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

Jhumritelaiya's baara chakka pilot!

Ramesh Kumar from Jhumritelaiya,Jharkhand

Meet Mr Dheeraj Kumar, the helmeted guy astride two-wheeler with a pillion rider.

He came into Sri Sai Fuels, a BPCL retail outlet on NH31 Ranchi-Jhumritailaya Byepass on the 68th Republic Day, to get a 'tankful' of petrol.

Looking through the glassed front inside the administrative block 50 feet away, he drew my attention. Reason: he was the FIRST person to drive into the outlet with a helmet. Otherwise, more than 100 customers who drove in since 10 am that January wintry morning - irrespective of their age - were headless - uff, helmet-less!.

Prodded, pronto came the repartee: "hamare ghar sirf 5-6 kilometre pe hai. Helmet ka kya jaroorat hai?" They were super confident that this 5-6 km is 100% safe zone. Madame Disaster vouchsafed their safety without helmet, perhaps.

Well, that's why this helmeted guy drew my attention. I dashed across the portico and gently shook his hands, wishing him "Happy Ghantantra Diwas!" He did reciprocate with a smile after a few seconds of pleasant shock: who this oldie shaking hands, wishing (me) Republic Day!

"Naam kya hai, saab?" It was my maiden ice breaker, sensing this guy would not nudge me aside and proceed. Anyhow he has to pay for his fill to the uniformed pump attendant busy with another customer.

"Dheeraj!"

"Phoora naam... please"

"Dheeraj Kumar"

"Know why I shook hands with you? ... Because you're the first person coming into this pump on a motor bike with a helmet!"

He laughed.

"What you do?"

"Pilot!"

Pilot? My over-analytical grey cells, as usual, demanded: Which airlines - Air India or private?

"Private," responded the biker.

"Spice Jet? Jet Airways? ...."

"No, Baara chakka!" Dheeraj again.

Since when aeroplanes sporting 12 tires? Yeh kya ho raha hai?

"12 wheels?" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah. Baara chakka.... am a truck driver. Own two trucks," responded he.

"But you said, "Pilot?" It's me.

My confusion was due to the fact that I have never come across a single truck driver out of the 100,000 I have met over seven years on Indian highways self-designating his job as that of a 'Pilot'.

"Haan, mein Pilot hoon. Truck driver! Do you have any objection  if I call myself 'pilot'?" he hit me hard with a beatific smile.

Arre, kya baat hai? How can I feel bad over a truck driver claiming he is a pilot. He does not know me and my current karma of uplifting the morale of truck drivers. No issues. I smiled.

"Bahut kush hui aap ka designation sun kar, Dheeraj-ji!"

Phir bi, how come he was wearing helmet in a small town like Jhumritalaiya?

Again he said: "Pilot hoon mein. I understand the safety nuances."

My cup of joy began to overflow. Seeing the lengthy pow-wow between us, Sri Sai Fuels owner Nishant Tanay (whose guest I was at his brand new fuel station where he was promoting road safety, digital payment for his customers with me in tow), came rushing from his  chamber. Luckily, it was a friendly chat and his composure cooled down.

Quietly, but quickly, Dheeraj plucked the 1x1 feet signage cardboard I was holding gifted by Maruti Suzuki's Hina Kausar, senior manager with Driver Training section to be handed over to the proposed Road Safety Club @ Jhumritelaiya under Nishant's stewardship and explained the meaning of that signage.

Yes, we were all floored. Truly, he was knowledgeable about signage. Words failed me again, warranting another handshake.

"Nishant, why not turn every single kid that enters this BPCL outlet into a concerned and understanding road safety advocate and follow rules diligently?" I asked.

"Done," was this ex-Linfox, ex-Darcl senior manager (both giant fleet owning transport companies: former, an Australian company operating in India and the second a Gurgaon-based multimodal operator) response.

"Block September 17 this year for Drivers Day celebration at this outlet. Want you here, Mentor!" said Nishant.

How can I refuse such a beautiful request? That too from someone who looks at me as a guide! Indeed a honor.

Sunday it would be on Septeber 17, 2017. Does it matter? Truck drivers are not white collar guys with a weekly offs, casual/sick or privilege leave. Their work pattern: 24x7x365. Mine too in a manner of speaking. So getting together with truck drivers on  a Sunday should pose no challenge.

Dheeraj honked requesting me give way for him to move out. I did. He waved. I too with two wishes: let my country have more citizens like Dheeraj with safety as a self interest tool and pride of what he was doing- as truck driver. This is what is called Dignity of Labour.

