ABOUT US
There are currently in excess of 350,000 HGV drivers in the UK.
During the Pandemic we all stood on our doorsteps every week clapping the NHS and whilst those heroes rightly deserved our praise there were an army of unsung heroes on our roads keeping the country going.
Without our HGV drivers we wouldn’t have had the luxury of queuing a metre apart at the supermarket because there would have been no food on the shelves yet for them it was a lonely time with nowhere open for breaks and no facilities yet where was the recognition and what’s changed?
There are currently in excess of 350’000 HGV drivers in the UK.
Everything we eat, drink, wear and consume depends on road haulage services and the companies and drivers that operate them. In the UK 98% of all food and agricultural products are transported by road freight. Our reliance on these professional drivers cannot be underestimated.
The challenges facing our professional drivers have a significant impact on their health and mental well being coupled with their environmental impact on our communities with littering in part due to no bins or suitable facilities.
Truckers deserve better
HAUL FOR GOOD is a community Interest Company that delivers Not For Profit services and advice to individuals and companies within the transportation and haulage industries to encourage and promote behavioural change and to provide a support network around the stresses faced by living conditions on the road, mental health issues and loneliness and lack of healthcare facilities.
Lay-bys, parking/rest areas are heavily littered by drivers, often there are no bins or toilet facilities this often includes deliveries into industrial estates and businesses that do not allow drivers to access facilities despite Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. Approved Code of Practice and guidance which stipulates companies must make toilets available to visiting drivers.
Whilst we accept there are many drivers who dispose of their litter in a responsible way, we do accept that there are many who soil their parking/rest areas with detritus thus blighting the environment.
By providing information and equipment, Haul for Good aims to encourage those drivers wishing to be part of the solution and become ambassadors for the industry to litter pick driver areas thus increasing exercise and improving mental well-being.
We will be liaising with the relevant bodies and stake holders with the aim to improve parking/rest areas to encourage provision of toilets and litter bins.
How we are
achieving our aims
We are talking with Hauliers to establish what littering education and or in-house training is included in their terms of employment and whether training could be accredited.
We will provide details of Mental Health charities specific to men, as almost 25% regularly experience loneliness, coupled with provision of information on how to recognise dehydration and other health conditions associated with living on the road.
Truck drivers are hard-working professionals who deserve respect and dignity.
29% of HGV drivers are over 56 years of age or older, compared with 19% for the overall employed population. This is in comparison to 20% of HGV drivers aged 16 to 35 years (compared to 36% of the total working population.
Litter, inclusive of food detritus, human waste and urine filled bottles choke many lay-bys and parking areas up and down the country. This is due to a mix of insufficient bins coupled with poor driver behaviour causing a lasting impact on our environment.
HAUL FOR GOOD are working to change behaviour of drivers attitudes by providing information and encouraging them out of their cabs for exercise to pick a bag of litter.
Getting out of the cab not only increases activity it encourages drivers to communicate with others creating connections and lessoning social isolation. By collecting a bag of litter we are encouraging drivers to be part of the solution not part of the problem.
Through liaison with H&S bodies we will establish Haulier and delivery recipient responsibilities re the care of drivers and available facilities. Industrial Estates and Landlords canvassed to record rest room and bin availability.
Parking Areas & Lay-bys will be mapped and rated dependant on level of soiling, bins and facilities. All of the collated information will be used to lobby for change.
Keep detailed reports on hauliers, port areas and their responses so that we can target our efforts efficiently.
By building relationships with Councils, Highways and various stakeholders around provision of bins and suitable parking facilities.
We will produce advice from medical professionals and mental health charities surrounding specific issues related to men and the haulage industry in order to live healthier lives through taking a preventative approach to health.
Through use of social media we will work towards breaking down the discrimination of drivers especially those from overseas and raise awareness of the issues facing drivers to create a positive environmental impact.
Having won a Civic Award for the creation and running of community groups, liaison with various Stakeholders, Council Officers, and businesses I am well placed to take this knowledge to the next level and create real positive change.
HAUL FOR GOOD has a 5 year plan to scale across the UK not only having impact but also creating employment.
