Kelly Group is delighted to introduce Tom Cain, Group Fleet Manager who’s been with the business since 2012.
How long have you been working for the Kelly Group?
11 years this year, I joined just after college. I completed my work experience during high school at Kelly Fleet and took a part-time position for summer breaks. Once I completed my studies, I joined the business in a full-time position.
What positions have you held throughout your tenure?
I started off in a part-time role updating mileage for our vehicles. At the time we had about 1800 vehicles within the fleet, and all our drivers used to have a sheet that they sent to me with their registration number and the mileage they completed throughout that week. My job was to update their data onto our digital system. I then moved into a more administrative role, taking on tasks such as updating invoices and information about our drivers. 3-4 years ago, I got promoted from Fleet Admin to Group Fleet Manager. I worked my way up to this position by working through various departments over the years – I don’t think there is a job that I haven’t done within Kelly Fleet!
What does a typical week look like?
As a Fleet Manager, I look after all our vehicles, drivers, breakdowns, and dealing with vehicle ramp-ups across BT, CityFibre, Virgin Media and Community Fibre. We need to identify where extra vehicles are, ensuring they’re cleaned, checked over by a mechanic and re-issued for our new to-field engineers. On a day-to-day basis, I also deal with off-hire vehicles, we try to utilise as many Kelly Group vehicles as possible and currently work on reducing the hire numbers across the country. I also review invoices, taxes and our fleet list to ensure we have the right drivers in the right vehicles. I also work closely with team managers, to ensure we make the best of our fleet throughout its operation. We have an out-of-hours line displayed on the side of our vans, that 3 of us share ensuring Kelly Fleet is available in case of emergencies for drivers and the public 24/7.
Do you have any set goals in mind for the next 12 months?
I am determined to pass my CPC course, which is the last professional qualification I can gain within the industry, giving me further knowledge on how to manage a fleet of large vehicles professionally and in a legally competent manner.
What three words best describe your role?
- Challenging
- Enjoyable
- Rewarding
Before working for Kelly Group, what was the most unusual or interesting job you have ever had?
As I mentioned earlier, my first job was at Kelly Fleet however, I used to deliver 300 papers twice a week for a local corner shop when I was 10-11. I used to get about £10, which I spent about 10 mins after getting paid in the same shop, buying sweets!
If you could switch your job with anyone else for one week, whose job would you want to experience?
I would love to switch jobs with one of our engineers. Here at fleet we mainly get involved with engineers regarding their vehicles, but we don’t actually know what their day looks like and what is involved in their day—to—day activities. It would be very informative for me.
I would also like to experience being a football manager. I coached an under-14s team for a season at Luton. My ex colleague Scott and I, got involved with their team when they were at rock bottom of the lowest league. Within the first season, we turned the whole scene around and finished second in the division. I’ve got a video with us and the whole team celebrating the promotion with non-alcoholic prosecco. The enjoyment that we got out of coaching is incredible, we were teaching them life skills such as how to be a team player and respect.
My all-time favourite manager is Alex Ferguson just because of recognising how he needed to coach people differently on a one-to-one basis but also as a team to make the most of their team for consistency and keep a high level of performance every single year while he was there.
What advice do you have for new Kelly Group employees coming into the business?
Work hard, support is available, just ask questions and ask for help.
Can you tell us what support channels are available for our drivers within the business?
We’ve got the fleet and claims department here. Fleet will help you with vehicle issues and breakdowns. You also have the driver’s app where you can log in and submit any defects such as worn tyres which may not be a problem yet, but it’s good to pick up on it early. If you’re concerned about your brakes squeaking, you can submit it on your app and one of our team will give you a call within an hour. You’ve got the fleet office number which is available from 8-5 and the out-of-hours number that you can call anytime. There is 24-hour fleet support for our workforce.
What 3 words would your friends/family use to describe you?
- Energetic
- Trustworthy
- Caring
What is your proudest moment?
When I had the opportunity to walk my mother down the aisle at her wedding when I was 18. I was very proud, and it remains an important day for all of us.