There need to be a self-appreciation of what one does. Be it as a condutor of orchestra or a man behind the wheels or a sweeper. The moment one feels less proud of one's career, it results in self-pity and lower self-esteem leading further a low morale.

If one does not recognize his/her own worth, how can he/she expects others to respect him/her. It's as simple as that.Dheeraj Singh is fully aware of this elementary and common-sensical aspect of life.

The writer is author of 10,000 KM on Indian Highways, Naked Banana! & An Affair With Indian Highways. He also edits DRIVERS DUNIYA, India's FIRST and ONLY long haul truck driver-focused English quarterly. He is the Founder of KRK Foundation, a Registered Trust focused on improving working and living conditions of truck drivers and their families living in remote villages of India. 
He is reachable at ramesh@konsultramesh.com




 

Dhaba Darshan - 1 /Nameless. So What?

 Ramesh Kumar from New Delhi

Mid February 2011, it was and the rain gods had drenched National Highway 56 linking Varanasi with Lucknow, both falling in the state of Uttar Pradesh. A few hours earlier, Anil Pandeyji (senior driver) had woken me up lying at the back seat post-dinner past midnight. Actually, I was already awake and completed my morning ablutions on the roadside, ably assisted by Parvez Khan, second driver who handed over a 2-litre bottle of Pepsi filled with water. (I did talk about this morning exercise in detail in my maiden book, 10,000 KM on Indian Highways, Chapter 1 aptly titled "Always In Public".)

When the roads are wet, vehicles automatically move on a lower gear and Pandeyji did not attempt any trick to beat the regulatory speed of 35-40 km/hour. We found two sugarcane-laden tractor trailers lying in ditches on the roadside and drivers screaming into their mobile phones seeking crane help to lift vehicles and save their cargo as early as possible.

"How about this dhaba, sirji?"asked the young Khan.

I nodded in agreement. More than the food to be partaken, I cherished the idea of closer to the help-seeking drivers of the "ditched tractor-trailer" and the ensuing tragic drama. Pandeyji steered our vehicle (tractor-trailer with Tata Steel hot rolled coils being ferried from Jamshedpur to Ludhiana as stock transfer for Tata Steel) into the vast open front yard of the nameless dhaba. There were two other smaller trucks parked in the yard. Without much trouble, our vehicle moved in and we got out.

Quickly tooth brush and paste came out of my totem bag and a gamcha to wipe face. Khan climbed up the front bumper with a wet cloth to clean the front glass of the truck while Pandeyji began his rounds of checking tyres for pressure and digging out pebbles that squeezed themselves into the grooves and nails that surreptitiously nuzzled into the harder exteriors of tyres. Unchecked, both these items would impact tyre life and perhaps make it more accident-prone.

Irfanbhai at the dhaba was peering at us from the kitchen area. No, he was not cooking anything, but perched there watching the traffic on the two-lane highway  50 feet away. Lean, a nice trimmed white French beard with parsely hair on top. White full sleeves, collarless shirt and a grey Nehru jacket. Maybe in his 50s. Sharp nose. Glistening eyes.

I settled down on one of the several wooden benches that serves both purposes of seating and as table to hold served food. Multi-utilitarian. Unplastered brick walls with lime painted. Typical overhead conical roof made of dried hay with criss-cross bamboo scaffolding.  Calendars with Hindu pantheon of Gods "blessing" from  brick walls at shoulder level. Damp muddy flooring, made slippery by the incessant rains. Aluminium utensils for kitchen use were on display near the entrance, possibly washed and kept there to dry. Few coir cots and some wooden benches - like the ones we were occupying inside - were laid out in the open equally, but fully wet on account of rain.

"Garam chai piyenge?"(Can I serve hot tea?) asked Irfanbhai, warming himself near the semi-burning tandoor (oven) inside the kitchen.

Why not? Requested a sugarless and strong one for me and normal tea for Pandeyji and Khan.

Haan... told him to serve me in glass container, not porcelain cups or ever-silver ones. I love drinking out of glass containers because they easily transmit warmth when held in palms. It's divine particularly in monsoon or winter season. Somehow, I cherish looking at the transparent glasses showing less tea at the bottom and more as reaches the lip tip. No such facility in a porcelain or steel cups. Crazy notion, but what's wrong?

"Keep your feet up. Fold your legs and sit like we do in villages," advised Irfanbhai's Man Friday bringing a big plastic mug filled with cold water and three tall brass tumblers. Khan and Pandeyji, filled their tumblers, had a full swig and non-chalantly spit next to them on the ground in the gap between our bench and the next one. Mouth washing, post-brushing.

