance, but cost! Freight Train offers ongoing professional development in the form of driver CPC training, bespoke workshops and promotes the benefits of monthly on line training through its partnership with Road Skills on Line.
An initial operator’s licence compliance audit will assess a Company’s strengths and weaknesses and provide a staged action plan.
lesley@freight-train.co.uk