All posts by Rachel Pallett

Forklifts are an essential part of any busy warehouse. To keep everything functioning, it’s vital that a healthy forklift fleet is well maintained – here’s our top tips.

Make maintenance routine. Everyone in the warehouse should adhere to routine maintenance of all forklifts, inside and out. Routine maintenance means potentially big forklift problems can be identified sooner rather than later, and forklifts beyond repair can be swiftly replaced without any big and costly surprises.

Monitor fleet usage. Are you using all forklifts to their full extent, or are you perhaps under using or even over using your forklifts? By monitoring how and when each unit is used, you can build up an effective picture of what your warehouse needs in terms of a healthy forklift fleet.

Keep up with training! Make sure all of your forklift operators have the training they need to use their equipment and keep it in top condition.

By keeping on top of your forklift fleet health, warehouses can ensure continued productivity in a fast paced and demanding environment.

For more information about our latest forklift vacancies, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

Today’s world can be pretty hectic. And with the internet and mobile continually connecting us, workers are finding themselves more and more working outside of core hours and losing their work/life balance. So how can you bring your world into perfect harmony?

Plan your day and leave on time. Of course there will be times when a little flexibility is needed, but you should always aim to leave work on time and get yourself home for a break.

Leave the work at the office. Switch off all work devices when you leave if you can – checking your emails at 3am is not a good way to relax!

Work smart. Planning your day, hour by hour, means you’re likely to achieve more tasks during the day than you would without a plan.

Take your breaks. Make sure you take your allocated breaks at work, otherwise you might find yourself struggling to complete your tasks effectively.

Accept perfection isn’t always possible. Yes, we should strive to do our best at work, but it must be reasonable.

For more information about our latest vacancies, or to find out how we can support your business, contact Flexistaff on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

Fuel continues to be a huge expense in the logistics sector, and as such it’s vital that LGV drivers remember to consider fuel efficiency when driving. Here’s our top tips!

Have you got cruise control? Cruise control is becoming more and more standard in LGVs, and for a good reason – computers can calculate correct speeds and efficient fuel consumption better than any human. So make good use of it!

Are you block changing? By block changing gears, say from second to forth gear, rather than working up through the gears, you’re absolutely improving your fuel efficiency – so make sure you’re block changing where safe and possible to do so!

Is your engine STILL running? Turn your engine off if you’re not moving anywhere – even if you’re trying to stay warm with the heating on! You’re eating up more fuel than you realise!

Are you feeling resistance? Fuel efficiency in LGVs in particular can suffer from resistance – there are easy ways to combat this, such as plotting less hilly routs for LGVs where possible.

For more information about our latest driving vacancies, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

Finding a new job can be hugely stressful. There’s a lot of uncertainty and usually a lot riding on securing your dream job, so it’s easy to see how your mental health can struggle under the pressure. Here’s our top tips for making sure you look after yourself whilst on the job search.

Be clear on what to expect. It might take longer than you expect to hear back from a hiring manager on your CV, but try to be patient and try not to take it personally after submitting your CV – chances are there have been a number of applicants and it may take longer than expected for hiring managers to assess everyone in turn. And if you don’t hear anything after a couple of weeks, ask the hiring manager / recruiter for feedback – even if it’s not what you wanted to hear, the feedback provided could be helpful for your next application.

Give yourself a break. You can’t send all day, every day applying for jobs – schedule some time each day to research job openings and apply for roles, but take regular breaks and make the most of the fresh air outside!

There’s help out there. If you are struggling with the pressure of job seeking, or anything else, there’s support available. Contact your local Samaritans if you’d like the opportunity to talk to someone about what you’re going through, and your local JobCentre will be able to provide advice and support whilst you are job seeking.

Best of luck, and never give up!

For more information about our latest vacancies, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

Climate change is a huge issue for all of us, and we’ve all got to do our bit to protect the planet. So it’s time to start thinking – is your warehouse eco-friendly? Here’s our tops tips for going green in the warehouse, and at the same time improving your efficiency.

Go LED. LED lightbulbs require less electricity and therefore they are definitely greener, plus despite the upfront cost being a little bit higher, LED bulbs last much longer than the traditional halogens.

Check your packaging. It’s vital that your warehouse is using packaging that can be recycled – if not, your warehouse can create a lot of waste very quickly. It’s worth checking how much packaging you’re using to transport materials – some of it may not be necessary, therefore getting rid of it can be eco-friendly and more efficient.