Unhygienic? Well, this is no restaurant where white collar go for breakfast, lunch or dinner. This is truckers' dhaba. No wash basins. No mirrors to peer at one's own image while gorgling and spitting into the wash basin. To brush teeth and wash face and hands, one has to step out into  the open and find the huge bathing rectangular cement tank - filled to the brim through a motorized pump - use one of the umpteen plastic or aluminium mugs floating or kept on the edges. Gorgle, wash and spit wherever one wishes, but not into the tank!

Had the sky not opened up, would Khan and Pandeyji have completed their chore there? Not at all. Truck drivers are habituated to living in unhygienic surroundings. They don't attach much value to such nicetied in life, perhaps. By the way, they access tooth brush, paste. Even tongue-cleaner that I gave it up long ago!

Irfanbhai's garam chai arrives.

"Äap ke liye, adrak daala!"(I added ginger in your tea), says Irfan from the kitchen - a few feet away separated by a hip high mud wall.

Actually, I like my tea without any such additives. No elachi (cardamom) or tulsi (basil leaves) for me. No sugar because of my diabetic condition. It is more than 15 years since sugar intake stopped. I like my chai sweetless, but strong. Not for me the dipped bag tea version.

"How do you drink, sugarless. I can't,"quipped Khan.

"Irfanbhai, put my sugar also into his," I said much to the merriment of Khan and Pandeyji. It was a mystery as to why truck drivers gulp down kheer-like tea - extra sugary, that is for a long time until my trekking friend Himanshu Joshi explained the rationalize of mountaineers carrying chocolates for quick energy infusion purposes. Truck drivers kill their appetite or compensate lost physical energy - truck driving, though motorized and power steering, is a tough job - by consuming more sugar.

"Kya kayengi aap?"(What's your food order?): Irfanbhai.

By and large, truck drivers usually don't have breakfast. Several cups of tea, bidi, cigarette, tobacco keeps them through till 1 p.m. Why? Don't they feel hungry? They have conquered hunger in a manner of speaking. To understand this situation, one has to understand their cashflow. Fleet owners provide a daily fooding allowance of Rs.200. Remember, the concept of kalasi (cleaner or helper) has gone out of fashion because truck driving is not a career option. Yet, drivers bring in someone from their neighbourhood at their own expense. So, drivers have to take care of this extra mouth also to be fed. Rs.200 per day for two men is peanuts even at truckers' dhabas on highways.

Also, given the physical strain involved in trucking, they eat heavily: large volume - more rotis, more sabzi. Perhaps just one full-fledged meal in any 24 hour cycle. Rs.200 just sufficient for one meal for two. If so, how do they manage several cups of tea, bidi, tobacco etc daily? Well, that explains the jugaad.

It is no secret that there is a lot of mistrust between truck drivers and fleet owners. Each suspect the other of hoodwinking. The survival instinct of both parties - because they have to co-exist, like it or not - enables them to find ways to rob one another. No fleet owner is stupid enough to believe that Rs.200 fooding allowance per day is enough. They are fully aware that their drivers would "manage" by hook or crook.

However, Pandeyji changed his routine and decided to have breakfast because of my presence as a guest-traveler recommended by his bosses in Mumbai. He has to accommodate me as a co-traveler for the entire duration of trucking from Jamshedpur to Ludhiana (1960 km) over six days with Tata Steel coil load. I can't be deprived of my breakfast!

We ordered aloo, mooli parantha with curd and pickle.

Irfanbhai moved into the kitchen and his crew of two began washing potato (aloo) and raddish (mooli); another started kneading wheat flour for parantha.

It was a spacious dhaba 50 km before Sultanpur. Cobwebs decorated corners and rain water was dripping through the eaves. Corners were dark. There were electric bulbs hung loosely on the crisscrossing bamboo scaffolding.  The  kitchen had ample natural light seeping through an iron wire-mesh running right across. Till sunset or it becomes darker to read, he needs no light. Even after that, he may not. His lighting would through the burning oven. Luckily, there was electric power supply and a bulb, nailed or hooked on one of the pillars, was brighly burning.

Sack of potatoes and onion was strewn in a corner. A large aluminium plate had mooli, chillies, cucumber and lemon. The only green vegetable they partake regularly is chillies and cucumber occasionally. Potato and onion is for all-seasons. Add paneer. Pickle in a truckers' dhaba does not mean what you and I have at our dinner tables - bottled verson bought from market or home-made. A katori (small plate) of chillies, diced lemon and salt.

