Who Needs the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS)?
Do you find yourself losing business because you don’t hold a FORS accreditation? If you’re a fleet operator in the UK looking to secure big contracts, improve operational efficiency, and save money, FORS is right for you. The Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) has become an industry standard as an increasing number of clients seek to contract their transport requirements to FORS accredited businesses.
If your business is currently considering FORS, here are the 4 main benefits that our FORS experts suggest would have the biggest impact on your business:
- Win Major Contracts
Fleet operators looking to secure national infrastructure, construction, or local authority-led contracts can use FORS to demonstrate their compliance with exceptionally high operational standards including safe vehicle and loading practices, decarbonisation initiatives and first-rate operational efficiency.
Although FORS is a voluntary accreditation scheme, it has become increasingly common for large tenders to specify either FORS Bronze or Silver as the minimum specification for contractors quoting for the project. Businesses which don’t hold FORS run the risk of losing out on large infrastructure projects like these as they cannot meet the minimum specification.
- Improve Fuel Economy and Lower Operating Costs
Fleet operators who want to introduce cost-reducing practices to their businesses can benefit from the variety of FORS driver training opportunities that promote fuel economy and ways to lower your operating costs. FORS professional training is designed to help fleet drivers decrease carbon emissions by reducing engine idling and promoting economic route planning.
In addition to teaching drivers different ways to improve fuel economy, FORS defensive driver training also covers hazard recognition, driver attitude and perception, and driver fitness and health. Taking on FORS has allowed thousands of fleet operators to avoid costly and unexpected expenses by helping to minimise accidents and PCNs.
- Implement Operational Safety Procedures
If your transport business needs guidance implementing operational safety procedures, FORS can help you reduce work-related incidents and protect your drivers and operational staff. FORS offers detailed guidelines and tools you can use to create a safe work environment including in-depth risk assessments, comprehensive load and vehicle safety, and regular equipment checks.
FORS will help you identify high-risk areas in your operation through transport infringement reports so that you can effectively address the issues that present the most risk to your business and your employees. Some of the knowledge and training available to FORS members includes load safety including weight limit and distribution, appropriate load restraints and the handling of abnormal indivisible loads (AIL).
- Maximise Operational Efficiency
Fleet operators seeking to maximise operational efficiency can use the guidance and standards set out in FORS to establish clearly defined roles and systems of direct accountability within their business to ensure effective management of their fleet operations. Accredited businesses can use FORS Transport Planner to track operational performance data, making areas that need improvement easy to identify while allowing you to make informed decisions about how to better optimise your operations.
If you’re a fleet operator and feel that FORS would bring value to your business but need help getting started, our experienced team of FORS Practitioners at Total Compliance can offer a range of tailored FORS consultancy services to make sure your application is approved the first time around.
For more information about how our FORS accreditation consultancy services can help you stand out from competitors and save you money, please contact our team on 0345 9001312 or email us your requirements.
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