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Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Purpose PAGEREF _Toc328422790 \h 6Terms of Reference PAGEREF _Toc328422791 \h 6Team Responsibilities PAGEREF _Toc328422792 \h 6Purpose of the Best Practice Guide PAGEREF _Toc328422793 \h 9Introduction PAGEREF _Toc328422794 \h 91.Regulation, control of and standards of logistical operations PAGEREF _Toc328422795 \h 10Laws PAGEREF _Toc328422796 \h 10New Vehicle licensing PAGEREF _Toc328422797 \h 10Annual License Renewal PAGEREF _Toc328422798 \h 11Obtaining Driving License PAGEREF _Toc328422799 \h 11Regulations for Trucks PAGEREF _Toc328422800 \h 12Driving Hours PAGEREF _Toc328422801 \h 12Driving Experience PAGEREF _Toc328422802 \h 13Recommendations PAGEREF _Toc328422803 \h 132.Drivers, driving hours and recording driver information PAGEREF _Toc328422804 \h 13Fleet Manager PAGEREF _Toc328422805 \h 13Workers PAGEREF _Toc328422806 \h 14Drivers PAGEREF _Toc328422807 \h 15Motivation: PAGEREF _Toc328422808 \h 16Training: PAGEREF _Toc328422809 \h 16Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA): PAGEREF _Toc328422810 \h 163.Vehicle Maintenance PAGEREF _Toc328422811 \h 17Unscheduled service PAGEREF _Toc328422812 \h 18Scheduled Service PAGEREF _Toc328422813 \h 18Vehicles defect and breakdown procedure PAGEREF _Toc328422814 \h 184.Maintenance options PAGEREF _Toc328422815 \h 19In-house maintenance PAGEREF _Toc328422816 \h 19Outsourced maintenance PAGEREF _Toc328422817 \h 20Best solution PAGEREF _Toc328422818 \h 21Time utilization PAGEREF _Toc328422819 \h 22Cost reduction PAGEREF _Toc328422820 \h 23Space utilization PAGEREF _Toc328422821 \h 23Wider control PAGEREF _Toc328422822 \h 23Spare parts PAGEREF _Toc328422823 \h 236.Weights PAGEREF _Toc328422824 \h 25Vehicle weights PAGEREF _Toc328422825 \h 25Consequences of overloading PAGEREF _Toc328422826 \h 26Vehicle plates PAGEREF _Toc328422827 \h 26Manufacturer’s plate PAGEREF _Toc328422828 \h 27Ministry plates PAGEREF _Toc328422829 \h 28Axle weights PAGEREF _Toc328422830 \h 28Diminishing load PAGEREF _Toc328422831 \h 287.Tyre and seatbelt standards PAGEREF _Toc328422832 \h 29Tyres: PAGEREF _Toc328422833 \h 29Tyre condition PAGEREF _Toc328422834 \h 29Seatbelts PAGEREF _Toc328422835 \h 30Fleet database PAGEREF _Toc328422836 \h 308.Choice of trucks PAGEREF _Toc328422837 \h 30Equipment that should be acquired PAGEREF _Toc328422838 \h 31Concrete Mixers PAGEREF _Toc328422839 \h 31Concrete Pumps PAGEREF _Toc328422840 \h 31Water tank truck PAGEREF _Toc328422841 \h 32Equipment not vital to the core business PAGEREF _Toc328422842 \h 32Cement Bulker PAGEREF _Toc328422843 \h 32Tipper Truck PAGEREF _Toc328422844 \h 33Chemical Tanker PAGEREF _Toc328422845 \h 339.Vehicle utilisation PAGEREF _Toc328422846 \h 33The importance of efficient utilization PAGEREF _Toc328422847 \h 33Tools for Monitoring Utilization: PAGEREF _Toc328422848 \h 34Tachograph PAGEREF _Toc328422849 \h 34IT Packages PAGEREF _Toc328422850 \h 34Tracking systems PAGEREF _Toc328422851 \h 34Vehicle and drivers schedules PAGEREF _Toc328422852 \h 35Loading Utilization PAGEREF _Toc328422853 \h 35Recommendations: PAGEREF _Toc328422854 \h 35Vehicle usage PAGEREF _Toc328422855 \h 36Driver involvement PAGEREF _Toc328422856 \h 3610.Acquiring and hiring additional vehicles PAGEREF _Toc328422857 \h 37Financial Considerations PAGEREF _Toc328422858 \h 37Options available PAGEREF _Toc328422859 \h 37Leasing a vehicle from external source PAGEREF _Toc328422860 \h 37Adding new vehicles to the fleet PAGEREF _Toc328422861 \h 39Recommendations: PAGEREF _Toc328422862 \h 3911.Fuel management PAGEREF _Toc328422863 \h 40Fuel type PAGEREF _Toc328422864 \h 40Fuel consumption PAGEREF _Toc328422865 \h 41Fuelling options PAGEREF _Toc328422866 \h 41Internal fueling system PAGEREF _Toc328422867 \h 41External fueling system PAGEREF _Toc328422868 \h 42The recommendation PAGEREF _Toc328422869 \h 43Focus PAGEREF _Toc328422870 \h 45Fewer employees PAGEREF _Toc328422871 \h 46Space Utilization PAGEREF _Toc328422872 \h 46Controlling the fuel budget PAGEREF _Toc328422873 \h 46Agency Cards PAGEREF _Toc328422874 \h 46Economic fuel use PAGEREF _Toc328422875 \h 4712.Road traffic accidents PAGEREF _Toc328422876 \h 48The Bahraini Accident Law PAGEREF _Toc328422877 \h 48Procedures at an accident scene PAGEREF _Toc328422878 \h 49Information required on the scene PAGEREF _Toc328422879 \h 50Reporting accidents PAGEREF _Toc328422880 \h 50Accident reporting procedure PAGEREF _Toc328422881 \h 5113.Road accident follow up PAGEREF _Toc328422882 \h 52Follow up procedure PAGEREF _Toc328422883 \h 52Vehicle damage and inspection PAGEREF _Toc328422884 \h 52Claims against drivers PAGEREF _Toc328422885 \h 52Driver discipline PAGEREF _Toc328422886 \h 53Accident analysis PAGEREF _Toc328422887 \h 53Reducing accidents PAGEREF _Toc328422888 \h 53Employers’ responsibility PAGEREF _Toc328422889 \h 54Employees’ responsibility PAGEREF _Toc328422890 \h 56Regulations and codes of practice PAGEREF _Toc328422891 \h 57Control of health hazard substances PAGEREF _Toc328422892 \h 58The reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences PAGEREF _Toc328422893 \h 59Vehicle activities PAGEREF _Toc328422894 \h 5914.Business and vehicle insurance PAGEREF _Toc328422895 \h 60Third party insurance: PAGEREF _Toc328422896 \h 60Types of insurance: PAGEREF _Toc328422897 \h 60Minimum level of covers PAGEREF _Toc328422898 \h 60Other vehicle-related insurance PAGEREF _Toc328422899 \h 60Other business insurance: PAGEREF _Toc328422900 \h 61Employer’s liability insurance PAGEREF _Toc328422901 \h 61Public liability insurance PAGEREF _Toc328422902 \h 61Consequential loss PAGEREF _Toc328422903 \h 61Insurance Companies in Bahrain: PAGEREF _Toc328422904 \h 61Bahrain and Kuwait Insurance Company PAGEREF _Toc328422905 \h 61Bahrain National Insurance Company PAGEREF _Toc328422906 \h 62Saudi National Insurance Company PAGEREF _Toc328422907 \h 62Recommendations: PAGEREF _Toc328422908 \h 62Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc328422909 \h 62Appendix PAGEREF _Toc328422910 \h 63Pictures: PAGEREF _Toc328422911 \h 63Maps: PAGEREF _Toc328422912 \h 63Tables PAGEREF _Toc328422913 \h 63Figures PAGEREF _Toc328422914 \h 63Table of References PAGEREF _Toc328422915 \h 64Meeting Minutes PAGEREF _Toc328422916 \h 67Meeting 1 PAGEREF _Toc328422917 \h 67Meeting 2 PAGEREF _Toc328422918 \h 69Meeting 3 PAGEREF _Toc328422919 \h 71Meeting 4 PAGEREF _Toc328422920 \h 73Meeting 5 PAGEREF _Toc328422921 \h 77Meeting 6 PAGEREF _Toc328422922 \h 79Meeting 7 PAGEREF _Toc328422923 \h 81Meeting 8 PAGEREF _Toc328422924 \h 83Meeting 9 PAGEREF _Toc328422925 \h 86Meeting 10 PAGEREF _Toc328422926 \h 88Power Point Slides PAGEREF _Toc328422927 \h 91The Best Practice GuideFor a Ready Mix Concrete PlantPurposeThe aim of writing this best practice guide is to analyse the process of a concrete factory, describing its daily operations and requirements, then to write a best practice guide to suggest the methods of operating the equipment, staff and deliveries to ensure the most efficient decisions are followed. Terms of ReferenceThis report is requested by Ms. Lorraine Cowley, a Tutor at Bahrain Polytechnic, as a Fleet Management course final report, it will be followed by a presentation given in class by our group.Purpose of the Best Practice GuideFleet means a large number of vehicles usually more than five; a Fleet Management has a wide range of aspects that need to be practiced perfectly by a company in order to provide an efficient fleet. It involves the management of the vehicles, maintenance, drivers, fuel, licensing, and any other points that are relevant to a fleet. This report is a Best Practice Guide that will provide detailed information on the best possible way to run an efficient fleet management for a factory producing ready mix concrete. IntroductionMany businesses require fleets of trucks and drivers to perform deliveries to the business and to despatch their manufactured good, Bah-Con is a company that produces ready mix concrete that is also responsible to deliver to the customers, and currently depending on a contracted delivery company or Third Party Logistics for their consignments. Bah-Con has come to FAWAZ, a consulting firm in order to perform a study on the feasibility of starting its own logistics department to perform the deliveries.Regulation, control of and standards of logistical operationsLawsAs the laws in Bahrain state that any vehicle to be used on the roads of the Kingdom should be registered at the General Directorate of Traffic and Licensing, and it is required from some of the vehicles; depending on the circumstances, to be inspected and checked if all the needed procedures are applied and followed. Many laws are listed to be followed whether to be used by individuals or organizations such as:New vehicle licensing.Annual Renewal licensing.Vehicle Export.Vehicle ownership transferObtaining Driving License (Traffic Law, n.d.)New Vehicle licensingNewly purchased vehicles for individual or organizational use should be inspected, checked for the right documentation, and the certificate of road worthiness that proves that the vehicle will be used for certain tasks only and a vehicle ownership document identifies the company or person which would be using it will be issued. The Bahraini law does not require an Operator’s License; instead the Commercial Record issued by the Ministry of Commerce is used. (Traffic Law, n.d.) Annual License RenewalEach vehicle’s license should be renewed annually and that is done by visiting any post office around the country in order to get the insurance permission for the vehicle to be driven on the roads of Bahrain, but before visiting the post office the vehicle should be checked and inspected by the Traffic Directorate and a form should be filled out. (Traffic Law, n.d.)Obtaining Driving LicenseFor all individuals driving vehicles on the roads are required to obtain a driving license in order to work in the country. Many of these laws may differ from one country to another depending on the population size, previous experiences or many other reasons. Within Bahrain the rules to be followed are considered to be the very basic laws and regulations from any other country which can be followed and used around in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) these