Joanna Aiston, Transport Supervisor at our Nottingham branch successfully passed the LGV Shunting Course held on the 22nd September 2018. Throughout the Encon Group, Joanna is one of the only women who has the qualification to shunt all vehicles, including the 32 Tonne LGV.
Joanna joined Encon and Nevill Long in 2016 as an Internal Sales Representative. During this time, Joanna established relationships with her customer base and the team at the Nottingham Branch. In May of this year, Joanna stepped up and began assisting her manager with transport planning. With the support and guidance from Sarah Miles – Branch Director at Nottingham, Joanna was able to understand the role and what was expected, and she embraced the challenge of her new role as Transport Supervisor in August 2018.
“The most enjoyable part of my job is resolving problems and when things go right!”
In her new role, Joanna enjoys resolving problems and ensuring things go well on site, she also credits her team and says, “we have such a great team at Nottingham, which makes a tough day much more bearable”.
To become a qualified LGV Shunter, Joanna had to complete an intensive one day training session on the 22nd September 2018. Joanna trained under the attentive eye of Jamie Rock, trainer at Mentor Training Solutions. The training included: daily checks, understanding the work safety procedures, vehicle and trailer controls, coupling and un-coupling of the trailer, manoeuvring, reversing, blindside reverse and parking (including the safe parking of trailers).
Joanna said that the best part of the training day was that she successfully backed the lorry into the warehouse, through the tiny gap either side of our shutter doors. “Jamie said it was one of the hardest sites he had ever been to with the hardest turning circle, so it was a massive achievement”.
Training throughout Joanna’s time at the Encon Group has allowed her to progress, in particular, the LGV Shunter training has helped with the daily operation of the warehouse. There are now an extra two people at the Nottingham branch who are capable of safely putting the vehicles away at close of business. Manoeuvring and reversing vehicles on site can be a major cause of workplace incidents and can lead to serious or fatal injuries, which is why it is important that our people receive the correct training.
The Encon Group’s strategy is to be the Distributor of Choice for our customers and suppliers and to be the Employer of Choice for our people. Through the Encon Academy, which was launched in 2013, and through strategic partnerships with high profile trading providers, we have made a strategic investment in our people to enhance our workforce skills and build a sustainable company for the future.
With the current level of women in the construction industry around 14% we are proud to have strong female representation in our teams working alongside our customers, suppliers and trade bodies. Joanna is one of the few young women in the Encon Group who is a qualified LGV Shunter and we are proud of her achievements.
If you're interested in becoming a HGV Driver, head to our vacancies page.
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