It’s time to insulate. Proper insulation in your warehouse means that the temperature is more consistent throughout the year for your team, plus it will reduce the cost of your energy bills.

Get recycling! Make sure your team understand how to use the recycling facilities properly and ensure everyone recycles what they can!

For more information about our warehouse vacancies, or to find our how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 01582 696959 or [email protected]

There’s been lots of coverage on the news about the HGV driver shortage – but unfortunately there’s also a shortage of forklift drivers too at the same time, meaning even more of the supply chain is under pressure.

Forklift drivers are in demand more than ever before due to a variety of reasons, and this demand is likely to continue as demand for a fast-paced supply chain grows. As we know, forklifts are a vital component of every warehouse, and without an adequate number of forklift drivers’ warehouses can’t operate at full capacity.

Whilst this all sounds a bit bleak, the good news is that the demand for forklift operators means that a career in forklift operation is a stable career path offering excellent benefits. The rise in wages means that if you’re considering a career change into forklift operation, now is the time. Our sister company The Forklift Truck Training Centre can provide all the forklift training you’ll need to kick start your career today.

For more information about our latest forklift vacancies, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

Long distance drivers are used to driving in different locations and terrains – but even for the most experienced driver, travelling through city locations can be challenging. Here’s what you should be aware of when driving LGVs through cities.

What are the roads like? It’s likely that in many cities drivers will experience complex road layouts to try and manage the large number of vehicles travelling through the city. Be prepared to take extra time to navigate any tricky roads, as it’s likely you’ll experience some congestion as well, and research your route thoroughly before you set off if possible.

Think about vulnerable road users. Without a doubt there are more people using the roads in cities, including pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. Be aware of these road users as you navigate your way through. Many more people cycle in larger cities to avoid traffic congestion, and motorbikes have the ability to slip past lots of traffic quickly. Both can be difficult to see at times depending on the road layout.

London and other places are adopting new road schemes to cut down on congestion and pollution. To avoid any unnecessary hold ups in your journey, check first whether you need to sign up to a scheme to travel through the city centre.

For more information about our latest driving vacancies, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your organisation, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

When it’s busy in your workplace, it’s easy to forget health and safety and lift items without following proper manual handling procedure – We’ve all done it! But realistically, it can be very dangerous to forget these regulations – here’s why.

Immediate injury is possible. You could pull a muscle or suffer with bruises or cuts – These injuries may not seem too terrible, but over time and on multiple occasions this can get wearing.

Things can get worse over time. If you repeatedly lift heavy items incorrectly, you could cause permanent damage to your muscles or ligaments, which can cause suffering in the future.

Don’t forget your mental health too. Injuries that cause pain or inconvenience over a long period of time can affect your mental health as you struggle to perform properly at work.

What can you do? If you are suffering with any of the above complications, speak toy our line manager and make sure you attend refresher training in manual handling. It is important that you always adhere to safe lifting practises to avoid any of the above injuries.

For more information about our latest vacancies, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

It’s that time of year again! Welcome to the financial year of 2022-23, which began official as of 1^st April this year – and with a new financial year comes a change to the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates.

The National Living Wage and the National Minimum wage rates are paid according to your age. Apprentices are paid the “apprentice” wage if they are 19 or under and in the first year of their apprenticeship.

Here are the new rates for this financial year:

If you require any further information, please visit GOV.UK to find out what you’re entitled to.

For more information about our current vacancies, contact Flexistaff on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

At least once in our lives we will experience a punctured tyre. If you drive for a living, you’ve got more chance than any of puncturing or blowing a tyre – here’s what to do to keep safe.

Puncture or blow out? Your tyres could be damaged two very different ways. A puncture equates to a slow release of air from one of your tyres; you may quickly or even over time notice your tyre pressure fading, which equates to a puncture. Depending on the severity of the puncture, your tyre can easily be repaired or replaced.

A tyre blow out can be more dangerous. The air is lost immediately from the tyres, due to the tyre losing its integrity – effectively bursting under the pressure of impact or another fault. Aside from the bang, you may notice your vehicle begins to shudder or steer involuntarily left or right.

When a blow out occurs, stay calm! If your vehicle swerves, adjust your steering to follow the direction of the swerve. And no sudden braking! Keep the weight off your front tyres and maintain speed, before changing down your gears, pulling safely to the side of the road and coming to a gradual stop.

Punctures can happen at any time, and often it’s out of our control, so it’s vital you’re prepared to take the correct action when it happens.

For more information about our latest driving opportunities, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your organisation, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].