The Isuzu 3.5 tonne Grafter is rapidly becoming the ‘go to’ truck being used by companies across the UK to encourage potential new drivers into the transport and logistics industry and the latest company to utilise Grafters for its driver training vehicles is national haulier EFS Global.
Four new Isuzu Grafter N35.125 curtainsided rigids have now joined the EFS Global fleet at their depots in Burnley, Atherton, Tamworth and Motherwell.
“It’s been well documented that the UK is currently experiencing severe driver shortage problems, and, like all hauliers, we are constantly looking to encourage new HGV drivers to join our expanding business. We had also noticed that many other local and national companies were utilising Isuzu Grafters for their long-term driver training. This led us to assessing the Grafter’s potential for our future driver training programme and quickly we decided to add these four new Isuzu Grafters into our fleet. It’s part of our dedicated programme to encourage and develop new drivers by using the Grafters within the transition process for new recruits, with the key objective of them ultimately achieving full Class I driver status,” said Mark Jones, managing director, EFS Global.
Mark continues, “We have added the Grafters into our pallet distribution network fleet as pallet networks in general are seeing more demand for home deliveries. At 3.5 tonnes GVW, the Grafter offers a much greater flexibility and payload for this type of work. Each new driver recruit will get at least two weeks driving experience in them, where we can monitor their individual driving abilities, aptitude and overall performance with a view to offering them a longer-term driving career within our growing business.”
Supplied by local Isuzu dealer JDS Trucks in Salford, the Isuzu Grafters are fitted with curtainsided bodies, built by Truck Craft Bodies, and can carry up to four pallets. Each Grafter has also been specified with a tail lift. EFS Global anticipate that the Grafter trucks will be in their fleet for a minimum of four years covering up to 60,000 miles per annum, handling local repeat journeys close to the depot at which they are based.
Founded in 1996, Burnley based haulier EFS Global is now a £105 million group employing more than 700 staff covering pallet distribution, general haulage and freight forwarding, through 20 depots and offices across the UK. Acquisition hungry, EFS Global has recently added to its fleet with two new depots in Wakefield and the north-east.
“The popularity of the Isuzu Grafter for ongoing HGV driver training continues to grow, with many well-established companies, including EFS Global, using the versatile Grafter to provide new recruits with simulated HGV driving conditions as part of their induction into full time HGV driving as a long-term career. The current driver shortage is impacting on the UK economy as well as many companies, so it’s important that potential new recruits have a pathway into HGV driving careers to address these problems,” said Stuart Beeton, head of sales, product & marketing, Isuzu Truck UK.
