HIGHWAYS CRIME of Hindustan Lever Goods-4

(Fleet owner Ramrattan Singhi coming out of Kundli Police Station, Haryana to check the fate of his Zero FIR filed at this police station. He has been told that the Zero FIR has been sent to Superintendent of Police, Uttrakhand)

 
26 February 2017

Mr Nitin Gadkari
Minister for Road Transport & Highways
Govt of India

Sub: Highways Crime - Driver Safety & Driver Shortage

Sir,

Greetings.

You've been regularly raising the critical issue of Road Safety as well as the 22% driver shortage in the country which would be detrimental to the growth prospects of our economy.

In this regard, wish to bring to your notice the prevalence of highways heist (hijacking, looting and killing of drivers even) on Indian highways.

Recently, a long haul truck driver ferrying Hindustan Lever's cosmetics from its Haridwar plant to Chennai as stock transfer was waylaid in Uttar Pradesh (10 February 2017).

Driver Yunis Khan was drugged and demobilised for 14 hours and the entire Rs.65 lakhs material was looted. This is not the solitary case. Over the past year, many such Hindustan Lever vehicles have been looted in this fashion.

Besides Hindustan Lever, many companies also have faced this kind of highway heists.

Safety of long haul truck drivers is a key concern. This needs special attention to prevent such crimes happening on Indian highways via better highway patrolling. Plus comes the issue of filing of FIR, another pain area for transporters.

All these, Sir, makes the job of truck drivers very painful. Given this kind of life-snatching risks, very few wish to take up truck driving as a career.

Sir, this situation assumes importance in the light of the fact that you have been talking about 22% driver shortage in India.

Therefore, we seek your indulgence to improve safety of cargo, vehicle and drivers - need not be in the same order - as early as possible.
Many companies, including Hindustan Lever, DO NOT take "transit insurance" for the materials ferried and pass on the buck to transporters. If at all it claims its transport pricing is inclusive of "transit insurance" it is pure hogwash. The  company, it is felt, is taking undue advantage of demand-supply mismatch of trucks  plying on Indian highways. Its load plan of roping the cheapest fleet owner is worth looking into, which is a pure eye-wash towards safety aspect of cargo, vehicle and driver.

This needs your attention to make transit  insurance of material ferried MANDATORY to safeguard all stakeholders' interests. We are taking up this issue with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs as well.

Seeking your indulgence in this issue at the earliest.

Cheers
Ramesh Kumar
Editor - DRIVERS DUINIYA
Delhi

copy to
Mr Arun Jaitley, Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Govt of India
Mr S K Mittal, President, AIMTC
Mr Channa Reddy, President, ACOGOA
Mr Ramesh Agarwal, President, AITWA

HIGHWAYS CRIME of Hindustan Lever Goods-3

(Ramrattan Singhi, fleet owner whose truck with Hindustan Lever's Rs.65 lakh material was looted in the early hours of 10th Feb 2017  in Buldana,Uttar Pradesh explaining the tragic incident to this writer at Saboli village, Haryana where the transhipment of looted material taken place by the highway thugs)

25 February 2017


Attn: Mr Rajnath Singh, Home Govt of India                                                                 

Sub: Lawlessness on Indian Highways - Uttar Pradesh/Uttrakhand & Haryana
 Sir,

Namaste.

Permit me to state that the level of looting of valuable cargo moved by Indian companies on the Indian Highways remain unabated. Though law and order is a state subject, still wish to draw your attention to the fact that when such crimes happen, it involves multiple states and calls for a coordination among states.

This is a challenge. Needs coordination perhaps at the federal level. Hence this letter to you, Sir!

On Feb 10, 2017, Rs.65 lakhs worth of Hindustan Lever cosmetics was waylaid near Buldana/Uttar Pradesh around midnight. This 'mateiral was  coming from Haridwar/Uttrakhand plant of the multinational company.

According to GPS recording, this looted truck was taken to Saboli/Haryana (on the outskirts of Haryana-Delhi border) for unloading and decamping with looted material. So, you will notice that this crime has ramification of three states: Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.


Filing of FIR took a hell of time. At last it  was done. Now the Zero FIR filed in Kundli/Haryana has reached the table of Superintendent of Police, Uttrakhand. God alone knows when this issue will get resolved.