laws are to be followed in certain order to obtain the license needed:Employee reached the required age set for the certain license needed.Eyesight test should be given and passed.Employee should state any disabilities that would prevent him from driving in accordance to the law.Follows exact procedure given to obtain the learners permit.Any verification of nationality of the person, and in the case of working under an organization person should present :Official statement from the government sector he's employed in, or the private sector company.Non-Bahrainis should have clearance to live in the country from the Passport Directorate and should present that evidence to the Traffic Police Department.These are the standard requirements for obtaining a learner's permit, and the age stated for the heavy license 21. After obtaining the learner's permit the person should train and achieve the points given with a score of 70% or higher which is graded by the examiner. If the person applies for heavy license and includes a trailer then a trailer would be connected to a three axle truck used for the test. (Traffic Law, n.d.)Regulations for Trucks29559252277110Pic SEQ Pic \* ARABIC 2: Weight plate issued by the Traffic Police for trucks00Pic 2: Weight plate issued by the Traffic Police for trucks295275021018500Maximum weight of trucks to be used on the roads of Bahrain is set to be 40 Tonnes and that is the law as well in all GCC countries. The topic of legal weights for trucks will discussed more in chapter six where the first and second photographs will be discussed. (Traffic Law, n.d.).Driving Hours29622752098675Pic SEQ Pic \* ARABIC 3: weight plate issued by the truck maker00Pic 3: weight plate issued by the truck maker2962275-1651000For every employee working in the driving shifts for each company's fleet, a driver should have certain hours to work, any increase in these hours should be considered as overtime while prolonged working hours may lead to a criminal conviction to the management of the company. Minimum hours to work should be around 3 hours, however the driving hours are not taken into consideration in Bahrain, which might lead to a lot of problems but the company considers it as overtime and the driver is paid extra for each hour worked more. (LMRA, 2011)Driving ExperienceWhen the company is employing a driver, they should abide to certain points that would determine the qualifications of the driver, such as:Experience.Training.Obtaining of a Driving license. Working permit or certificate. (Traffic Law, n.d.)RecommendationsEvery company and organization should have completed all the required documentation needed for the vehicles and the employees, the company can sign a contract with a document clearing office which is able to complete these tasks for the company for a fee. (Traffic Law, n.d.)Drivers, driving hours and recording driver informationHuman resources is a core component in any business regardless of its size, a company like Bah-Con would require these position to be filled, that come with different sets of responsibilities. (Aloraibi, 2012)Fleet ManagerQualifications: The fleet manager must have a university degree specialize in fleet management and experience and background about it.Skills: Fleet manager require good oral and written communication skills.A good set of organisational skills are crucial for managing the dominantly administrative side of the job such as reporting and operations and?vehicle schedule.Proper negotiation skills can be advantageous, since it might advance overall time and cost reductions.Responsibilities:Review and approve vehicle purchasing decisions.Report vehicle accidents to Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management Office and disburse insurance proceeds for vehicle repair. (Aloraibi, 2012)WorkersQualifications:The plant worker must be at least 21 years of age.Factory workers must be trained and able to operate the equipment installed around the plant and on the trucks.The operators of the equipment must know how to appropriately mix concrete up to a perfect degree to meet customer requirements.Skills:Workers must be good in customer relations and service.Time management is a must, since this is a time sensitive product.Responsibilities:Take appointments, and making sure of delivering on time.Manage when the trucks are despatched so that deliveries are done in a timely manner.Responsible for the drivers and their schedules. (Aloraibi, 2012)DriversQualification:A valid driving licence that covers the type of vehicle intended to drive.The Police specifies the age of 25 years as a minimum to obtain a truck driver’s license.Experience or training in driving, experience in specialist equipment is preferred.Skills:Well trained in driving trucks and operating specialist equipment.The drivers must know how to deal with the products appropriately.The drivers should know how and when they should mix the concrete. Responsibilities:The drivers must deliver the ready mix in a good condition.The drivers are responsible for the trucks.The divers must deliver the ready mix at the exact time. (Aloraibi,2012)Motivation: In any organization the motivation is really important, though each fleet manager must motivate the drivers to work hard and they will be reward. However, in the ready mix company, the manager awards the drivers if they have transfer the required amount of concrete. The required amount is to deliver the ready mix 21 times per week for each driver, and at the 22nd delivery, the driver will get a five Dinar bonus and with each extra delivery they will get two Dinars for each extra delivery. Furthermore, the manager will award the best driver of the month with fifty Dinars in addition to their bonus.CITATION Sae12 \l 2057 (AlMuharraqi, 2012).Training:The fleet drivers must regularly train to know the assets of the work and any ready mix company should deliver training courses to any new driver or employee that is entering the company. The aim of the training courses is to make the company’s work professional. Furthermore, the materials that the drivers deal with are very sensitive, it has a short term of life and any simple error would affect the materials. However, training makes each driver aware of:How to operate the trucks.How to keep the materials in good condition until they reach the desired destination.How to insure the safety of themselves and their immediate surroundings. CITATION Abb12 \l 2057 (Hammam, 2012)Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA):The Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) is a semi-autonomous governmental organisation with independent administrative and financial control that acts as an intermediary between the employers, workers and other government institutions on employment related issues, through achieving power and authority as a governmental ministry. CITATION LMR11 \l 2057 (LMRA, 2011).LMRA’s mission is to set the labour market policies and regulate expat labour programmes, while achieving the most benefit to the society through fair employment practices. Since its inception in 2006, the LMRA is responsible for the issue of work visas for foreign workers, controlling the licenses for man power recruiters and employers; they are also responsible for all foreign man power applications and visas for non-Bahrainis, with the collection of finances in regard to foreign workers. CITATION LMR11 \l 2057 (LMRA, 2011).Vehicle Maintenance31362652031365Pic SEQ Pic \* ARABIC 4: Mixer truck undergoing engine repair00Pic 4: Mixer truck undergoing engine repair313626516891000The maintenance of the vehicle is extremely important in any organization, as it is directly involved with safety which is a very important factor. Maintenance does not only mean to repair something when it gets broken down but also keeping the vehicle in a good condition at all times is a very big part of the maintenance. There are scheduled and non-scheduled checks that may be performed by the drivers or the fleet managers. (CILT – Section 4, 2012) The law obligations state that the operators should cover these actions in order to maintain the Operator’s License:Unscheduled serviceDaily quick vehicle checks by the driver before using the vehicle.Inspecting the vehicle before delivery when leasing a vehicle.The defects reports from the drivers should be documented and kept for at least 15 months.The vehicles are checked regularly to be sure that they are in a road worthy condition and safe to use.All defected vehicles should be removed from service immediately until they are repairedScheduled ServiceRegular servicingPeriodic inspectionsMost of these inspections are mainly done by the drivers and qualified mechanics and must be recorded in order to avoid any problems for the company. The regular servicing and the Periodic inspections must be done in the garage under the supervision of the fleet managers and have to be made depending on usage of the vehicle or the time, it could be done every 6000 miles or 3 months to comply with the Vehicle specifications. (CILT – Section 4, 2006)Vehicles defect and breakdown procedureThe drivers must immediately report any defects found in the vehicle when checking the vehicle at the beginning of the day before starting the trip. The driver should be trained on vehicle breakdowns in case any failure occurs in the vehicle while it is on the trip, drivers must follow a list of steps to ensure their safety, the safety of the goods, property of others, as well as the other road users. (CILT – Section 4, 2006)Maintenance optionsEvery organization has the option to either to have its maintenance internally which means within the same company and with its own employees or externally which involves a third party which takes care of the maintenance procedure of the organizations. (CILT – Section 5, 2006)This decision depends on many factors but the main determining factors for maintenance decisions are:Budget.Fleet size.Size of organization.Efficient administration. (CILT – Section 5, 2006)In-house maintenanceDepending on In-house maintenance allows the company to have its own garage and employees in the company to take care of its vehicle fleet at all times and be in charge of its performance. The benefits of an In-house maintenance are:More control over the maintenance in terms of vehicle priority, and availability of the garage (could operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).Less cost, as no profit has to be paid for any third party companies.Faster maintenance; takes less time to get the vehicles to the garage.Collection of performance data on the staff.Efficient level of cooperation between the mechanics and the fleet managers.