Chapter 4

Grace continued her early morning visits to Vehicles and enjoyed them. She started to walk with drivers to their vehicles which meant she got to know them individually, learned something about their routes and the firms from which they collected and delivered loads to. She found it fascinating but she also discovered that a number of firms did not react promptly to the trucks arriving for collection. As time went on she found that a small number of firms were regular defaulters and that drivers were fed up with their day being lengthened by such a lackadaisical approach. She began to make a note of them.

Nevertheless on Monday morning she called on Anthea Robins, Head of HR, which she found to be a useful exercise. They discussed discipline. That was simple. HR dealt with it unless she wished someone disciplined for something such as persistent lateness for work and then it was just a matter of referring them to HR who would run with it from there.

Annual reports were simple. At the end of March she would receive the blank forms. She should give them to her assistant managers to complete. There was a separate box on the form for her to endorse or add to what they had written. The whole exercise would be better if she colluded with Greg and Geoff. That all made good sense to Grace and she had another ten weeks or so to really get to know her teams.

The visit was also a good opportunity for she and Anthea to get to know each other better. They liked each other and agreed to have lunch together the following day.

After a cup of coffee and having dealt with what paper work there was Grace went to visit Greg to talk about the clients who were uncooperative about loading. He endorsed her opinion of those she reckoned were ‘messing the drivers about’. The drivers’ daily logs showed who the offenders were.

Grace reckoned that as a new girl she ought in any case to visit their clients to establish friendly relations and show an interest. She would raise the subject of hold-ups with the main offenders. Greg thought that an excellent idea and offered to act as her driver as he knew where each firm was located. She gently turned his offer down. It would not be a good idea for them both to be away at the same time in case there was a crisis. Greg agreed but still thought she should have a driver, chosen each time as having suffered from the client’s dilatoriness. Grace agreed with that and would let him know of her programme when she had rung the firms and made appointments. She actually got Angie to do that.

There was a knock on her door. Hugh Walker, the General Manager, was standing there smiling.

Grace rose to her feet and smiled back. “Good morning, Mr Walker,” she greeted him and then remained silent not knowing really what to say.

“Good morning, Grace. How are things? Are you enjoying yourself?”

“Very much, particularly the last two or three weeks.”

His smile broadened. “Crisis management during the flu epidemic.”

She nodded.

“And succeeded too from what I’ve seen and heard. Well done! Anyway, with three months under your belt I think it’s time I gave you lunch and we’ll go into a bit more detail. Can you tear yourself away for an hour?”

“Mm, yes please!” Her smile grew even bigger. “Thank you very much.”

“Grab your coat and let’s go.”

He drove her a short way out into the country to a small pub.

“My predecessor brought me here and I’ve been coming ever since when I can find a decent excuse. The food is excellent and the landlady is very friendly and welcoming,” he told her, “not that I shall be eating hugely myself in case I fall asleep this afternoon.”

She laughed. He had relaxed her. She also took the hint. “Same here.”

Their greeting was indeed warm and, having got drinks and ordered, Mr Walker led her to a table in one corner.

“So,” he said. “How does this job compare with your last?”

“Totally different. I was almost completely office bound and doing little more than record keeping. Here, once I’d got my feet under the table, it became much more hands on and so much more fun and interesting.”

“Go on.”

“Well, I’ve established a good working relationship with Greg and Jeff, a friendly one too, and I know all the drivers’ and mechanics’ names and am beginning to get to know them properly as well.”

“Good for you. How do you find them?”

“Well, they all seem to be proficient drivers who look after their vehicles. Of course there are all sorts of different characters: shy ones, chatterboxes given a chance, clowns, grumblers like Happy and even a few flirts.” She grinned.

So did he. “Hardly surprising with your youth and good looks and don’t worry I’m not coming on to you. Now I’ve purposely left you alone for your first three months but have been keeping an eye on you and all of what I’ve seen and heard does you credit so well done.”

“Thank you.” It was almost a whisper.

“Are there any changes you want to make?”

“Not as such but I have got one concern which I’ve talked to Greg about and he agrees.”

“What’s that?”

She told him of her discussion with Greg that morning.

“Hmm, that looks a very sensible way of tackling it. How will you know if it’s worked?”

“Daily logs and what the boys tell me.”

“And what if it doesn’t work?”

“I think that in most cases it will. Where it doesn’t a firm but gentle reminder plus a veiled threat that we might drop them.”

“What have you got in mind there?”

“To tell them that we are working to capacity and might find it necessary to drop them in favour of other potential customers who we’ve had to turn down.”

Mr Walker looked thoughtfully at her. “OK. What if that doesn’t work?”

“Well up to that stage I will have been talking to their distribution managers.”

“Go on.”

She smiled. “I would have to refer the problem to my General Manager.”

Mr Walker grinned. “And what would you expect him to do?”

“Have a quiet word with their General Manager.”

“I see. Oh well, forewarned is forearmed. I’d better get into training then.”