Khan shouted: "Irfanbhai, wash your hands before you prepare anything. Saab (referring to me) shehar se aaya hai," (Sirji is from city, meaning we cityfolk are more hygienic!).

"Chinta mat karo, miyan!"(Worry not!), Irfanbhai shouted back.

Noticing that the drizzling has stopped, I got up and moved around. A few hens came strutting out of their temporary shelters to peck at whatever they spot on the damp ground. Flock of chicken dashed here and there under the protective eyes of their mother, clucking non-stop.

How about some aanda bhurji (scramled egg with tomato and chillies)? I added that to the menu after this chicken darshan. No tomato. Does not matter. Even without it, bhurji would be tasty!

From outside, I saw Irfanbhai fully immersed in preparing daal makhni (thick lentil soup as side disk for roti) for Khan. The pan sizzled as he added masala sending a few puffs of smoke. The aroma or fragrance hit my nostril. His Man Friday was equally busy rolling rotis while the third young helper stood still watching the food in the making.

Cooking is an art. Nothing like mother's khaana (food). The taste is divine. Yet when you step out and go to hotels in cities or on highways or dhabas for truckers, it is men always who manage kitchen. Rarely seen a dhaba manned by women. Except one on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border in 2012 while crossing from Tinsukia to Tezu in barges with our vehicles.

The food is always tasty and yummy at truckers' dhabas, though nothing to write home about their hygiene quotient. Our womenfolk would walk away if asked to eat at these joints. Some suited-booted men too would make faces. Certainly these joints are not classy. Freshly made, provided you are alert and insist on fresh items. Piping hot, of course, the food would be. Simple but filling. I wondered how did ex-Chairman of Tata Motors Cyrus Mistry halted and had food at a dhaba last week which photo had gone viral. To eat in a truckers' dhaba, one simply has to leave aside his/her "holier-than-thou" attitude. Be there and behave like an aam janta (common/ordinary citizen). Food surely will delight, though not the ambience.

"Khaana tayaar hai. Laagao?" (Food ready. Can I serve?" That was Irfanbhai.

Fresh plates were placed after wiping them with a towel hung from the junior helper's shoulders  at the dhaba. Small katoris of 'pickle' too came. Khan ordered buttered daal makhni. So  the melted butter shingled on the surface. Pandeyji and I got our parantha. I tried to pick a portion but it was hot and drew my fingers away quickly. Pandeyji smiled at my temporary discomfiture.

Next half an hour went in pet pooja. Khan burped signaling his task done.

Pandeyji finished his portions and washed hands there itself. Not in the plate, but on the ground beneath the wooden bench were we were seated.

More trucks came in and parked. More drivers walked in  to occupy empty benches.

"Irfanbhai, kaise ho?" enquired some as a form of greetings. Perhaps they are his regular customers who ply on this route and visit for khaana-peena.

"What happened? Have not seen you for long? No loads this side?"Irfanbhai shot back.

I watched the banter between them which established a relationship built over time. Customer Relationship Management!

Irfanbhai came and sat next to us. He was curious to know more about me. Pandeyji explained my antecedents and the purpose of my truck trip.

How come there is no nameplate for his dhaba?

"Naam mein kya rakha, saab?"(What's there in a name?)

He believes in serving good food to his clientele. Period.

How much money he makes daily? Pat came reply: depends on the footfalls.

Irfanbhai runs this outfit for long, but can't recollect the exact number of years.

"You shot photos. What will you do with them?" Childlike innocence.

'Sirji will write about you and tell the world that you gave good food,' Khan quipped.

Irfanbhai smiled. Pandeyji settled the bill.

I wanted to shake hands with Irfanbhai and team.

"Ek minute," saying this, he rushed in and came back after cleaning his palms with the towel and extended his hands. His two colleagues too. A warm handshake followed before I climbed in the womb of Pandey's Tata truck to resume journey to Ludhiana.

The writer is author of 10,000 KM on Indian Highways, Naked Banana! & An Affair With Indian Highways. He also edits DRIVERS DUNIYA, India's FIRST and ONLY long haul truck driver-focused English quarterly. He is the Founder of KRK Foundation, a Registered Trust focused on improving working and living conditions of truck drivers and their families living in remote villages of India. He is reachable at ramesh@konsultramesh.com




 

Sorry, Dr Panagariya, You Let Me Down!

Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Arvind Panagariya flanked by AIMTC office-bearers

Ramesh Kumar from New Delhi

Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya did disappoint me in the maiden week of Circa 2017. That too, wholesale. Why? When a delegation led by the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) President S K Mittal knocked on the doors of the erstwhile Planning Commission to bare their concerns and seeking solace in the current post-demonetization scenario, he threw a bombshell.