(The Advantages of In-house Fleet Management, 2012)Some of the Disadvantages of in-house maintenance can be:Very efficient Human resource Department needed (means extra cost).Bigger space will be required for the garage.Traffic congestion inside the company. Higher labour cost, in wages. (The Advantages of In-house Fleet Management, 2012)Outsourced maintenanceThe other type of maintenance is the Outsourced maintenance which involves a third party garage to take care of the maintenance of the vehicles, which means that the company is not involved in any of the procedures related to maintaining the fleet. The benefits of having Outsourced Maintenance are:Improved human resource productivity; fewer employees are needed.Fewer departments.Focus on the main services provided.Space utilization: less space is needed for maintenance.Reduction of risk: the third party has the full responsibility of the car while it is in their garage. (Why Outsource your Fleet Management, 2012) The drawbacks of an outsourced maintenance system are:Failure to negotiate for a best price: the external providers can be charging very high rates.Less control over the maintenance (in terms of speed and quality)Wasting valuable time while getting the defected vehicle transported from the company to the outsourced garage.(Advantages, Disadvantages and types of contract In House Management, N.D)Best solutionFor the best solution that serves Bah-Con with the best possible outcome, it is recommended that Bah-Con Company uses both in-house and outsourced maintenance depending on the type of the issues that may arise. Bah-Con could use a small garage as an In-house maintenance for the small body parts of the vehicles that are uncomplicated and have to be changed regularly. These body parts can be:Tyres.Light bulbs.Oil change (has to be changed every 250 hours).Fuses.Mirror glasses.Windshield wiper blades.Battery replacement.Other small and uncomplicated parts.When it comes to complicated mechanics of the vehicle that might not be changed regularly and problems with the concrete mixers and pumps which need specialized expertise, the company could send the vehicles to a contracted third party who has to reach to an agreement to repair the vehicles at the most convenient price or the vehicle could also be sent directly to their agency if a better offer is given to repair the vehicles. The defects that can be repaired by the third party could be:-292417518796000Engine problems. Bearings defects.Gear problems.Chassis problems.Problems with the pumps.2935605168275Pic SEQ Pic \* ARABIC 5: Faulty Truck Engine00Pic 5: Faulty Truck EngineProblems in the cement mixers.Any irregular complicated maintenance.With this method the company is expected to save a lot of money as it is going to start with relatively a small fleet at the beginning and the company would save huge amounts of money that would be spent on unnecessarily services if company chose to use another method for the maintenance. This recommended method could provide these benefits:Time utilizationSmall scale maintenance is done inside the company, which means the vehicles could be repaired at the same time and the same place without being transported to other locations for repairs.Cost reductionThis is the most important benefit, less employees are going to be needed for the maintenance as only small parts are going to be repaired inside the company and that would increase the ability of the workers to cover more vehicles in a shorter time span. Another major benefit is that the third party companies would charge the company with large fees for the minor services that the company could do on its own with much less costs.Space utilization The company is going to need a small garage because only minor maintenance is done internally and this means that the company does not need a huge space for the garage which is an advantage as the company could use the extra space for other purposes.Wider controlThe regular maintenance of the vehicles can be controlled by the company in the means of speed and the priority of each vehicle but however, the major maintenance would not be controlled by the company.All of these benefits have direct impact on the profit of the company which is the only reason for a company to continue its business. (CILT – Section 5, 2006)Spare partsIt is always a good idea if necessary spare parts are always available in the company so that the vehicles could be repaired without any delays. However, a company should purchase the spare parts wisely as the parts bought may not be always needed or used at a later time which may result as an inventory cost and depreciation of the purchased parts. Other problems that may occur is when the company buys a small quantity of spare parts that may not cover the maintenance services for all the vehicle and this will lead to delays in the productivity of the company.As we recommended earlier, that Bah-Con is going to use an in-house maintenance for the small parts, the company has to buy some spare parts to utilize time and cost. The spare parts we recommend the Bah-Con to buy the parts that are not very expensive and must be changed regularly and be kept in the inventory until needed.These are the recommended spare parts to be purchased and be available in the inventory at all time:-28200354826000Tyres.Batteries.Bulbs.Fuses.Glasses.2820035203835Pic SEQ Pic \* ARABIC 6: Roadworthy tyre (L) & Defected Tyre (R)00Pic 6: Roadworthy tyre (L) & Defected Tyre (R)Brakes.All of these body parts must be replaced immediately when diagnosed with defects as they could put the safety of the driver, products and other people in danger when not replaced. For example, a flat tyre will cause the car to have bad handling which may lead to accidents or if the tail lights are damaged, the car could be stopped by the traffic police and a ticket could be issued for violating the law.Bah-Con is recommended to Contract with an external provider that could provide spare parts that are not available in the company’s stock. Spare parts that may not be needed in a short time span or are only needed only when the original parts are broken, could be provided from the external providers at a convenient time and price when required.(CILT – Section 5, 2006)WeightsThe traffic laws in Bahrain and Gulf Cooperation States prohibit trucks to be driven on the road if they surpass a maximum total weight, which is a potential hazard that will have severe consequences. (CILT – Section 6, 2006).Vehicle weightsThere may be severe consequences for overloading vehicles beyond the capacity they were designed for, some of the problems that may arise from overloading a vehicle can be:An incorrectly loaded vehicle is a possible death hazard to the drivers and the other users of the road. The very basic essentials for road safety may fail as a consequence, the brakes on the truck might be impaired, power may not be effectively delivered due to excess weight, the tyres may explode, or the chassis parts and suspension systems may fail in operating properly.The roads in Bahrain are built to withstand a truck up to the weight of 40 tonnes, beyond which the roads will be damaged and the repair of the road is quite expensive.An overloaded truck may bring a heavy fine for the operator and bring a criminal conviction to individuals, with the possibility of operating license being withdrawn. (Truckers Report, n.d.)The equipment for the transport of concrete are designed with weight limitations for delivery of the products since they have limited capacities of carrying and handling the concrete in a way that meets local regulations. Consequences of overloading29540201069975Pic SEQ Pic \* ARABIC 7: Road damaged by heavy trucks00Pic 7: Road damaged by heavy trucks29660855143500A study conducted by the South African authorities in 1996 showed that 33% of the trucks weighed on the country’s motor ways were overloaded; with an estimated 20% of the trucks on the roads at a given time are carrying loads beyond their capacity, this is costing the state around 60% of the roads budget on fixing that damage (such as the damage seen in the picture below), while heavier vehicles increase the damage on roads, as can be seen in the table. (CSIR, 1997)Table showing how heavy trucks proportionally increase the damage on roadsVehicle Type% on the roadsResult of DamagePassenger Cars–Almost NegligibleLegally Loaded Trucks80 – 85 %40 %Overloaded Trucks15 – 20 %60 % Tab SEQ Tab \* ARABIC 1: (CSIR, 2007 – Page 5)Many deaths occur each year due to trucks being overloaded, an American report estimated that 78% of fatalities in these accidents were motorists in other vehicles, and 15% of them being the truck drivers. (Smart Motorist, n.d.)Vehicle platesAccording to the traffic regulations in Bahrain, all heavy equipment must be fitted with tamper-proof weight plates for each axle provided by the regulating authorities and sticker provided by the manufacturer showing the weight distribution that each axle is designed to withstand. (Traffic Law, n.d.)The regulations are set for the trucks that are to be used on the roads of Bahrain, such as:Weight on the axlesTravel speedPlate that shows the details of the truck such as :Total weight of all axlesTrailer numberWeight of each axleThe permit printManufacturer’s plate-749301988185Pic SEQ Pic \* ARABIC 8: manufacturer GCW data for the 3 axles and weights00Pic 8: manufacturer GCW data for the 3 axles and weights2095527432000Truck manufacturers place weight limit stickers on the inner side of the driver door that is fitted on all trucks they manufacture to show what their trucks can legally carry and not cause damage to part of the truck, this is called the design limit of the truck and the weight shown on the plate is called the gross construction weight (GCW), in the photo the tractor is only designed to carry 13 tonnes per driving axle. (CILT, 2006)406402506345Pic SEQ Pic \* ARABIC 9: GVW limits on a 40 tonne, 4 axle truck00Pic 9: GVW