Sir, this is not the only case. Over the past year or so, though Hindustan Lever may or may not share such inputs to me (but surely when the governmnet questions it), several such high value heists of Lever's own goods got stolen on highways running into a crores of Rupees.

Seek your indulgence to find ways and means to fight such lawlessness on Indian highway heists.

Sir, however, am taking up the issue of such global giants NOT insuring their consignment in transit with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Ministry of Road Transport & Highways to make it MANDATORY (like third party insurance) for all goods being moved by anyone including the OEMs of every single produce on Indian highways by trucks should be INSURED.

No insurance, no movement. Period.

Thanks in advance.

Regards

Ramesh Kumar
Editor - DRIVERS DUNIYA
New Delhi /India
editor@driversduniya.in
 
copy to:
Mr Arun Jaitley, Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Govt of India
Mr Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Govt of India
Mr Tapan Ray, Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Govt of India
Mr Abhay Damle, Joint Secretary (Transport), Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Govt of India
Mr S K Mittal, President, AIMTC
Mr Channa Reddy, President, ACOGOA
Mr Ramesh Agarwal, President, AITWA

HIGHWAYS CRIME of Hindustan Lever Goods-2

(Father Habib flanked by his son Javed Khan (on his right) and Yunis Khan (on his left), the victim of the highways heist

Attn: Mr Ajay Joshi/Mr Ankit Jain of Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Mumbai

Dear Mr Joshi/Jain

Greetings.

Kindly check the following :

http://driversduniya.blogspot.in/2017/02/highways-crime-of-hindustan-lever-goods.html

In case, you are not the right official to respond, FORWARD this to the Chairman's Office.

Now a few questions to Hindustan Lever:

a) Is it true that your organisation do not go for transit insurance of your items being transported out of your plants to anywhere in India?

b) If Yes, why this risk mitigation step not taken?

c) There seems to be a slew of highway heists of your products particularly from Haridwar plant/Uttarakhand over the past year. True or False?

d) If yes, have you escalated to the government authorities in the respective states: states, I say because stuff from Uttrakhand is being looted in Uttarpradesh highways and unloaded for distribution in Haryana. So an interstate gang seems to be operational.

e) Allegedly, it seems to be the handiwork of some insider within Lever (may be or may not be true) who leaks selective info about trucks moving out with Lever stuff. Any internal investigation done in the past?

f) Lever goods are of high value and therefore, stolen Lever goods cannot be disposed off in the market without the connivance of the wholesale dealer or distirbution network, it is believed. So any thoughts on that? Any investigation on this arena?

Am Delhi based and will be interested in  catching up with heads of supply chain/logistics (because we are talking about transhipment) and vigilance team or any higher ups.

We can do this interaction over phone. Am available on 9711544181.

I would also like to visit your Haridwar plant for an interaction with your logistics team handing transportation.

Kindly NOTE that I do not wish to be approached by your external PR handlers to represent you in this regard.

Kindly advise.

Cheers
--

Ramesh Kumar

Editor - DRIVERS DUNIYA

New Delhi 110030

editor@driversduniya.in

Twitter: @DuniyaEditor

Handphone: +919711544181

HINDUSTAN UNILEVER RESPONDS: 

As a responsible company we work closely with our partner agencies to ensure safety of goods and the personnel transporting the goods. The transport operations including transit insurance for finished goods are governed by the mutually agreed terms of trade and the transport pricing is aligned to these terms of trade to ensure it is beneficial for both the parties. In case of any untoward incident we work with the relevant agencies (external and internal) and take suitable action.

  

 

HIGHWAYS CRIME of Hindustan Lever Goods-1

Ramesh Kumar

22-year old Yunis Khan (orange collarless full sleeves banian) at the parking lot in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh was not "Be Prepared" (remember the motto of Baden Powell, the founder of Scout movement?) on the night of February 10, 2017 when he was waylaid near Buldana in Uttar Pradesh ferrying Rs.65 lakhs worth of Hindustan Lever's cosmetics from its Haridwar plant to Chennai as stock transfer.

His brother in law Javed Khan (next to Yunis), the original driver of this consignment, had to pass on the vehicle to Yunis to attend to some family emergency. Otherwise, perhaps, he would have been the victim or who knows, this ugly episode would not have transpired.

