Last month the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire LEP sector chair Carl Lomas asked a hundred truckers about their needs and priorities in the region. Top issues reported were road congestion, getting and keeping a skilled workforce, fuel cost & profitability and reliability and serviceability of vehicles. Another key local issue highlighted was driver rest stops and facilities in the region.
The event at Ripley in the AIM training warehouse, collected data on what local warehouse firms and hauliers wanted. There was talk about the new trailblazer apprenticeships for transport.
With a truck yard show of local wagons and a bacon butty breakfast it was time to recognise a very special local driver.
It was time for top recognition for a deserving driver who has battled back to stay in the transport business.
Illness had appeared to be the end of the road for Derbyshire truck driver Jamie Potter when diabetes took his HGV licence.
But thanks to his determination, training provided by AIM Commercial Services in Ripley and support from his employer Sports Direct, Jamie Potter has now trained up into a management role moving from truck to the office and stayed in transport.
It was a top brass turnout to the Aim Warehouse to celebrate the success, Roads Minister Clare Perry and Nigel Mills, the local MP presented Jamie with a glass award in recognition of his success.
Rod Dubrow Marshall, Deputy Vice Chancellor of University of Derby was on hand with Lindsay Allen of the D2N2 LEP and the master Carmen of the worshipful livery of transport, Lt Colonel Paul Holder RLC to offer him their congratulations..
D2N2 sector chair Carl Lomas comments, “Now thanks to the support of his employers Sports Direct and the team at Ripley-based AIM Commercial Services Jamie Potter is looking forward to 2015 and continuing in the industry – as a transport manager based at the Sports Directs massive Shirebrook distribution centre.’
Jamie says: “Luckily for me Sports Direct gave me a chance to change direction I am proof it is not the end of the world, but it was at the time.
“It has not been easy swapping life behind the wheel to life behind a desk and effectively going back to school to earn his Transport Manager CPC. It’s a big change for me I had always been out on the road to go into an office environment was totally different.”
Jamie said he is very grateful that Ian Baldwin, Sports Direct’s Global Warehouse Manager and Allison Kemp at AIM have shown such faith in him and his ability to take on a new challenge.
“I am really grateful to Allison and her team who have been so patient and it is thanks to their efforts and support that I have achieved this success,” said Jamie.
Allison, Managing Director of AIM, said: “We were determined to do all we could to help Jamie. It has not been easy but through hard work and determination he has achieved a great result.”
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