Gordon Macdonald to speak at FTA event

Traffic enforcement policy manager at the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), Gordon MacDonald, is set to give a keynote speech at an upcoming Freight Transport Association (FTA) event. The address, part of the Van Excellence conference, will cover how the recession has changed the way operators practice, and VOSA's opinions on UK vans' operational standards. This is the third conference of the Van Excellence series and will be happening this October in Dunblane. It's set to have a focus on bringing up operating standards and giving operators important information about safe and efficient fleet management. Van excellence is a scheme led by the industry which tries to bring up compliance standards among operators. "Van Excellence proves that operators are entirely capable of self regulation. FTA applauds the efforts of VOSA to increase general operational standards and we are delighted that VOSA has agreed to come along and provide its views on the issues facing van operators," commented head of vans at the FTA, Mark Cartwright. A day-long event, the conference has been arranged for October 29th this year. Topics that are set to feature on the day include an accredited operator's look at the Van Excellence programme, a look at the management of road risk, cutting down on the costs of operating and future technology that might be used in vans. “This event offers van operators the opportunity to obtain the best advice from a practical, operational viewpoint, giving them peace of mind surrounding the operation of their van fleet. It doesn’t matter whether they are existing Van Excellence members or not, this conference is designed to benefit anyone who operates vans," Mr Cartwright has previously said about the upcoming conference. The FTA's members operate close to half the lorry fleet in the UK, in excess of 200,000 vehicles. Its history stretches back to the late Victorian era and it's among the biggest trade associations in the UK.