Yunis was force-fed with sleep-inducing substance by a group of thugs around 1 a.m. after abruptly stopping his truck in the presence of his nephew Tauseef, sleeping next to him in the driver cabin. Later the child too was drugged to put him off. Fourteen hours later, Yunis wakes up in a government hospital and has no memory of what transpired.

Entire Lever goods vanished. Varuna Integrated Logistics, in whose name, the 'bilty' was made, hired Sure truck. Outsourced,yes!

Now, Sure malik Ram Saini (extreme left in the photo) is asked to cough up Rs.65 lakhs or return the stolen material asap. After much toing-and-froing, a zero FIR is filed at Kundli/Haryana and later transferred to Uttrakhand Superintendent of Police jurisdiction, revealed by Sonepat SP Ashwin Shenvi whom I met along with Ram Saini (22 February 2017). God knows when this highway heist will be resolved.

Key questions:
1) According to Ram Saini, the latest loot of Lever goods by highway goons is not a solitary incident. Many such incidents involving Lever items have happened. Has Lever taken it up with authorities? 2) There is something called *Carriage By Road Act* and Varun Integrated Logistics is believed to be a registered company under that. This Act limits liability of transporter in case of such thefts to a maximum of Rs.10 lakhs (one million rupees). If so, why Varun demanding Rs.65 from Ram Saini?*Needs clarity.

During the meeting with the Superintendent of Police, Sonepat, Ram Saini submitted a letter requesting scaling up of this investigation because there seems to a well oiled interstate gang seems to be targetting such high value of Lever particularly.

A letter from my end is on the way to Hindustan Lever honcho in this regard. Uninsured cargo by Lever is a key question. Insured cargo would have entailed filing of FIR and then company could have claimed from insurance companies. And, is there any involvement of Lever Haridwar team working hand in glove with the thugs who in turn enjoy some 'setting' with some Lever distributors somewhere. Because distributing Lever products clandestinely would be tough._Interestingly, the Lever factory is in Haridwar, Uttrakkhad; crime happened Uttar Pradesh; looted material transhipped in Saboli village, Haryana. A perfect interstate gang is operational.

A perfect script of lawlessness on Indian highways .

POSTCARD from Hosur-3

Ramesh Kumar

In the run up to the Drivers Day Utsav-Second Edition held at Leyland Management Development Centre, Hosur in Tamilnadu, on February 15, 2017 Transport Mitra Selvan Dasaraj and team literally burnt the proverbial midnight oil. With the team spread across cities - Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai - Thomas Alva Edison's one of several discoveries was deployed via conference calls to chalk out innovative driver engagement planning.

From the word go, Transport Mitras were clear that the Event has to be absorbing and has to have a higher driver engagement. "We don't  want them sitting in the venue like dumb dolls," said Selvan in one of the first curtain-raiser calls.

Having seen driver engagement programs conducted by corporate once a year under some pretext or other - good thing, anyhow - over the years, our objective was to involve them. Hyderabad-based Raghuram Sharma, who spent several decades training Air India cabin crew on smart behavior towards customers, was harping "when phones can become smart, why not our long haul truck drivers?" Solid reasoning.

Seven years, more than 100,000 truck driver handshake at highway dhabas, transport hubs, interstate borders, pockets of villages infested with drivers and their parivar, and deep understanding of their psyche and behavior turned me into an ethnographer. One thing was crystal clear: drivers are good at their core competence. That is, driving with very minor flaws. What they lack or need seriously is a sustained course on soft skills.

As an aside, the big difference between a city-bred and non-citybred is their attitude & behavior. Cocky and confidence, one can say about city-bred. Others will be shy. Same thing holds good for long haul truck drivers as well. In terms of appearance/dressing, knowledge of papers they carry, emergency responses, hygiene, manner of speaking etc.  they are found wanting majorly.

Like Asghar Ali, Head of Driver Training Institute at Jajpur/Odisha of Ashok Leyland once told me that such behavorial changes cannot be brought about in a single session of imparting gyan to them. Why only for less privileged long haul truck drivers? It holds good for anyone - including you and I.

That's  why I get literally 'put off' when big boys of logistics and supply chain of late realizing the importance of Driver Relationship Management (DRM) pose the following question: "We are ready to sign you (Transport Mitra) up to conduct one day session with our contracted drivers. Can you give a guarantee that their behavior will  change after that session?"

