Trucks spread the safety message
Trucking
companies from around the country once again showed their
willingness to help promote road safety by answering FleetWatch's
call to spread vital safety messages via posters on their
trucks. The initiative, made possible by the partnership of
both Engen and Arrive Alive, was launched in December and
will continue through the Easter peak period and beyond. It
is a true exercise in teamwork where companies, organisations
and individuals have linked hands in an effort to benefit
the country as a whole.
The
idea of spreading road safety messages via posters on truck
fleets originated in 1999 when FleetWatch was approached by
Arrive Alive to find some way of getting the truckers involved
in the Arrive Alive campaign.
We
conceived the idea of doing highly visible posters which,
via high quality adhesive, could be applied to trucks. The
idea worked like a charm and the first campaign was launched
in December 1999 with many trucking companies enthusiastically
participating. The response from the companies and the public
was fantastic.
Following
the success of the first campaign, Arrive Alive once again
asked FleetWatch to get the industry involved. Based on the
enthusiasm displayed by companies the first time around, we
readily agreed to do so.
It
was thus we approached Darren Stirrat of Engen to partner
us - with Arrive Alive - in a similar campaign. To Engen's
credit, they did not hesitate in coming to the party and it
wasn't long before all players were in place.
To
add value, we had our artist Alex Groen design three pertinent
messages for distribution. They were: Don't Drink and Drive;
Speed Kills and Don't Drive Tired. These three message tied
in with what Arrive Alive was attempting to get across to
all road users. In addition, we intended printing 6 000 as
opposed to the former 4 000 posters and stickers for distribution.
Then
came the request for transporters to participate. One must
understand that this is not a simple request because while
the posters are supplied free of charge, each transporter
has to go to a lot of work applying them to the trucks and
flat-decks.
However,
within three days of us sending out the request, we had over
4 000 posters accounted for by trucking companies which responded.
It wasn't long before the full 6 000 were allocated - and
we regretfully then had to turn down companies which wanted
to participate.
The
next step was to find a way of distributing them and here
we lift our hats to XPS and particularly Greg Barrow, executive,
sales and marketing and his staff who willingly came to the
party. The professionalism with which the task was handled,
right down to printing special waybills ahead of time, was
remarkable.
Then
came the packing and labelling to match the numbers and sizes
requested by the various transport companies. And here I must
pay tribute to FleetWatch staff who came in over a weekend
and worked Saturday and Sunday to get them ready for distribution.
On
the Monday, XPS sales consultants Gail Slimane and Martin
Swanepoel arrived to supervise the procedures and it wasn't
long before XPS had distributed the entire 6 000 posters and
strip stickers to all companies around the country.
It
was then over to each transporter to do his/her bit by arranging
for the posters to be applied to the vehicles in their fleets.
That they went about this time and labour consuming task with
care and enthusiasm soon became evident when hundreds of trucks
were seen plying the roads acting as moving billboards in
getting across the three safety messages.
And
get across they did with one transporter telling us he had
received a number of calls from members of the public congratulating
him on the initiative. They had seen the posters on his trucks
and phoned to express their appreciation. "It's a tremendous
exercise and it makes you feel good in that you're doing something
positive about raising the awareness of road safety,"
he said.
And
that's what this is all about. We all hear so much about the
carnage that takes place on our roads - particularly over
holiday periods when traffic runs at a peak - but so few people
get involved in initiatives to curb the carnage. This campaign
has allowed the trucking industry to get involved and those
who did, have a warm feeling for it demonstrated a great willingness
by the trucking industry to improve road safety and get families
home safely. It also projected the trucking industry as a
caring and responsible one.
FleetWatch
lifts it hat to each and every company, organisation and individual
who contributed to this initiative. By your actions you have
made a difference. And if you are making a difference in life,
you are contributing to life - and that makes life so much
more worthwhile.
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