limits on a 40 tonne, 4 axle truck3048043624500Ministry plates The Traffic Department in Bahrain issues three tamper-proof metallic plates for each truck, where one is fixed on the tractor chassis and two on both sides of the trailer, they specify the weight carrying limits for each axle and how the weight should legally be distributed, the plate contains the plate number of the truck and the license expiration date, it is also called the gross vehicle weight (GVW), which is the legal weight an axle can carry that the road is built to carry with the least damage. (Traffic Law, n.d.)Axle weightsThe roads in Bahrain were designed to carry a maximum weight of 13 tonnes per axle, beyond which the roads may get damaged and their structural design life may significantly be reduced. The equipment used to transport and pump concrete are designed as to not carry any extra load beyond the capacity they are designed to carry, therefore the distribution of axle weights will not be issue. (CSIR, 1997)Diminishing loadDiminishing load may be a problem for many transport businesses but it is not an issue with transporting concrete since the manufacturers of concrete equipment and water tanks build them with limited capacities and with balanced axle weights, so such regulations may not be applicable to the business since there is only one drop off per load. (CILT – Section 6, 2006)Tyre and seatbelt standardsTruck tyres have to be inspected regularly to make sure that they are in a legal and road worthy condition as to not cause expensive damages, substantial fines or even loss of lives, the regular monitoring of the condition of the tyres is important especially checking the tyre inflation and the legality of the tyre conditions. (CILT – Section 7, 2006)Tyres:Defected tyres are illegal to drive with as they can be a threat to the products, the driver, the truck and most importantly the other road users and property near the truck, so by law truck drivers are required to check the following regularly:The tyre tread depth is more than 1.0 mm deep.The outer wall or the fabric of the tyre is not broken, if any damage happens it may reach inside the tyres and blow it up, causing a disaster.Insufficient inflation and over inflation, since it may have serious consequences.There is no bulge or a lump from the tyre structure being separated.Section of the cord cannot be exposed for any reason.The tyre should be suitable for the truck wheel size and type of work the vehicle is performing.The tread pattern may not be visible. (CILT – Section 7, 2006)Tyre conditionThe condition of truck tyres should checked very often with a reliable tyre gauge as to maintain optimum performance conditions, and there should be spare tyres readily available as concrete trucks are used in construction sites, where nails and bits of wood are lying around the work site. (CILT – Section 7, 2006)SeatbeltsIt is mandatory in the Bahraini Traffic Law for any driver of any vehicle to be wearing a seat belt at all times, although it is a procedure not followed by many truck drivers in the country. A study published by James Madison University has found that only 14% of motorists use seat belts. (James Madison University, 2004)Many companies are now buying GPS systems installed on the trucks with built in belt detectors that send a message to the control room if a driver does not have their seatbelt on and send a warning to remind them of the disciplinary action taken against them for not complying with regulations. (CILT – Section 7, 2006)Fleet databaseIt is important for big companies to maintain a database for their fleet so that they can consolidate orders if it may be necessary and compare fuel economy figures as well as retrieving maintenance records and plan further changes if they are required.(CILT – Section 7, 2006) Choice of trucksMercedes-Benz is considered by many logistics services providers as the most reliable trucks in the region and the least depreciating in resale value, some of their loyal customers include Haji Hassan Group, National Ready Mix and Redex concrete companies; they are also used by Agility, FedEx and the Bahrain Defence Force for long-distance heavy haulage. Al Haddad Motors have been distributors for Mercedes vehicles since 1958; they have provided reliable services through the years and always had parts in stock since they are in high demand. (Al Haddad, n.d.) & (Ahmed, 2012).The concrete plants includes some equipment that are vital for its core operations and others that are secondary and that are usually outsourced by the supplier, if they are bought in bulk quantities:Equipment that should be acquiredConcrete Mixers514352500630Pic SEQ Pic \* ARABIC 10: Liebherr Mixer installed on a MAN tractor00Pic 10: Liebherr Mixer installed on a MAN tractor6667541402000Concrete mixers are trucks with large rotating metallic drums that are used to mix the concrete as to not dry up for a limited time. A Mercedes-Benz concrete mixer truck with a Liebherr 8 cubic metre capacity mixer weighs 40 tonnes when loaded and costs approximately 52,000 Bahraini Dinars, laws in Bahrain allow 8m? to be fitted on 40 tonne tractors to prevent road damage, as can be highlighted in the fourth photograph.Liebherr concrete mixers are the best-selling concrete mixer in the Gulf region; they are also the easiest mixers to maintain since there are more mechanics trained on this brand than any other.190502170430Pic SEQ Pic \* ARABIC 11: Schwing 42 metre concrete pump on a tractor00Pic 11: Schwing 42 metre concrete pump on a tractor209556223000Concrete Pumps A concrete pump is needed to deliver the concrete from the mixer to where it is needed in the construction site; the common pumps come with a range between 12 and 72 metres in height. Concrete pumps are very expensive where a Schwing 42 metre pump fixed on a Mercedes-Benz tractor can cost 250,000 Bahraini Dinars and requires highly trained professionals to maintain the pump.Schwing is a company that is held in high regard when it comes to the manufacture of concrete pumps in Bahrain, it is the easiest brand for pumps to find mechanics for.4191014732000285752261870Pic SEQ Pic \* ARABIC 12: Water tank truck for recycled water00Pic 12: Water tank truck for recycled waterWater tank truck according to the law in Bahrain, concrete can only be mixed using recycled water from the treatment plant in Tubli, so the factory must need a water truck to transport the water needed for making concrete. A water tank would cost a minimum of 5,000 Bahraini Dinars and is brought from Saudi Arabia and can fit a Mercedes-Benz tractor.2095531051500Equipment not vital to the core business-28721052007235Pic SEQ Pic \* ARABIC 13: cement bulker trailer on a Volvo tractor00Pic 13: cement bulker trailer on a Volvo tractorCement Bulker A cement bulker is used to carry dry cement powder from the factory or the wholesaler to where ever it may be needed in large quantities; cement wholesalers in Bahrain (Falcon Cement, Star Cement, and United Cement Company) deliver their products at no cost to consumers. A bulker trailer may cost 16,000 Dinars to manufacture.29552901644650029457652299970Pic SEQ Pic \* ARABIC 14: Tipper in the discharge position00Pic 14: Tipper in the discharge positionTipper Truck used to carry sand, rock and aggregate vital for the manufacture of concrete, it can be made in Saudi Arabia for around 12,500 Dinars and can be installed on a Mercedes Actros tractor. A tipper can be seen in picture 14 in the discharge position and with the rear discharge door closed.285752161540Pic SEQ Pic \* ARABIC 15: Chemical tanker labelled appropriately00Pic 15: Chemical tanker labelled appropriately317505207000Chemical Tanker used to transport liquid chemicals used to enhance the strength or speed up the drying time for the concrete, the trucks should be clearly marked with hazard symbols, if they may be explosive or corrosive. (Traffic Law, n.d.)Picture fifteen shows an appropriately labelled truck on three sides for the content in the load – an explosive liquid chemical.Vehicle utilisationThe importance of efficient utilizationIn order for the company to be successful, it must ensure that it gains more profit than the cost of the operation. No business would survive if they didn’t get enough revenue to cover their cost, to keep their business going they must use the resources they got in the best use possible.As Bah-Con is planning to set up their own transport fleet, the company should really take in consideration the utilization of the vehicles. The company should always use their assets in the best way possible economically and in the same time should always keep an eye on the customer’s needs and demands and always try to satisfy them.(CILT – Section 8, 2006)Tools for Monitoring Utilization: Tachograph: this tool is very effective and could help the fleet manager in many ways; this tool is able to give the fleet manager information about the delays, driver performance. Unfortunately, such a tool is not used in Bahrain.IT Packages: this tool would help in many ways; it would make the fleet management much easier. Below is the information that this package would provide: Performance trend: results of each driver performance and the fuel wasted.Maintenance planning: when the vehicles will be maintained.Tracking systems: this tool made it possible to track the vehicles anywhere they are and at any time. It shows the driving speed of the vehicle, the stops of it and the loading. Before Bah-Con chooses the system to use, the company must ensure that the system is easy to use, easy to access and it gives accurate information. (CILT – Section 8, 2006) Vehicle and drivers schedules326834587820500There is a simple tool and very effective to use which is the basic vehicle employment chart. It is an important tool for observing the use of time.This chart helps the operator to: Get the information easily about the scheduling of the vehicles.Make the maximum use of vehicles. 