Honestly, I have never met a dunce character like that in my life. When I narrated this type of incident to Ali over phone, he laughed at the idiocy. Behavioral change process needs a sustained effort over a period of time. This goal cannot be achieved in one sitting or overnight.

I can understand the pressure from the top management and budgetary consraints. We spent so much of money on one day program. What is the outcome? is the conventional approach. Many a time, told the top honchos that what is being attempted is something like the "toilet training" of one's own kid. Children do not imbibe toilet usage habit from Day one. It takes time.

So, we decided to frame a Smart Driver Contest wherein long haul drivers will be tested on their smartness. One, it will be an engagement with them. Not a dumb charade but an active item. Sharma was assigned to prepare a set of questionnaires on what needs to be asked. This exercise went on for three days before we froze the Questionnaire.

Then, Selvan came out with the bright idea of involving transporters as Jury. "Why not? Let them be involved as much as their drivers," was his take. Luckily, transporters gave their consent.

After the traditional lamp lighting ceremony followed by National Anthem (Supreme Court advisory, remember!) and the Speeches and presentation by Ashok Leyland top bosses and transporters, the stage was set for the Smart Driver Contest.

Vipul Nanda, Jugal Baweja and Manoj Goel agreed to be on the Panel of Jury.  Bhy the way, these three transporters are no babes. Collectively this trio owns - repeat, owns - a little over 3,000 car carrier vehicles servicing the niche segment for several decades. This number is crucial because it exposes them to handling that many number of drivers (long haul, of course) at any point of time, criss-crossing the national veins viz., the highways ferrying mint fresh passenger cars/trucks from automotive manufacturing plants to dealer points or regional stock yards. Therefore, this trio's readiness to be judges to ascertain the "smartness" of long haul drivers was a master stroke. Who  knows the pluses and minuses of drivers better than this group?

 

Master of Ceremonies Raghuram Sharma, who also scripted the Questionnaire for the Contest, briefed the team captains of six transport companies: each team would depute two candidates who would be put through the grind. Considering the fact that the chosen 12 drivers belong to the Juries themselves, no quarter was given. nothing spared. The Dozen got grilled thoroughly by Sharma and the Jury. At times, the Jury posed more questions and expressed their displeasure at not getting right responses. Simply put, there were no biases.

Transport Mitra team surprisingly gave slates (writing pads) and markers to print their score by hand and display them to the audience at the end of grilling of every single candidate. Selvan, Suresh and Vinod kept the Score Board busy writing down marks awarded for each candidate by the Jury.

 

While the top score of 46 being declared as the winner of the Smart Driver Contest, the second and third spots became tricky because there was a tie at 40 points between two candidates. Believe it or not, we did explore this probability and devised the solution well in advance. The tied candidates (two in this context) were called back to the dais and one single question was posed to both. Whoever gave the right and smartest answer would be declared as the Runner Up. This formula worked well.

The Smart Driver Contest was so riveting and engaging, none stepped out of the hall throughout the one hour duration. At the end, the Jury gave away the prizes to the winners.

"Bas? Aur ek round kare?" asked a driverbhai.

Well, in terms of responses, most of them gave decent answers. There were funny moments too. Are they Smart? You bet, they are. But they can be Smarter and.... Smartest too. Remember that their quick responses were based on their real life experience and not text-bookish. Every little nugget of gyan they revealed was of their own learning. That's why we feel they were "smart". A little bit knowledge-sharing with experts in a sustained basis would be beneficial. It is also pertinent to draw attention to the grim fact - yes, grim fact that NONE of them had gone to a proper driver training school. All their learning was self-learning. Why? Because no driver training school existed when they started their career. Moreover, or perhaps they gave more weightage to "on the job training" than class room pedagogy.

Talking about "smartest", it is a moving target and hence needs a long  term commitment from all stakeholders. The route to reach that goal (of Smartest) needs sustained involvement by fleet owners, 3PLs and OEMs. "Sustained" is the operative word. Engage drivers when they wait for loads outside plants by "imparting" them smartness in a driver-friendly format. 

