I work with a great team of like-minded people who enjoy being a part of the success that is TJ
Lee Downer, Fleet Manager and Driver CPC Trainer
I attended Fareham Park Comprehensive School in Fareham, now known as Henry Cort Community College and left in 1980 having received a secondary school education. My ambition was always to join Hampshire Constabulary, but at the time they were not recruiting so instead I turned my attention to the armed forces and enlisted as a Junior Leader in the Royal Military Police. Sadly after just six short months in basic training, my acceptance that this was perhaps the wrong career choice came and I left.
Back in civvy street, I worked as a landscape gardener before passing my driving test and then spent three years as a coalman. My employers were keen to see my progress to bigger lorries and so I was put through and passed my HGV Class 3 as it was then.
My lorry driving career progressed onto working in a somewhat cleaner environment and I started in the ambient and frozen food multi-drop sector.
This was to be the start of my proper interest in road transport law, especially where driver’s hours and tachograph law was concerned.
In 1996 I joined Onyx Hampshire as a rollonof driver, servicing the HWRC sites in Hampshire. After just twelve months I applied for and was offered the role as the Transport Operations Clerk. I was responsible for ensuring the correct scheduling of vehicles and associated procedures were undertaken, to maintain the service levels required under the contract, by liasing with the Transport Manager and drivers. Also assisting the Transport Manager with his budgetary responsibilities and setting and maintaining productivity levels. Also responsible for ensuring all appropriate records were kept in accordance with ISO 9001 and 14001 and not forgetting our obligations under the company operator’s licence.
Being based within the confines of a waste transfer station, I was invited to study for the WAMITAB qualification and was accredited for hazardous and clinical waste in addition to non-hazardous material. During this period I also gained my Catagory CE driving licence (still commonly referred to as an HGV ‘Class 1’).
In 2001 my experience and dedication to the job was rewarded and I was promoted to Transport Operations Manager. This involved reporting to the Regional Director of Greater London and the South.
I was responsible for achieving revenue and profit targets for the department. Preparing and controlling an annual departmental budget in excess of £6 mil. This was the biggest Department within Onyx Hampshire Ltd. Also responsible for 68 employees and a fleet in excess of 50 vehicles, comprising of articulated bulk haulage and four axle rollonof vehicles.
Due to a restructure within the business I was made redundant in 2003. For the following three years I worked for a demolition and asbestos removal company where, after a period of driving, joined the office team. The company expanded to include a skip lorry service and permission for a waste transfer station was obtained and granted. I drew up the working plan for the transfer station, based on my knowledge from Onyx and I was responsible for the day to day legal compliance of the small skip fleet.
In October 2006 an opening arose for a Transport Controller and I was successful in my application.
Fleet Manager and Driver CPC Trainer
I am currently the Fleet Manager at TJ Transport Group Holdings Ltd. I am employed by the Group as I work for both TJ Transport Ltd and TJ Waste & Recycling Ltd. I have assistance from my colleague who is the Fleet Engineer and I report to the Head of Compliance. My role is quite simply making sure that all of the undertakings that were given to the Traffic Commissioner, in order to be granted an operator’s licence, are upheld. I am responsible for ensuring that all of the vehicles on the fleet are regularly serviced. To that end I produce a schedule that deals with periodic maintenance and safety inspections for the vehicles, also making sure that the vehicle MOT and tachograph calibrations are maintained and that the vehicles remain taxed. I work with my colleagues to ensure that any defects with the vehicles are attended to in a timely fashion. These defects would be highlighted by means of the driver’s daily walk round checks of the vehicle. They could also arise from a re-booking request from a service provider following a periodic maintenance and safety inspection. In order to promote up to date defect reporting, I carry out random checks of the vehicles across all of our sites, whilst explaining to the driving team the importance of reporting issues with the vehicle.
Another vitally important function for myself, is to collate the driver and vehicle tachograph information by way of downloading the driver’s tachograph card and also the vehicle tachograph unit. These must be done no later that every 28 and 90 days respectively as this is also a legal requirement. I then process the data and produce a number of reports that detail the drivers working time and rest information, along with and driver infringements that may have been committed. Drivers are then spoken to and plans agreed to move forward so that infringements do not happen.
I also log insurance claims and assist with accident investigations when they arise to ensure that there is a speedy FNOL (First Notification of Loss) to the insurers.
By far the most satisfying part of my job is my role as the company driver CPC trainer. All drivers of commercial vehicles have to undertake 35 hours of periodic training over a five year period. That equates to a one day, seven hour training period per year. Without this accreditation, drivers cannot drive commercially, that is, to be paid for driving. When the company knew that this was to be a driver requirement to hold a current DQC (driver qualification card), there was no question of the company leaving this to the driver alone. I was trained and certificated to be able to run courses for our drivers and have been doing so since 2014. I work with the Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training and have access to the Government Gateway, where I can, following attendance by the drivers, upload their hours onto the approved database. This training is done in-house at out own sites, but I am currently engaged in rolling this service out to third party clients in order to give them a more varied training option. Originally we purchased training material to be used, but I have for some time now enjoy writing my own material to be shared with our driving team.
I am proud of my ability to be able to communicate successfully with drivers. Having been a lorry driver myself, I can appreciate how under-valued drivers can feel with all of the legislation and other challenges that they face daily. I am a firm believer that drivers should be reminded that they do a great job within the industry and that they should be looked up to as professional people.
I work with a great team of like-minded people who enjoy being a part of the success that is TJ. I get immense satisfaction from seeing compliance upheld and making sure that drivers stay safe and legal.
I am now in my 16th year working for TJ and genuinely cannot see me working anywhere else.
Outside of work I enjoy a passion for aviation. That is not to say that I am a frequent flyer although I would enjoy getting back to travelling with my wife once the issues surrounding Covid have become minimal. There was a time when I had an ambition to obtain my private pilot’s licence. Maybe one day in the future, who knows? I enjoy reading and furthering my knowledge on commercial aviation and having taken the controls of a light aircraft some time back through a birthday gift, welcome the chance of being able to do that again.
At ground level, I have for the past eleven years, been the Chairman of my local social club in Fareham. This is a voluntary role and I continue to enjoy watching the club thrive for the benefit of the members. We have over the years and continue to carry out a lot of fund raising for various charities and it is very pleasing when we are able to hand over funds to benefit those less fortunate than ourselves
