The making of a UBU Driver

Here at UBU, our commitment to providing all clients with the best possible service extends even further than providing the best vehicles and waste solutions for your site.

It’s the people that make UBU, and to make sure we have the right people operating our vehicles we have designed our own 5-day training program, so we can give you the best operative for your site! It may not be as intense as SAS training, but once a driver completes their training with UBU, they can be recognised as one of the very best in the industry.

We are committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all applicants throughout the hiring process, so all applicants that meet our minimum requirements will be treated equally. The following are essential to meeting that standard.

  • Over 21 years old and have a right to work in the UK

  • Hold a full UK HGV Class 2 equivalent license

  • Have basic mathematics and English skills

  • Passed their QBE driver hazard perception test.

  • Desirable – Additional social value though local recruitment in Salford

Applicants who fit the criteria will then be invited for a virtual or face to face interview to gain a better understanding on what they feel they can offer UBU, and in turn what UBU can offer them. Once the interview process has been completed, successful applicants will be contacted and invited onto our 5-day training course, led by our health, safety and training manager.

DAY 1 –

On their first day, the trainee will arrive at our site on Moss lane where their drivers license and CPC will be checked. A short introduction will then be given to UBU Environmental and TJ Murphy, where the trainee will have the opportunity to learn a bit more about both companies including our company ethics in recovery of roadsweeper waste. UBU have invested in a bespoke induction video to inform and educate our employees which can be viewed here. This video provides information, instruction and training on;

The next stage is a tour of our depot, highlighting key health and safety information such as safe pedestrian access and PPE. There is also a full practical introduction to the fleet of Johnston sweepers, where the trainee will be given the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the many features and vital information on how to maintain their vehicle to promote a proactive approach which includes the defect reporting procedures. In preparation for day 2, the trainee will be signed off and assigned to the Hire Desk where they will receive a briefing for the next days activities and meet the competent driver that will assist them for the next stages of their practical training

Water JetDAY 2 –

Having received the details of where the drivers will be operating, our trainee will arrive at the depot and meet their paired driver to complete the daily vehicle checks. Both our trainee and our qualified driver will complete a walk around of the vehicle before our trainee fills in the relevant paperwork, whilst receiving guidance and supervision. Both drivers will then assess the route made by the trainee based on the details given by the Hire Desk. Providing all is well with the planned route, the experienced driver will drive to site in the Road sweeper, as the trainee will not yet be used to the functions of our vehicles. Whilst the trainee may have the minimum licence standards, its likely that they will not have experience of driving a left hand vehicle on the left side of the road, and for this reason, the trainee is to complete no more than 25% driving on his or her first day. Throughout the process, both our trainee and our training manager will receive feedback from our experienced driver who will assess safety as well as vehicle operations.

DAY 3-

As we approach halfway in the training programme, the new employee will be given increased responsibility of the vehicle and the jobs they work on. They continue to be supervised all day in the cab but the responsibility to plan their job route and undertake the daily checks is now carried out solely by them. They would also be expected now to be observing and practicing day to day rules set out by UBU, including health and safety on customers sites, completion of duty of care paperwork and use of our approved standpipes to draw water off the network. The operative will also be given increased responsibility to drive to and from site and complete other tasks, up to around 75% of the days driving. By gradually increasing the trainee’s responsibilities, it gives them time for them to properly observe their paired driver and then apply what they’ve learnt to a practical environment.

 

DAY 4 –

In their final day before assessment, the driver will be given up to 100% responsibility of the days activities to

fully prepare them for the approaching final assessment day. Once everything has been verified by the experienced driver, they will leave the depot and head to their first task. By now, the trainee should be more familiar with their vehicle’s layout and controls, giving them the confidence to operate a UBU vehicle. After completing their daily tasks and travelling back to the depot, our training manager will communicate all details regarding their assessment for the following day.

 

ASSESSMENT DAY

The final stage of our driver training is a driver assessment. Here, the drivers’ knowledge and driving skills will be assessed to see if they are UBU ready. Vehicle checks are an essential part of ensuring our fleet is operating at maximum capacity, so the trainee will be expected to complete their vehicle checks and daily defect sheet before heading out each day. Once our training manager is happy with the defect sheet, our trainee will clean their vehicle to an acceptable level. Before leaving for one of our jobs, the driver will be given a small task of planning and cleaning the yard. By taking the approach of properly planning every job we are on, we are committed to minimising any potential accidents on site, as well as reducing the amount of reversing a driver will have to do. Once the training manager understands and agrees with the drivers thought process in considering potentially hazardous areas and why they have chosen their planned route, they will be assessed on all aspects of their work.

 

After this task is completed, both the training manager and trainee will go on a 30 minute drive, to assess how they cope with built up areas, reversing, lane changing and roundabouts. If the training manager is happy with their driving skills, the hire desk will be notified, and a job text will be sent out to the training manager and the trainee. Once they have parked in a safe location and turned their engine off, the training manager will observe as the trainee plans the route to the job and conducts their pre deployment checks. As they arrive to the job, the trainee will have to prepare for their tasks by reading any safety boards/notices, gaining a safety brief and by obtaining the right information with regards to the job from one of the site contacts. During their tasks on site, our training manager will be out of the cab walking alongside the vehicle making sure all the processes are completed correctly and the driver receives guidance wherever required.

Many of our jobs have their own waste tipping processes, but for those who do not, their waste will be transferred back to our wet waste treatment plant at our depot, where materials will be washed and recycled into different grades of aggregates or sand, perfect for several construction projects. Wherever waste is tipped, the training manager will need to observe both the trainees tipping process and the completion of their waste transfer notes.

UBUB Waste Plant

Upon arrival back at the depot, the trainee will be presented with a full review of their assessment stating if they have been successful. If the trainee is successful, their assessment sheet will be signed off by our training manager and they will complete their day by refuelling, washing and checking their vehicle ready for the following day.

Once a driver has completed the training program at UBU, we ask them to fill out a feedback form, so that we can understand the experience of our trainees and adjust the training program if necessary. Stephen Ballard, who has recently joined the team noted that the training process was “extremely professional and well done, with no added pressure placed on the trainee”.