Everything is possible. Transystems Logistics practice of making it mandatory for truck drivers servicing their client Toyota Motors on Bengaluru-Mysuru road to sit through two hour classroom training on road safety etc. with a free breakfast thrown in by them before every trip is worth mentioning. If you skip this classroom session, you get NO load. Yes, it is possible.

OEMs should change their own mindset too. Outsourcing does not mean abdication of responsibility. Let them spend some portion of their CSR funds in ushering in behavioral change of their stakeholders: I mean the long haul drivers serving them - from the sustainability point of view. This ought to be priority number one. Adopting remote villages can wait.

To read POSTCARD from Hosur-1, click :
http://driversduniya.blogspot.in/2017/02/postcard-from-hosur-1.html

 To read POSTCARD from Hosur-2, click :
http://driversduniya.blogspot.in/2017/02/postcard-from-hosur-2.html

POSTCARD from Hosur-2

Ramesh Kumar

Dear Mr Phirojshaw Sarkari alias Phil,

Greetings.

Sir, ....  Okay, you would like to be called "Phil" ...

Phil ... the Drivers Day Utsav-Second Edition held at the Hosur Management Development Centre of Ashok Leyland on February 15, 2017 somehow brought back memories of you.

Know why?

You're one of the rarest occupiers of corner rooms of corporate world- read CEO - who unabashedly shed all trappings of your high office to spend time with drivers and their families in the remote village of Rajasthan - Jayanagar in Bundi district (200 km away from Jaipur) - in 2013. This does not come naturally to many. Tough given the huge hiatus in the societal status: poles apart. You, at the totem of the pole and the driver and his parivar at the bottom of the pyramid.

I still remember your logic for undertaking this Driver Connect visit when you said: "When my team notices that the leader himself is hands on in building driver relationship, the message goes down fast." 

Phil, you're spot on. Recently, I posted on Facebook the following: "Dear Neeraj Bhamare, must tell you that am getting JEALOUS of you and your innovative activities with long haul truck drivers. You guys @ MLL rocking. A big salute to you!"

Neeraj, by the way, is your colleague at Nashik. Just not him. I see plenty of such activities by your team. Phil, the message has really gone down well @ MLL.

Why am I writing long about you now?

Well, well... another gent from the same logistics industry stunned me at Drivers Day Utsav-Second Edition with his uncharacteristic behavior. Let me repeat - "uncharacteristic behavior"!

Never in my more than a decade long exposure to logistics & supply chain duniya I witnessed a suited-and-booted gent with a genuine (not fake!) leather bag rubbing shoulders literally on the maidan - coaxing them, cajoling them, sharing strategies on how to play the game. Well, that is precisely what this Indian logistics honcho was enacting.

Meet Maheen Kannu. Five feet, 8-9 inches perhaps. Just a guesstimate. His CV is pretty long. Check out on his Linkedin Profile.

Maheen Kannu with TransportMitra Founder Selvan Dasaraj

If my memory serves right, we know each other almost for seven years. Right from his GATI days, courtesy our mutual friend Harry Lagad, the then CEO. A few years ago, he became part and parcel of a venture capital outfit based out of - yes, you've guessed rightly - Bengaluru. And his focus of investment continues to be his darling sector: logistics & supply chain. Well, that's our connect.

When I invited him to join us for this Hosur event, he readily agreed. Such positive approach did not surprise me. Almost everyone whom I approached did. Including my own colleague Sarada Vishnubhatla, based out of Bengaluru etc.

On the Valentine's Day (February 14), he called up asking for directions.  I called Sarada extending personal invitation. She too promised.

Many asked for directions, timing, program schedule etc. I shared as much location details as possible - including Google map - with all.

On the morning of Drivers Day Utsav-Second Edition, Maheen called up to know about the law and order situation in the Tamilnadu-Karnataka border town given the current political turmoil in Tamilnadu. I repeated Amir Khan's "All Is Well" mantra. Then forgotten about him. Sarada, neither called nor turned up.

The Event was in full flow and an hour before lunch break, Maheen walked in his black pant and off white shirt & jacket combo with a leather bag hung on his left shoulders. He was apologetic about the delay in reaching the venue.

He is the ONLY high profile guest invited who turned up. So, he deserved special attention.  I kept monitoring him to ensure he was not disillusioned and walk out. After all, he had driven down from Bengaluru over the worst patch of Bengaluru roads till you climb the tolled  elevated electronic expressway.

