Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 15
Stiller Warehousing and Distribution logistics
clerk Keiran Jones and customer services
executive Suzie Kitchen are urging people to
‘Love the Lorry’.
We are a customer-focused business, with a wealth of experience
in the transport, distribution and warehousing sectors.
Stiller in brief:
•
Family owned business, established in 1954
•
Cost-effective regional and national distribution
•
Diverse fleet of collection and delivery vehicles
•
On–line tracking and tracing of freight deliveries
•
High-bay racked warehouses for up to 20,000 pallets
•
On-line stock tracking
•
Over 200,000 square feet of food grade warehousing
•
ISO 9001 (Quality) accredited
•
ISO 14001 (Environmental) accredited
•
Broad range of commercial and industrial properties to let
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STORAGE
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01325 313 140
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By Martin Walker
Young people urged to ‘Love the Lorry’
during logistics week of action
A Newton Aycliffe company is encouraging young people to “Love the Lorry” during a national
week of action to promote the logistics industry.
Family-run Stiller Warehousing and
Distribution is joining a number of other firms
from the region in a schools initiative as part
on the Road Haulage Association’s annual
National Lorry Week in September.
The transport and logistics sector needs
45,000 drivers to join the industry to plug a
forecast skills gap.
Stiller and other County Durham
businesses – including Hargreaves Logistics,
the Banks Group, Beamish Transport and
Elddis Transport – are aiming to inspire the
next generation of workers.
They’ll be taking trucks and lorries into
schools around the region to engage
with youngsters, while also delivering
presentations about other job opportunities
there are within the industry.
Stiller commercial manager Matthew Stiller
said: “There are lots of career opportunities
within the logistics sector and we’re very
proud to be involved with the RHA’s national
week of action, to promote our industry.
“Within every logistics firm you’ll
find drivers, transport planners, fitters,
mechanics, administrative clerks, customer
service personnel, HR and payroll staff, IT
technicians and accountants.
“So while it’s very important for us to
promote the driver jobs that are available in
the transport sector, we want to promote it
as a career choice to young people as well.”
As part of the RHA’s Love the Lorry week,
which is being held from September 19-24,
there will be national events as well as local
initiatives.
On a local level, Stiller will take a lorry into
Greenfield Community College’s Sunnydale
Campus in Shildon on Thursday September
22.
Logistics clerk Keiran Jones, from Newton
Aycliffe, was recruited as an Apprentice more
than two years ago.
The 19-year-old said: “It’s really important
that we raise awareness of the transport and
logistics industry among young people who
might not be aware of all the different types
of jobs there are.
“I joined Stiller two years ago as an
Apprentice admin assistant and now I’m
distribution clerk, with future opportunities to
progress within the company, so it can be a
very rewarding and enjoyable career choice.”
RHA Northern area manager Malcolm
Dodds said: “This is the second Love the
Lorry Week and we feel it’s vitally important
to promote awareness of the transport and
logistics industry and the opportunities that
exist within it.
“It’s always important to remember that
if you’ve got something, a truck probably
brought it, and we’re trying to instil that into
young people and educate school-leavers on
the career paths available to them.
“Stiller has always been very proactive
in promoting the industry and specifically
the recruitment of drivers with some very
innovative ideas, and we welcome the
support of all operators within the sector.”
Stiller has an excellent track record of
promoting the logistics industry and has
benefited from several innovative recruitment
programmes.
The company has previously run
successful programmes to attract exservicemen and overseas employees in a bid
to combat a nationwide shortage of drivers.
And earlier this year, the company
launched its own in-house “earn while you
learn” training pathway programme, which
targeted potential young employees who
have no previous experience of driving HGVs.
Three new drivers will eventually be taken
on every two months – costing the company
£5,000 per driver in wages and training – as
Stiller looks to increase staff numbers this
year, meaning the scheme could cost the
firm up to £90,000 a year.
Stiller will also loan each driver £1,250 to
pay for the HGV class C practical training and
test fees with a nearby driving school, which
will be paid back over six months.
The successful applicants on Stiller’s
pathway programme will spent up to two
months undergoing Stiller’s own in-house
training while earning £400 a week before
taking their HGV test.
Matthew Stiller added: “That programme
has proved a success already and continues
to run in the background.
“But we’re always on the look-out for
new drivers, especially young people either
leaving college or the armed forces, or those
just looking for a career change.”
Potential drivers, who must have a
clean driver’s licence for a minimum of
two years, can send their CV to info@
stiller.co.uk