A Day in the Life of… Steve Jones, one of our Training Business Partners

Steve Jones is one of our Training Business Partners. He is one of 20 Training Business Partners located across Gregory Group. Typically, Steve supports our teams in Southampton, Evercreech, Bicester, Milton Keynes and Bristol but he may go further afield should his skills be required elsewhere. We spoke to Steve on his 4-year anniversary to find out a bit more about what his role entails and what his journey to Gregory Group looked like.

Why did you decide to pursue this career?

I am passionate about improving driving standards and raising awareness of the level of skill required to be a professional HGV driver. The latter is often overlooked by peers and the public so anything I can do to help them be appreciated is a win for me.

My journey started as an HGV driver in 1992. I then became a Transport Manager before qualifying as a DVSA driving instructor. In 2017 I qualified us an RTITB HGV instructor where I trained apprentices – some of which were part of the Gregory Group apprenticeship scheme. In 2019 I made the jump to Gregory Group to undertake an in-house training role and I’ve been here ever since! Though I did have a brief interval working with the Gregory Group Recruitment Team during Covid. During this time, I learnt a huge amount – from the initial contact with a candidate through to completing potential new driver assessments. The insight I gained was really useful because I got to see how our two departments intertwine.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I can work day or night, and start times vary. One day I could be doing DCPC (Driver Certificate of Professional Competence) training, the next I could be conducting a driving assessment, the next I might be teaching someone to drive an articulated vehicle, and the next I could be supporting operational staff on the set up of a new contract! No two days are the same.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

The working relationship I have, both out on site with drivers, managers, and operational employees, and with my fellow team. I thrive off the passion our team has and within the depots there is a real team spirit in which we all come together to improve standards and keep learning.

There’s also a great deal of satisfaction from seeing someone’s smile once they pass their driving test. Or when I have shared knowledge that helps someone grow in their role or improve their compliance records.

What do you know now that you wish you knew earlier in your career?

Passion is infectious but for your passion to resonate you must be knowledgeable – particularly around the legislation. The transportation industry is more regulated than pilots and the legislation constantly evolves. For example, DCPC (a course completed by drivers every year to keep them up-to-speed with everything they need to know), didn’t exist when I started out in this career. By keeping up to date with the legislation I can offer guidance and help our team understand the reasons, and benefits, for altering what they do.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in this career?

I’d say to keep your eyes and ears open. While it is your job to know legislation and training inside out, there are always things to learn. Versatility is also key. Just because of the nature of the job and the fact we get involved in so many different elements of training. And respect is vital. If you speak to everyone how you would like to be spoken to, you have the basis to be a great trainer.