He joined Transport Mitra Services team for lunch. I wrongly foresaw that he would scoot post lunch. He was  back from lunch sitting in the front row in one of the black chairs rearranged for the post-lunch games session: musical chair.

As the dining hall capacity was hardly 60 seats, long haul drivers assembled for the Event dined in two batches. One batch back from lunch occupied the rear end of the hall, gossiping among themselves.

Must  tell you. Colleagues from Transport Mitra know how a lot more about engaging drivers. It is no easy task because there is always a disconnect between them and the rest of the society. Forget about the society, even those who avail of their services prefer a distance. Somehow, these long haul truck drivers are untouchable, if one can say so.

Out of nowhere Pawan Asopa, new import from Kalamboli, Navi Mumbai picked up his cordless microphone and began engaging them in typical drivery basha: Their frigidity vanished and mood changed for the better. Some came on their own - multiple times - to regale their own colleagues. Some were coaxed out by colleagues. There is a vast hidden talent of singing, jokes etc. among these most ignored truck driver community. Significantly, they desire a platform to reveal their hunar (skill) beyond driving, but  never get one. All they receive at any gathering is bashan. Something akin to politician addressing an audience except the latter involvement in the form of clapping at the end of the speech or on cue midway.

Now I noticed the bespectacled venture capitalist from Bengaluru moved closer to the impromptu entertainment session in full swing. His level of engagement baffled me a bit. Was he really enjoying or faking? Difficult to decipher. Noticed his chehera. He was full of smile and attentive. As if witnessing the death overs of 20:20 cricket on TV. The singers were not Sonu Nigam or Sunidhi Chauhan. Off key singing mostly. Nor was it a tastefully decorated stage  but just on the floor of the convention hall packed with uniformed and un-uniformed long haul truck drivers.

The suited-and-booted Maheen, it appeared, was least bothered about such issues. Now I was convinced that Kannu did not come to the venue just to mark his presence and scoot out. He could have done it and excepting none would have noticed his quick exit. No, he was there like the solid rock boulders of1975  Bollywood blockbuster Sholay-famed Ramnagara on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

Now that the lunch session got over, more trooped in and the musical chair competition commenced. Transport Mitra Selvan Dasaraj got busy with the music system. Yoyo Honey Singh and his troupe belted out the foot-tapping Aaj Blue Hai pani pani through the speakers. Young and old long haul truck drivers began to circle the 50 chairs. The participants numbered 70 odd moved in baby steps with an eye of the nearest chair to occupy whenever the music stopped. Suresh Kumar, another import from Hyderabad, refereed the excitable participants with assistance from other Transport Mitras.

From the corner of the eyes, I observed Maheen goading the runners-round-the-chairs. Surprise to me. I expected him to be sitting quietly on the dais, flipping through his inseparable laptop checking emails or whatever. Transporters turned Mr India inside the hall. The crowd yelled egging participants. Number of chairs shrank disproportionately. The bearded driver standing next to me on the edges complained: "This is unfair. Bees log hai. Lekin Dus kursiya. Bahut na insaafi!" That intense was the competition. Again I noticed Kannu. He was almost on his feet and jumping. He was  no fake, I was convinced. He enjoyed the unfolding event being played out. Would he have joined the game, if invited? Dunno.

Selvan played dirty with his timing of 'pani pani' ditty. Some long patches of song and some short bursts, confusing decision-making by participants. What a scene? No dumb or dull faces in that hall. Some whistled loudly.  The games got over with a winner walking away with a prize instantly.

"Now, get out, folks!" orderes Raghuram Sharma of Transport Mitra who was compering the event since morning.

"Kyun?" demanded someone from the crowd.

"Ärre bhaiyya, rassi keech khel khel na hai. Bahar chalo!", responded the Jamshedpur-born and educated Telengana man. Rassi keech? Tug of war, my friends!

Some danced. More whistled.

A Leyland official: "Tell them not to whistle. This is a Management Development Centre!"

I smile at him and walk away.

These drivers were in a different zone. Stopping them whistling? No way.

Bear with them, my friend, I want to tell. But I didn't.

"Aaj blue hai pani pani!" someone was singing out loudly as they dashed across the convention centre to the volleyball court. That was where the tug of war or rassi keech khel would take place.

