Agrii - Driver training (6)

Agricultural services business Agrii has established a dedicated driver academy and ordered a new fleet of 22 Mercedes-Benz trucks.

The company said it hoped the combined appeal of a structured staff development programme and advanced, comfortable vehicles would enable it to attract and retain good quality drivers.

Since doing business with Intercounty Truck & Van last year, Agrii has taken delivery of five Actros tractor units and four 26-tonne Actros.

Due to enter service over the coming months are two more tractors, another six-wheeled rigid and 10 Atego 15-tonners.

Richard Pinnock, national distribution manager, said: “We’re putting a lot of effort into this programme and vehicle selection is a critical part of the equation.

“Our research indicated that these Mercedes-Benz trucks are the best available for the work we do, and they’ve already been well received by our drivers.”

The Agrii driver academy was set up in partnership with training provider WTTL to offer a solution to the current challenges in the driver recruitment market.

Applicants hoping to join the Agrii team apply for a place and, if accepted, become trainee drivers.

They then progress to increasingly larger and heavier vehicles, earning as they learn, on the way to becoming fully qualified HGV drivers.

Working from a national network of depots, Agrii’s trucks deliver seed, fertiliser and other agricultural products to farms across the UK.

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