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The MD of Suttons Group has called on transport firms who outsource their truck maintenance to form a group to push for higher standards in the industry. Andrew Palmer says representatives from such an organisation would sit down with contract maintenance suppliers, as well as VOSA and the licensing authorities, to raise any problems or issues over reliability or safety.

He adds: "All our tractor units are externally maintained, so in this respect the safety of our people is in the hands  of third-party suppliers. This is about putting together a group of people who are key users and making this group a forum for feedback for the manufacturers who provide the contract maintenance agreements. It's about saying here are some of the problems or issues we face, how can we work together and make improvements. I am not talking about a licensing arrangement that is far beyond me, that's something for the traffic commissioners."

Palmer believes it is the wellbeing of his employees and the company's O-licence that are potentially at risk if suppliers fail to meet adequate maintenance standards. "The message to people who provide contract maintenance services should be: 'We feel the pain when you screw up'," he adds.

Geoff Dossetter, FTA external affairs director, says his organisation, as part of its Vehicle Inspection Service, already liaises with truck manufacturers, the DfT and police to put forward the concerns of its members. He adds: "We have engineers who  are able to audit the work of third-party maintenance contractors."

Suttons won the safety category at this year's MT Awards, following the success of its "Think Safe" campaign launched in autumn 2006. The scheme encourages staff to report health and safety "near-misses" so potential problems are brought into the open and dealt with quickly. Palmer says Suttons does not find current health and safety regulations a burden. He adds: "The climate has changed a lot for the better since the original legislation was introduced in 1974."