Last year (Feb 2016), we had played the same game, but on the adjacent concretized basketball court. During the tussle, many had fallen and got hurt with bleeding knees. So this time, we moved the venue to the sandy/muddy surface.

"Good decision to play on this surface," quipped Maheen standing next to me at the rassi keech venue. Maheen there but can't find the transporters.

Based on Raghuram Sharma's pre-event briefing inside the Convention Centre, each team had selected 10 members to grab rope and overcome the pull opponents  from the other side.

Six teams. Therefore 60 participants. In round one, three would emerge as winners and move to round two. In round two, Leyland Ten would get a wild card entry thus bringing the team to four, consequently making semi-final decision easier. Out of  this four, two would go into finals.

It was past three and the sun was descending on the west, thus providing shaded area on west side and sunshine on the other. In the first two matches, the team occupying sunshine area emerged victor. There was a sudden scuffle. Losers complained that the team occupying the sunshine territory surreptitiously used the low lying trunk of a tree as support mechanism. Hence, every team wanted to occupy that stretch. The atmosphere was electric. Unfortunately, except a plastic whistle there were no yellow or red cards to throw trouble-makers out of the gaming area!

Kannu says, "go for toss!" to decide competing sides to pick which side to occupy. Like tennis or shuttle or volley/basketball. All agreed.

I notice a special burst of interest in Kannu. I noticed him strategizing with the team on the shaded side. Yes, he was taking sides! The suited and booted gent devising strategy for his favorite team to win.

I overheard him advising, "don't pull all the time. keep tight for a while and quickly give in for a few milliseconds beofre ingpull back. Victory is yours!"

This strategy worked perfectly. Yes, the team supported by Kannu won proving that the sunshine area occupation was not a surefire victory formula!


Kannu was involved into the minutest detail. Phil, I have never seen a white collar senior logistics honcho getting so deep into the game between truck drivers.

The game over and a lot of wolf whistles and dancing followed. The only thing missing was the drumbeat. Otherwise, it was a carnival like atmosphere.

Now we moved for  tea break. Stalls came up on the basket ball court serving hot and crispy vegetable bajji (deep fried vegetable soaked in dal flour) on paper plates and chai.

A small group of teams collected around the stall and the discussion veered around the impact of GST on drivers. This group felt that GST would be truck driver-friendly. Kannu quietly sequed into the discussion and offered his two  penny thoughts and there was consensus that corruption would not vanish 100% but certainly would get reduced. Amen.

Now back to the Convention Centre and the hall was once again packed. While the tug of war was in full swing, someone had rearranged the chairs. Kannu was called out to give away the prizes for the games segment. He obliged unhesitatingly.

I never expected him to hang around till the end, Phil. If he scooted quietly without telling anyone  post lunch, we could have not complained.  He was not a passive spectator.  No naam ke vaste type.

Maheen, we're honored to have had you in our midst that eventful day. Rubbing shoulders with someone of your calibre was a unique thing for drivers. After he left, few drivers approached me asking: "Woh aadmi kaun tha?" They were unconvinced when I revealed who he was. They were punch pleased, nonetheless.

A simple gesture of mixing with them with genuine interest is something they wish. At Hosur, it happened that day. Maheen provided an extra spoonful of sugar which long haul truck drivers cherish. Such activities build and strengthen relationship. This does not cost money. Genuine love begets genuine love. Thanks a tonne, Maheen! Sarada, you missed a lot, dear!

Phil, your ex-colleague and Transport Mitra Founder Selvan Dasaraj came out with a brilliant idea: Smart Driver Contest. Pitting one team against the other. Above all, decided to get at least three transporters to judge the calibre of participants. It was a roaring success. Want to know more about this  damaka? Wait for the next dispatch.

Cheers
Ramesh Kumar

Want to read POSTCARD from Hosur-1? Try this link ....

http://driversduniya.blogspot.in/2017/02/postcard-from-hosur-1.html
 

POSTCARD from Hosur-1

Ramesh Kumar

Dear Sahusaab,

Kya boloon? Kya nahi boloon? What a mazadaar day it turned out to be at Leyland Management Development Centre, Hosur, Tamil Nadu on February 15, 2017 ....

Yes, the Day After the Valentine Day!

