Galaxy Insulation & Dry Lining Ltd. has become the latest FORS accredited operator to attain FORS Gold status, and, with it, recognition that the company’s fleet transport activities have achieved benchmark levels of safety, efficiency and environmental protection.
The company, which specialises in the supply and distribution of thermal, acoustic and other insulation and dry lining materials, reached FORS Gold accreditation in an impressively short 17-months having embarked upon its journey with FORS Bronze accreditation in December 2019 at its site in Uxbridge. By the following January, it had progressed to FORS Sliver. Then, in the summer of 2020, FORS Silver was achieved for the whole organisation under the Multi Operating Centre Accreditation (MOCA) at its 14 locations across the UK, before ramping-up its efforts once more to gain FORS Gold in May 2021.
Galaxy’s 73-strong mixed-fleet is made up 17 3.5-tonne vans, 53 26-tonners and three tractor units – including a recently delivered 44-tonne 6×2 Mercedes-Benz Actros with a trailer-mounted Moffat forklift. The truck and trailer are decked in the company’s new ‘stars and solar system’ livery, which also promotes the Children’s Hospital Charity in Sheffield for which Galaxy has already raised £20,000.
Comparing the 12-month periods of 2019 / ‘20 and 2020 / ‘21, and as a result of FORS training and guidance, Galaxy has saved 30,000 gallons of diesel and reduced CO2 emissions by 500 tonnes, despite its fleet size increasing by 65%. Further underlining its environmental credentials, Galaxy is the only carbon neutral company in its sector and is actively looking to introduce zero-emissions vehicles onto its road fleet. Galaxy already utilises 48 fully-electric forklifts throughout its network and reducing its LPG-powered units to just six.
Galaxy’s Group Logistics Manager, Wayne Allen said:
“The benefits even with FORS Bronze accreditation were almost immediate for us. We felt as though we had taken back control, pulling back central parts of the business that had fragmented. And, with more control, came a more efficient operation.
Perhaps the greatest benefit of FORS accreditation overall,” he said, “has been the buy-in from our drivers. FORS training has really opened their eyes and they now see themselves as highly-valued, skilled drivers who are absolutely critical to the success of the whole operation. They are much better at feeding back too – we now have an open-door policy regarding physical or mental health concerns – and they have adopted a professional mindset that allows them to engage with their fleet managers in order to explore opportunities to boost efficiency.”