3284220441325Pic SEQ Pic \* ARABIC 16: GPS tracking software00Pic 16: GPS tracking softwareMaintenance planning according to the mileage. Balance the utilization of the vehicle and equal the mileage. (CILT – Section 8, 2006)Loading UtilizationEfficient utilization takes more than just being on the road for more than 15 hours per day, It is also about loading vehicles to maximum capacity, which means the revenue the company will get from this load must covers the cost of the operation and the fuel. It is hard to do as the customers demand varies from one to another, the company must transport their orders with the existing fleet. There are methods that help in the capacity utilization, below are two of the most helpful methods: Waybill analysis.Driver involvement.Recommendations: It is recommended for all companies that operate fleets to use GPS tracking programs, such as STS, which stands for Smart Tracking System. Which Bah-Con can use to track their trucks, this system will help in providing: Trip report. Speed violation report. Stoppage report. Delivery report.Operation period report. Weekly and monthly reports. 27444702551430Pic SEQ Pic \* ARABIC 17: STS Tracking Program00Pic 17: STS Tracking Program2744470442658500The cost of this system is BD 130 for installation on each truck. The STS Company will maintain the tracking system every month and it will cost BD 7 per truck and send real-time reports to any computer with internet. (Hammam, 2012) Vehicle usage the operator should always be updated if all the vehicles are preforming well, if not vehicles should be removed to save the fuel and insurance costs. Driver involvement the drivers are the staff facing the customers onsite, the drivers are the first to know the customer’s reaction. The fleet manager should motivate the driver to become more involved in many ways. The drivers could suggest new improvements to the planning of the route, planning of the loading. The manager should keep in consideration that the drivers would hesitate to take this move, for many reasons: They think that they are not allowed. They might thing that it not their role. They might thing that no one will listen to their opinion. The manager should try to overcome such hesitations: Explain to the driver that his involvement is important. Give rewards to those who get involved and give valuable information.Show the driver that their voice is impotent to listen to. (CILT – Section 8, 2006)Acquiring and hiring additional vehiclesWhen customers are satisfied with the service they will start to demand more, also, the company’s customers may bring new customers. As Bah-Con has limited resources, the company must study the decision of adding vehicles to the fleet. Financial Considerations The first thing the company must consider before the specification of the vehicle is the cost. Bah-Con should know that the cheapest vehicle is not always the best option. An expensive vehicle that would be used for a long term may turn to be cheaper and more reliable. The concept of life cycle costing should be used to make the decision of purchasing easier. (CILT – Section 9, 2006)Options availableWhen the customer demand increases and the company needs to add vehicles to the fleet, the best to options are either:Leasing a vehicle from external source. Adding new vehicle to the fleet. (CILT – Section 9, 2006)Leasing a vehicle from external sourceBelow are the advantages and disadvantages of leasing a vehicle: Advantages of leasing a vehicleDisadvantages of leasing a vehicleLimited Liability: the company will only pay for the vehicle they are using. The company would never own the vehicle. Less Maintenance cost: the contract of leasing may cover the maintenance cost, as the warranty does. If the company would use the leased vehicle for a long time it would cost more than buying a new vehicle. Easier Credit Approval: to lease a vehicle means less paid monthly which can get the loan for financing easily. If the vehicle gets seriously damaged, it would cost the company a lot.The company could change the vehicles features according to the demand of the customers. The company can only drive an average number of miles and if the company exceeded the miles, the hiring company will charge for the extra mileage.Tab SEQ Tab \* ARABIC 2: Advantage and Disadvantages of Leasing Vehicles (CILT – Section 9, 2006)When Bah-con decides to lease a vehicle from an external source, the company should ask for full details of the rental contract and study the conditions carefully, they should study the features they want in the vehicle, for example, if Bah-Con have lack in mixer trucks or pumps, the size of the needed vehicle is also an important factor to consider. Also, the company should never accept the any vehicle without examining it very well and check if there is any internal or external damage, plus, the hired vehicle should go through a safety test before the vehicle starts the service, as the hiring company will not be responsible for any flaw that happens during the service in the road. It is good to look for cheap leasing company to save money, but Bah-con should take in consideration the reputation of the leasing company and always remember that the cheap vehicle might not always be the best option for the long term. When the rental contract ends, the hiring company will always check the vehicle to see if it got damaged or not while it was in use, which is why it is better if the Bah-Con checked the vehicle before the hire off procedures to ensure that the company does not pay for damage that is not caused by Bah-Con staff. (CILT – Section 9, 2006)Adding new vehicles to the fleetBelow are the advantages and disadvantages of buying a vehicle:Advantages of buying a vehicleDisadvantages of buying a vehicleThe company owns the vehicle. It costs a lot: the monthly payments are higher than leasing.The company has an unlimited mileage; it does not have to pay for the extra distance. Maintenance of vehicles is expensive.The procedures are less complicated.Unexpected costs when the warranty is over. Tab SEQ Tab \* ARABIC 3: Advantages and disadvantages of buying vehicle. (CILT – Section 9, 2006) Bah-Con must study the decisions of buying new vehicles wisely, because once it has bought the vehicle, it is expensive to retract the decision. The company should study the customer’s demand, also, the company should ask themselves if they will need the vehicle for a very long time or just a period of time, for example: would the demand remain for a considerable amount of time, or it is just a project that finishes after a period of time and when it is done the vehicle won’t be needed anymore. Recommendations: The best recommended practice is: If the vehicle is needed for a short term, the choice of leasing is always better that buying new vehicle. For example: if there is a project that would last for several of months, it is preferred that Bah-Con would lease a vehicle.If the vehicle is needed for a long term, the choice of buying a new vehicle is always better, it would be a loss to lease a vehicle and pay the rent for a long time without owning it in the end. For example, if Bah-Con is planning to expand their fleet or they are planning in renewing their fleet.Fuel management29425902640330Pic SEQ Pic \* ARABIC 18: BAPCO Fuel Station in Isa Town00Pic 18: BAPCO Fuel Station in Isa Town294513052387500Fuel is costly and defined as a high operating cost for the company. That why it is very important to have an efficient fuelling system that will increase the revenues of the company. However, fuel management in Bahrain might not have the same impact as it has Europe because of the huge difference in the fuel price, were it is really expensive in Europe and relatively cheap in Bahrain but that does not mean that fuel management is any less important for Bahraini companies. With the correct fuel management, the company could save a lot of unnecessary costs and increase the income. (CILT – Section 11, 2006)Fuel typeThe fuel used for the vehicles can be either Petrol or Diesel. However, it is a good idea to have all the vehicles running on the same type of fuel to avoid confusions and complexity. It is recommended for the company to operate on Diesel rather than Petrol for three main reasons:Diesel is close in price to Petrol (Diesel for 100 Fils per litre, and petrol is for 80 Fils per litre), and is more economical and drives for a much longer distance per litre. (Petrol Prices in Bahrain, 2012)All of the heavy trucks in Bahrain operate on Diesel.Diesel is available in most of the fuel stations in Bahrain. (CILT – Section 11, 2006)Fuel consumptionThe Mercedes Actros fuel tank has the capacity to contain 250 litres of diesel. This vehicle consumes and average of 27.5 liters of diesel per 100 km depending on the use of vehicle. It would cost 25 Dinars to fill up the fuel tank and it would take approximately 909 km to empty the tank. (0.100 BD × 250 Lt. = 25 BD) (100 KM × 250 Lt. ÷ 27.5 KM ≈ 909 KM)(Al Haddad Motors, 2012)Fuelling optionsThe company has the option to provide refueling points for it vehicles internally or externally. Internally means that the fuel station must be inside the company and must be managed by the company’s staff while externally means that the fuel stations are outside the company and the fuel is provided by a third party provider. (CILT – Section 11, 2006)Internal fueling systemWith this option, the entire vehicle refueling process will be done inside the company and under their own supervision. This means that the company would have a fuel station onsite and provide Diesel for its fleet of vehicles. Benefits of using an internal fueling system are:Time Utilization: easier access to the station (the fuel station is inside the plant).Less cost: the fuel would be bought in bulk from the supplier, which will cost less.Faster service time: the station is devoted only to the company thus services will be provided faster than a normal fuel station.Control the amount of fuel every vehicle consumes in a time span, fuel data keys could be used.Drawbacks of using internal fueling system are:Large space is needed.Extreme precautions have to be taken to keep the site tidy and prevent any spillage as it may cause major accidents.Congestion and pollution may be occurred inside the company.Larger administration neededThe fuel stock my run out before expected which will cause major problems.Higher insurance rates: as the risks of accidents is more. (CILT – Section 11, 2006)External fueling systemThis option allows the company to refuel their vehicles outside the company and contract a third party to supply their vehicles with fuel using their service stations. The company and the third party could agree on a contract that will serve the company’s vehicles with fuel.The benefits of this method:Less space needed: as there will not be any space needed for the fuelling stations inside the company. Fewer employees needed: there won’t be any employees in charge of the tankers and the fuel station.Focus on the core business of the company.Record the fuel consumption of the vehicles: by using agency cards.If one fuel station is out of work or has low fuel stock, then an alternative station could be used for refueling.The drawbacks of this method:Time and fuel wasting; it would take time and consume fuel in order to get the vehicles from the company’s site to the service station.Fuel is more expensive: as the fuel is not bought in bulk, and the station calculates profit.The nearest fuel station may be out of action for a certain period of time.