Over 150 long haul truck drivers of Mercurio Pallia, DBRC, OSL, IVC + 2x2, Dayal Logistics and ARL servicing Ashok Leyland's Hosur plant assembled to celebrate -- uff, chill out is the right word! - Drivers Day Utsav.

Yeh kya cheeze hai, you may wonder, Sahusaab!

By the way, Sahusaab, this was the Second Edition of bringing both fleet owners and their drivers together and engage them in the presence of the ultimate end-user - Ashok Leyland in this instance.

Last year, this unique Drivers Day Utsav event got kickstarted at the same location (February 12, 2016) with the same players (of course, Johal Logistics was there too then) with more drivers if my memory serves right.

Ashok Leyland's top bosses & all six fleet owners were physically present at the events site inaugurating, speechifying (a little!) and doing jury duty where the six teams vied with one another in a novel Smart Driver Contest lasting over an hour where they were grilled by the three-member jury on various appearance, aptitude, emergency response protocol, road safety and what not.

It was a wow episode, Sahusaab!

I know of corporate organizing Drivers Day once a year with the huge audience for whom the show was meant with NO role except being the timid audience. Drivers Day Utsav @ Hosur was actually Drivers calling the shots and suited-booted superiors just forming part of the audience. Cheer leaders? Sort of.

Our driver fraternity literally chilled out inside the air-conditioned convention hall. And, and .... They partook the same lunch served to Leyland bosses & fleet owners - buffet style in a proper table, cutlery blah blah, you know what I mean. Equality in full display. A big sabash to Leyland for giving such an importance to drivers -  the lowest supply chain link in the entire transport ecosystem.

Loaders and leaders were on the same page, so to say!

Post lunch, Sahusaab, was 100% entertainment. They sang their favorite songs or ghazals, shared chutkulis to their heart's content. Who will not, when the underprivileged truck driver realizes that he is being fed, entertained and treated with respect whom he serves! Yes, such behavior is unheard of in Indian scenario for long. Yes, it was just for a day. To begin with.

Am sure, Sahusaab, this transformation of better behavior from white collar towards the khaki collar (read drivers - uniformed and un-uniformed) is changing that I have been chronicling past seven years.

After a plethora of manoranjan ghaanas, they freaked out in one of the most competitive musical chair competition, egging participants. Over half an hour, the size shrunk from 50 to just one winner! Well, that was the format.

Then they trooped out for the pinnacle of the Utsav: tug of war. The feverish atmosphere on the sandy surface under the bright but benevolent sunshine was so intense, even Ashok Leyland officials threw their hat into the ring as one of the contestants. Sportive gesture, it was. (Of course, they lost!).

Following a short tea-break, they re-entered the Utsav's main concourse for the finale: Stand Up Comedy by a team of two who regaled the audience with their offering.

Sahu saab, must tell you one thing: every round of event was quickly followed by prize distribution. This was in addition to what Ashok Leyland itself gave away to 40 odd drivers and bestowed awards to its transporters.

When the curtains came down coinciding with the sunset in the Tamilnadu-Karnataka border town, the team trooped out in a disciplined queue format to collect their final package of goodies, thoughtfully put together by Transport Mitra Services, who scripted the entire Drivers Day Utsav for the second consecutive year.

I know, Sahu saab, you're curious to know the contents of the gift bag!

Here it is: a succulent  and ripe apple and kinoo, two ripe bananas; an ASDC T-Shirt and Cap; and, a soft pillow and cover as part of "Donate Sleep Initiative" launched 2013 in Haridwar/Uttrakhand by KRK Foundation.

Before I forget, PixelHealth of Canada did a thorough Health Risk Assessment (HRA) for all assembled drivers and Leyland staff in the venue. More about it later.

Sahu saab - in your entire career as Commissioner of Employees State Insurance until recently you would have not witnessed such a collaborative joi de vivre involving loaders and leaders!

A lot more details to be shared. One person stood out prominently in my esteem. Through his deed. I  know you are curious to know the identity of this gent. Hang on, Saab! Watch out for the next dispatch.

The Drivers Day Utsav-Edition 2 was so well orchestrated much to the delight of all, the senior most Ashok Leyland honcho at the venue demanded: "Why only once a year? Why not two?"

Of course, why not?

Cheers
Ramesh Kumar