Despite a somewhat slow-burn following its launch in April 2008 at the Commercial Vehicle Show, the Freight Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) has accrued 424 registered members. Operated by Transport for London (TfL), the free, voluntary scheme is open to any type and size of operation running vans and lorries in London.
At its simplest level it is a reward and recognition scheme, with the aim of improving fleet and freight vehicle operational efficiency. FORS also educates and encourages freight operators to follow best practice across areas like fuel consumption, penalty charge notices (PCNs) and health and safety.
Registered members have to undergo an independent assessment of their business before making it onto the base level of the scheme and being awarded bronze membership status. To meet the bronze FORS standards, operators must have in place effective risk-management policies covering their drivers, vehicles and operations, and effective policies covering the reduction in parking fines and charges.
Of the 424 registered members to date, 231 have achieved bronze status, while 30 have progressed to silver membership. To progress to silver membership, operators need to provide data for benchmarking on the scheme's key KPIs, which include vehicle incidents and CO2 and emissions.
Silver membership is attained by meeting or exceeding the silver level benchmark thresholds for such KPIs. The criteria for a gold level is still being finalised, but is expected to be announced later this year.
Of the 330,000 HGV and freight vehicles currently delivering in and around London, 55,340 vehicles are registered with FORS.
Dan Evanson, FORS manager, tells CM that he is working to a target - set by TfL - of having 50% of all CVs that operate in London registered to FORS by 2016, meaning there are another 110,000 vehicles to go. That is no mean feat, but Evanson is confident that the package of benefits FORS offers, coupled with "the cache" of achieving FORS membership, will attract more operators to join.
"FORS is about operational confidence. FORS bronze and silver membership helps reassure any potential customer that they're about to employ a safe, efficient, environmentally aware and lawful operator. The FORS bronze status says a lot about an operator's approach to their business, their commitment to a CSR agenda and the efforts they make to improve their performance," explains Evanson.
"Equally, silver and ultimately gold status will further distinguish those operators that really are prepared to pull out all the stops and adopt best practice in all areas of their operation. Having a FORS logo on your vehicle or at your depot is a quick and easy way of conveying the above messages about your business, which could help operators potentially win more work."
FORS did come under fire in its early days for not offering any benefits. Evanson admits the benefits were a bit "nebulous" when FORS was first launched, but is eager to highlight the strengths of the package now available.
"The key benefit is the benchmarking facility. It allows an operator to manage and check the efficiency of its operation, but it also provides the opportunity to work in real-time and compare itself with its competitors," says Evanson.
Another benefit is the series of free workshops FORS runs throughout the year covering health and safety, fuel, and PCNs.
"The workshops cover the issues that operators tell us they're interested in, so safety is obviously a big one. We have experts speaking at the workshops, but we also encourage FORS members to come along and share what they're doing to tackle a problem. The workshops are also a good chance for operators to network and get ideas from people in different sectors. It's quite relaxed and informal, but they are always well attended."
He tells CM he is always "trying to improve the benefits package for members" and is in discussions with various manufacturers and technology providers to offer discounts to FORS members on items such as telematics, reversing cameras and mirrors.
"We want benefits that are attractive to members, but that also assist them," he says, highlighting a free Driver CPC module on cycle awareness in London that is coming shortly.
"People in the industry are now aware of FORS, and it's really being driven by the members. They want the recognition that they have put the effort in to not just comply, but that they are going the extra mile.
"Once we've finalised the gold status, that really will be an aspiration for members to reach."