(CILT – Section 11, 2006)The recommendationBetween the two methods, it is recommended that the company uses an internal fuelling system to provide fuel for its vehicles. We recommend Bah-con to sign a contract with BAPCO (Bahrain Petroleum Company) to provide fuel for the company’s vehicles. BAPCO is the first choice because they are the main providers of fuel in Bahrain and have the most number of fuel stations (16 stations spread around Bahrain). Bah-Con operates only in Bahrain which means that the vehicles are never expected to leave Bahrain, thus they could access to the contracted fuel stations easily. BAPCO also provides this kind of services and are familiar with it which means that they are the best choice. (Bahrain Service station Media, N.D)A map of Bahrain showing the location of the company and the locations of all the 16 service stations that are owned by BAPCO is located below. The location of Bah-con is in Salmabad which is almost in the middle of Bahrain, and that makes the fuel stations more accessible to the vehicles. We recommend dividing the vehicles depending on their routes whether going north or south. The vehicle going up north must end their journey by passing through the Sehla Service Station on their way back to the company to refuel with Diesel. The vehicles going south have to pass through the Isa Town service station on their way back at the end of their journey to refuel the vehicle and then park it in the company. The two main refueling points of the vehicles are going to be Sehla and Isa Town service stations while the other stations can be used when necessary. Drivers must also avoid going to the service stations at the peak hours to avoid time wasting time as the cement products have a short life span of approximately three hours. The peaking hours in Bahrain are in the morning between 07:00 – 08:00, in the afternoon between 13:00 – 14:00 and in the evening between 16:00 – 19:00. (Trip Generation time, N.D).Map of BAPCO Fuel Stations and their locations relative to Bah-ConMap SEQ Map \* ARABIC 1: Where BAPCO Fuel Stations are located in BahrainThe reasons for recommending the internal fuelling system over the external are:FocusIt would be hard to focus on the main services of the company if the company is has its own fuelling system that needs managing and controlling and that might disturb the concentration of the administration. (CILT – Section 11, 2006)Fewer employeesIf the company uses the internal fuelling system then it has to employ more staff to manage and control the tankers as it is very dangerous to keep that area unmaintained, thus having an external fuelling system would be more convenient for Bah-con Company.(CILT – Section 11, 2006)Space UtilizationBecause the company is going to give away a big space to build the garage for the maintenance inside the company, it will be a waste of valuable space to also use another big area assigned for the fuel stations. By deciding not to build a fuel station inside the company, the space could be used for other departments and purposes. (CILT – Section 11, 2006)Controlling the fuel budgetUsing the agency cards to record the payments of fuel for every vehicle by stating the time and date of every transaction and the company could control how much fuel every vehicle is allowed to consume per month. (CILT – Section 11, 2006)Agency CardsMost third party fuel providers give their customers agency cards that are similar to credit cards and are used when refueling the vehicle. Each vehicle has its own card and the drivers hand it to the fuel station workers to get their vehicles refueled and the card records the amount of fueled purchased and the total amount is sent to the fleet manager for payment over a period of time. BAPCO provides these agency cards which are named Sadeem Cards which allow their customers to pay for their fuel in advance or pay on credit, currently the Sadeem Card can be used in eight of the sixteen service stations operated by BAPCO, but more stations are added every month. It is recommended that the company uses the postpaid cards as the payments could be done every month and a budget analysis could be done by the manager. The Sadeem Card can be used by the fleet managers for fuel tracking which allows them to view their fuel consumption and control the budget used for the fuel. (BAPCO Launches Smart Card Fuel Cards, 2012)Economic fuel useThe fleet managers should make sure that the fuel is consumed economically and the best consumption per killometre is achieved to increase the profits of the company. The rate of the fuel consumption depends on the driver and the mechanical problems in the vehicle. The reason for a bad fuel mileage could be:-Mechanical problems in the Fuel Pumps and the Injector.Air leaks and bad tyre pressure of the vehicles.Incorrect loading and unloading of the vehicles.Leaving the engine running while the vehicle is on idle.Misuse of the vehicle; incorrect gear changing and driving speed.Using inconvenient routes.Pilferage of the fuel by the drivers.However, there some precautions and methods to improve the mpg which are:-Checking the vehicles once in a while to make sure that it does not have any mechanical problems.Providing training for the drivers to avoid these mistakes.Motivation: by giving a bonus to the drivers with the best fuel consumption of their vehicles.Using navigators to take the most convenient routes.Using a fuel tracking system to prevent pilferage; eg: agency cards.(CILT – Section 11, 2006)Road traffic accidentsThe Bahraini Accident LawAccidents are a certain happening in each company of any type. Therefore, Bahrain enforces strict rules and regulation for the accidents procedures. Moreover, according to the UK Road Traffic Act 1968, an accident reports as an accident in several terms; If another vehicle is affected by the accident. If public properties or adjacent to the road are damaged. If a person other than the driver is affected by the accident. If any particular animals other than those who are carried in or on the vehicle are injured.Nevertheless, according to the law, the driver of the vehicle is involved with the accident in spite of the situation, which means that even though is the vehicle was affected by an accident without the driven in it, he will be legally involved. However, there are several actions that should be taken if an accident occurs; In a case of injury or there was inability of exchanging details at the scene, the accident should be reported to the police within 24 hours at least.Details of the accident must be completed with a sketch is possible. The vehicle shouldn’t be use before checking, and the accurately defect must be reported. (CILT – Section 12, 2006)Procedures at an accident sceneThe drivers of the company should be informed with the instruction of how to deal if an accident happened. At first, the driver should never admit its fault, because there are some facts that may not be recognized which have involved to the accident. For instance;Mechanical reasons or maintenance failure. There might be illegally procedures such as; driver of the other vehicle may not be licensed or the vehicle might be stolen or without insurance or an MOT certificate. Moreover, the other driver may also be drunk or under drugs affection.The driver may take the responsibility of the accident when it is not his fault. Additionally, if a minor accident happened, the driver should do the following; Stop the vehicle directly.Give the essential information to the other driver, such as; name, work address, vehicle registration number and any other details of the business if available. Try to get any details possible from the other driver or any witness of the accident.If any damages occurred to the vehicle, contact the operating centre. Contact the manager immediately if any delay might happen. The driver should stay with the vehicle as possible or lack the doors and windows to ensure the safety of the load and vehicle. The journey can only be carried on if they insured the safety of the vehicle and that the damages are not serious. (CILT – Section 12, 2006)Information required on the sceneRecording information is the most important procedure, so the driver should get as much information as possible. The main information that needs to be recorded is;Name and address of the other driver, the vehicle owner and the witness.Vehicle's registration numberInsurance company's nameThe specific information of both vehicles damages. There is also other information that needs to be mentioned, such as; Locations at the time of the accident. The vehicle's direction and the speed of travel. The signs and signals that given in the road. The weather and lighting conditions. Reporting accidentsThe accident must be reported to both the police and the insurance company by following the mentioned procedures in the previous sections. Accident reporting procedureThe driver should be informed with the importance of having a clear defined report with the exact details of the accident. Moreover, there are several reasons for the high importance of the accident reporting procedure. These reasons are:Non-reporting of accidents can be identified legally as a crime. The reporting statement can be use later for other terms of legal procedures. For example,the information mentioned in the report can be useful for disagreements situations.Any further arguments can be handled easily without difficulty. The manager would be informed with all the necessary information, which will support the driver to be defended by the business manager and to constitute any damages for the vehicle. 293751012319000In addition, the manager of the company should witness the accident by visiting the accident scene. The form of the report should also be filling by the driver or the manager with considering the following:Filling as much detail as possible with clear explanation.Filling all the section of the form, if any data is not applied, the manager or the driver should put N/A (not applicable) next to the required data. The explanation should be in a formal way with no flippant or rude acts.2945130374650Fig SEQ Fig \* ARABIC 1: Traffic report issued by the State of Nebraska, USA0Fig 1: Traffic report issued by the State of Nebraska, USAFinally, the most important step into the reporting procedure is to inform the insurer company as soon as possible, with providing the necessary information such as; the telephone number, date of the accident and the complete report of the accident. (CLIT- Section 12, 2006) & (Vames, P., 2009)Road accident follow upFollow up procedureAfter completing the reporting procedure, the company should follow some processes to reduce the risks and the damages that may result in bad reputation to the company. (CILT – Section 13, 2006)Vehicle damage and inspectionOne of the main processes after an accident is checking the involved vehicle and examines its ability for roadworthiness. The maintenance shouldn’t be only depended on the driver approximation, because some damages may not be obvious, such as damage to the brake pipes. (CILT – Section 13, 2006) Claims against driversThe company basically will take the full responsibility of the accident's damages that were caused by the driver of the company during the working period. Moreover, the company is responsible for any damaged items or products. Therefore, the driver should inform the manager directly if they receive claim for damages or a notice of intended prosecution.Additionally, the company is only responsible for the driver during its duty hours, so any outside behaviour of the driver will be won't be involved with the company. For example; using the vehicle without permission will result in, unacceptable insurance and the driver will also be uninsured. (CILT – Section 13, 2006)Driver disciplineWhen a driver involves in an accident, the manager should consider the driver's discipline, when he should determine whether the driver remain in his position or to be dismissal from the job. As a consultant, the driver shouldn’t be judged basing on an accident. On the other hand, the manager should also consider the safety of the surrounded environment. Moreover, irresponsible driver can result in bad reputation to the company and inefficient security of the customer's goods, which therefore leads to increasing the risks and the costs of the damaging for the company. Finally, the manager should make a well-organized assessment to evaluate the driver and then decide if he deserves to stay and continue its job or to be release from the position. Accident analysisThe company is recommended to have an accident analysis from time to time, to evaluate its accidents causes and the vehicles and drivers involved in the accidents. This analysis can be useful in improving the driving procedure and to reduce future possible accidents. (CILT – Section 13, 2006)Reducing accidentsA company should consider its accident rate, and try to reduce it as much as possible by making plans and analysis. However, this might cost the company a lot, but it is worth it, because higher consideration can result in more responsible drivers while driving, which will therefore lead to the efficiency of the company transport.Moreover, some of these plans that can stimulate reducing accident are;Present the accidents results on the notice board in more interesting way. Such as; by colourful diagrams or images. Training the drivers with 'defensive driving' skills.Try to solve any existing issue, without ignoring any problem, even the small ones.Analyse the accidents, and refer to it in term of re-training the drivers.Providing noticeable warnings of most possible hazards. For example; mirrors, road signs and effective speed bumps. (CILT – Section 13, 2006)Health, safety and securityWith the high increase of personal injury lawyers and the high progressively strict of government legislation, the health and safety has become one of the major priority of any business to ensure the efficiency of the organization. However, as a consultant, to apply the safety of the workplace, the company should have a well-organized plan considering the laws and regulation of the ministry of labour of Bahrain. Moreover, there are several analyses that the manager of the company should consider, for instance; the responsibilities of the employer, the responsibilities of the employees and finally the laws and legislation. (I pass it on Online, 2012)Employers’ responsibilityThe employer takes the main responsibility of the entire workplace safety. Moreover, the employer should be informed with both employee's health and equipment safety. There are several rights that should be given to the employees and certainly can't be changed or remove by the manager because they are agreed by the law. However, these responsibilities are:Provide a safe workplace by providing modern and safe equipment at no cost with regular checks and maintenance to prevent any risk or damaging.New machines and equipment should be check before using them to ensure their safety.Ensure the vehicle safety with regular maintenance of each spare part of the vehicles. Employees have to be trained well before using any new machinery to prevent the mistakes that might result in serious injury or damaging. Provide suitable clothes and protective equipment at no cost to all employees. Since it is a cement company, the company should consider the chemical materials used in making the cement because it may affect the employees. Ensure that ventilation, temperature, lighting, and toilet, washing and rest facilities all meet health, safety and welfare requirementsProvide instruction, fire extinguisher and warning signs all over the dangerous areas or equipment. 302768018859500The employer should be familiar with each employee's health status by getting regular reports of their medical statement. 3034030314960Fig SEQ Fig \* ARABIC 2: Safety equipment that should always be usedFig 2: Safety equipment that should always be usedProvide preventive health care programs to facilitate the employees in performing their work in a safe way without risks to their health. Provide training programs to prepare the employees for any emergency situation such as; chemical explosion, fire and machinery accidents.Promote first aid courses to the employees with regular updates each 2 or 3 years. Build safe floors, walkways, stairs and roadways.Be understandable with the employee's cases and allow employees to take breaks or the day off especially if someone felt ill or unable to continue working, because any result in their health will be on the employer responsibility. (Directgov Online, 2012)Employees’ responsibility29464003831590Fig SEQ Fig \* ARABIC 3: consequence of not following safety proceduresFig 3: consequence of not following safety procedures295656051879500The employees of the company have a significant role in accomplishing the safety in the workplace. Moreover, there are some duties that the employees must consider to ensure their safety in the work environment. Therefore, the company's manager should inform the employees and educate them with their rights and their duties to make the safety procedure easier and more effective. Nevertheless, some of these important duties are:To be aware of all the rules and regulations, and to take the whole responsibility of any doubting in safety matter by asking the employer or other employees. To be careful in using the equipment especially the hazardous one, and to keep the tools in the right form with the suitable condition.If there is any concern of working with unsafe machine or tool, do not use it and report any insecure actions or dangerous accidents immediately to the employer. Wearing suitable clothes, helmets, shoes and any other required matters. Follow the training courses and the instruction given by the rm the employer about any medication issue that might be affected by the work position or the material used in the production. (CILT – Section 13, 2006)Regulations and codes of practiceRisk assessment is one of the most important steps for accomplishing the safety and protection of the employees within the workplace. Moreover, it is very important in term of meeting the law requirements of Bahrain. However, there are several steps that should be followed to achieve the risk assessment, these steps are:Classify the hazards Determine who might be affected and how. Evaluate the risks and decide on safety measure. Evidence your findings and implement them. Review the assessmentThe company should have a clear plan for ensuring the health and safety by cooperating with the department's manager. The managers should have an annual report about the health of the employees and action taken in term of the health and safety in the workplace. Moreover, the aim of this report is to ensure the maintaining of the safety procedures and support the improvements of the action plan. However, this report should be followed with a review of the results and changes that has occur after the implement. Employee's health must be monitored and recorded by their managers regularly. Since it is a new published company, it is important to seek for additional health and safety assistance, because of the lack of knowledge and training that can support dealing with a condition or circumstance that could impact health and safety of the employees. Employees should be informed with the risks and hazards that they are facing. Plus, the ways of avoiding these hazards.Employer should provide all the training required for the employees in term of avoiding any future risks. The company should have temporary workers for emergency situations that might necessitate extra employees.Employees should be cooperative and supportive to all instructions and plans that the company is implementing. (Robert Gordon University Online, 2012)Control of health hazard substancesThe Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations aims to prevent damage to health from occupational exposure to hazardous substances. Moreover, all employers are required to assess the risk of any kind of health hazards that may involve their employees. The employers should be familiar with the hazard substances principles that consists of checking the dangerous productions regularly, choosing the most effective ways of controlling the hazards and providing protections equipment with training courses to the employees. (Health Working Lives, 2012)The reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrencesReporting of injuries and dangerous occurrences is the employer's responsibility. Moreover, there are several situations that are required to be reported by the law. These conditions are:Deathsserious injuriesOver three days injuries – where a labour had an accident and he is unable to attend the work or is in the workplace by can't work for more than three days.Injury to a worker that required hospitalisation.Work-related diseasesDangerous occurrences (EDP Online, 2009)Vehicle activitiesThe employer should give high consideration on the vehicle activities, because vehicles activities are very effective factor to the health and safety of the employees. Moreover, to avoid vehicle risks to the employees, the company should do the following; Regular checks on the vehicle's maintenance. Ensure the safety of the vehicle's construction. Choose the most safety route to reduce risks. Set cameras all over the parking areas to ensure the security. (CILT – Section 12, 2006)Business and vehicle insuranceInsurance is one of the required details of every transport plan. Even though its costs a lot, it is an item that is needed to protect business and companies. The purposes of vehicle insurance:To provide compensation to the business owner, in case any damage, for example: accident, theft, and goods damage. It also covers expenses arising from any responsibility thereon. For example, if the truck was on fire, it might cause damages to the people around it. The insurance covers the unknown expenses that might appear without any pervious notice. Third party insurance: The third party insurance is a compulsory type of insurance; according to the law the operators must insure their vehicles against the third party hazards.It is against rules to drive a vehicle unless it’s covered in respect of third party, not only the driver will be punished but also the employer, who allowed it to happen. Types of insurance: Minimum level of covers: the vehicle must be at least insured against third party risks. This third party insurance must cover all the responsibilities of the death or injury of any person, for example: the medical treatment expenses. The insurance must compensate the driver from this responsibility. Other vehicle-related insurance: for a farther protection, the vehicle insurance could be extended to include another type of covers: Fire. – Covers damage to the vehicle. Theft – Covers loss of goods in the vehicle. Goods in transit.Other business insurance: Employer’s liability insurance: all companies must insure against responsibility for death, disease and injury that could happen to the employees during the working hours.Public liability insurance: this type of insurance covers the danger the might harm the public as a result of the insured business activities. For example: Flawed loading, which might harm people who are near the trucks. The safety of people who visit the company.Wrong first aid treatment. When an employee or a visitor is injured and they get a wrong first aid treatment.Consequential loss: after a major disaster such as fire or storm in the company, the employer will be faced with huge losses. If he insured his business he would be able to get revenue out of this damage from the insurance company. Insurance Companies in Bahrain: Bahrain has a very open finance and insurance sector, many companies are competing against each other, some those companies are: 3404870662749500Bahrain and Kuwait Insurance Company3568700373380Fig SEQ Fig \* ARABIC 4: Bahrain Kuwait Insurance Co. Logo00Fig 4: Bahrain Kuwait Insurance Co. LogoEstablished in 1975. Many policies available: fire, general accidents, marine and motors. It is well prepared to face the market.36893501841500Bahrain National Insurance Company40 years of experience. 3613785361950Fig SEQ Fig \* ARABIC 5: Bahrain National Insurance Co. Logo0Fig 5: Bahrain National Insurance Co. LogoFirst virtual insurance branch in Bahrain. Saudi National Insurance Company3620135199199500Established 1974, registered in Bahrain 1993. Limited insurance covers. 3585210219710Fig SEQ Fig \* ARABIC 6: Saudi National Insurance Co.0Fig 6: Saudi National Insurance Co.Recommendations: We recommend purchasing the insurance cover from Bahrain and Kuwait Insurance Company for the following reasons: They provide a wider range of insurance cover. Bah-con would be able to insure their entire vehicles list, not only that but also the drivers health insurance.Strong financial standing. Health coverage may cover employees in Bahrain, as well as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and Jordan. This might ease the operation if it happened in any of these countries and motivate the staff.They have an effective online service. This is only a recommendation; however Bah-Con can search for better offers with a better service in other insurance companies.ConclusionIn conclusion, the recommendations mentioned in this best practice guide are the best for the ready mix factory because it would depend on the requirements the company needs, that were studied, and the amount of orders it delivers at a certain time, the best practice guide simply gives the best options or procedures that are available for the company. AppendixPictures: [Pic 1] To [Pic 17]: Pictures taken by team members Abdullah Bawazir and Ali SalmanMaps:[Map 1]: retrieved June 4, 2012 from GMI Media International: TablesAll the tables in the best practice guide are referenced in the text.Figures[Fig. 1][Fig. 2][Fig. 3][Fig. 4][Fig. 5][Fig. 6] of References BIBLIOGRAPHY HHR. (2010). Retrieved june 3, 2012, from : . (2011, may 11). Retrieved june 11, 2012, from portal.lmra.bh: Haddad Motors. (n.d.). Our Company History. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from , S. (2012, may). HR . (W. Ahmed, Interviewer)Aloraibi, J. (2012, june 5). HR . (W. Ahmed, Interviewer)Aviva Insurance PLC. (n.d.). Motor, Transport & Fleet Insurance. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from Business Insurance: Kuwait Insurance. (n.d.). BKIC Motor Insurance. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from Bahrain National Insurance. (n.d.). Domestic Insurance. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from BNI Direct: , L. (2009, November 23). Lorry Sizes and Weights. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from House of Commons Library: Institue of Logistics and Transport. (2006). Fleet Management (Unit 6) - Section 1. Course Material.Chartered Institue of Logistics and Transport. (2006). Fleet Management (Unit 6) - Section 10. Course Material.Chartered Institue of Logistics and Transport. (2006). Fleet Management (Unit 6) - Section 11. Course Material.Chartered Institue of Logistics and Transport. (2006). Fleet Management (Unit 6) - Section 13. 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Course Material.Chartered Institue of Logistics and Transport. (2006). Fleet Management (Unit 6) - Section 9. Course Material.Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of South Africa. (1997, April). The Damaging Effects of Overloaded Heavy Vehicles on Roads [PDF File]. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from Roads and Transport Technology Division: overload.csir.co.za/pad27/docs/Pad27_A4.pdfFirst Vehicle Services. (n.d.). Why outsource maintenance services. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from . (n.d.). Retrieved June 4, 2012, from Bapco Stations Statistics: . (n.d.). Locations of Petrol stations in Bahrain. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from Hassan Group. (2010). Haji Hassan Ready Mix. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from , A. (2012, may). Haji hassan ReadyMix. (W. Ahmed, Interviewer)Hewitt, J. (2011, October 16). advantages and disadvantages to leasing a car? Retrieved June 4, 2012, from Madison University. (2004, October 21). Safety Belt Statistics. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from University Safety Plan: jmu.edu/safetyplan/vehicle/generaldriver/safetybelt.shtmlLabour Market Regulatory Authority. (2011, May 11). Retrieved June 4, 2012, from About LMRA: Gude. (n.d.). Is it better to lease a car or buy? Retrieved June 4, 2012, from The Guide to Leasing: Trucks. (n.d.). 2012 Mercedes Actros Brochure [PDF File]. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from Orwell Truck and Van: of Muncipalities and Agriculture. (n.d.). Traffic Impact Assessment Guide For Developers [PDF File]. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from Urban Planning Affairs: , S. (n.d.). Advantages, Disadvantages and Types of Contract In House Maintenance. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from Preserve Articles: Travel Cost. (n.d.). Petrol prices in Bahrain. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from , C. (n.d.). The Advantages of In-House Fleet Management. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from Business Leases: , M. (2012, May 2). Bapco launches smart fuel cards. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from 24/7 News: National Insurance Company. (n.d.). Who We Are. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from About Us: AB. (n.d.). Fleet Management. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from Motorist. (n.d.). Fatalities From Large Truck Crashes. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from Traffic and Safety Guideline: Report. (n.d.). Legal weight for an eighteen wheeler. Retrieved June 4, 2012, from Facts about trucks: , R. (2009, January 24). Concrete truck crash traps driver . Retrieved June 4, 2012, from Taranaki Daily News: ................
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