He told the delegation that "he was not equipped with the data of the number of commercial vehicles plying on the Indian roads."  Needless to say that some of the delegates were "shell-shocked" by this assertion: Niti Aayog, the Think Tank of Government of India has no data? Na mumkin (impossible)! Out of politeness to the globally celebrated economist now enjoying the rank of Cabinet Minister and penciling the blueprint for 15-year long term growth path, they kept their cool under their winter clothing on that January morning.

Why them? Even I was flummoxed. Five years ago, when  the late Chittranjan Dass, the walking encyclopaedia on the Indian transport sphere, over garam chai and biskoot, told me that the Government of India did not have any statistics on trucks plying on Indian highways, I laughed and pooh-poohed his contention. "No jokes. It's true," he asserted.  I refused to believe him because I had more trust in the government when it comes to the question of data collection. Let's not forget the volume of forms we fill up in duplicate/triplicate/quadruplicate or whatever from birth to death: at every step of our existence on Planet Earth!

My repartee to him was that unlike S P Singh, another greater admirer of Dass saab, who believes in number crunching, he (Dass) detests statistical analysis but prefers opinions, based on his understanding and awareness of the pulse of transporting fraternity. Notwithstanding the fact that he (Dass) was the head of All India Confederation of Goods Vehicle Owner's Association (ACOGOA), after a long stint at AIMTC helm of affairs, the mandarins in Transport Bhawan always sought his inputs given his intellectual acumen and repository of knowledge acquired over more than half a century in this domain.

How come, Niti Aayog does not possess data? Intriguing. AIMTC invariably quotes 9.4 million, all put together. Where did  it get this number? Research students and business journalists quote Googled inputs. Remember Google is not a research centre. Even the so-called Big Boys of Consulting seldom miss a chance to reveal their number crunching and eye-candy pie charts etc. occasionally when they join hands with business lobbies such as Ficci, CII and Assocham as knowledge partners. Partners, yes. Knowledge, half-cooked! Google, as a typical aggregator, flashes these unverified or second hand data as if it is their New Found Gospel.

Forget all these hullabaloo. During a recent breakfast pow-wow with the venerated Prof G Raghuram of Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IM-Ahmedabad) and a Transportation academic doyen, in Delhi while he was on a Road Trip from Ahmedeabad to Agra and back, his estimate of the size of commercial vehicles in India is 2.5 million. Where and how did he arrive at this number, I have no idea. LIke the Big Boys, am sure, he would have based his disclosure on some perch.

The asli question is: how and why Niti Aayog has no data?  Without such hard & harsh numbers, how can Panagariya plan Indian economy's ambitious growth plans? The erstwhile Planning Commission had set up various Expert Committees over several decades to get a hang of transport segment and got voluminous reports done. They must be occupying some physical space or cyber space inside Niti Aayog portals. Again, the Rakesh Mohan Committee set up under Dr Manmohan Singh Premiership had presented massive report early 2014 before the new government took charge. So, there are data available inside Niti Aayog.

So, the vital question: why did Dr Panagariya say what he did say. Dr Panagariya cannot be walked into without a prior appointment. Hence he was aware of the impending visit of the AIMTC delegation and he was fully aware of their agenda. Remember, Niti Aayog has an army of advisors or consultants under various verticals and transportation is not shooed away. Am sure, these doyens would have mulled and culled numbers. Yet, Dr Panagariya said what he did. Surprising.

Look at this issue from another angle. Honestly, collation of such data should pose no challenge. Every single vehicle sold in this country has to be routed through RTOs state-wise. One simply cannot ply on Indian roads without such registration process. It's just a chore of collation of such data from all states over the years. Why this is not done, am curious.

Not to ignore is the production data various OEMs will be filing with respective state industry departments for computation of state excise and custom duties. In case, there are some import of vehicles, various ports would have cleared them through their gates after collecting taxes under various heads. Simply put, the question of smuggling vehicles into India and operating them on Indian roads is next to impossible.

Yes, there is a possibility that most of these data have not gone digital. Someone has to feed them into computers as part of Digital India exercise. Yes, time consuming. That way, everything is. What about the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) own database? Maybe they can corroborate the government data or vice versa.

Unlike in the matured economies, points out Raghavan of Anantara Solutions, there is no "end of life" concept for vehicles in India. "Over there, vehicles past their validity period, surrender their number plates/registration and therefore, they have robust record of such junked items as well," adds the supply chain/logistics consultant. Bang on.

We, Indians, are great recyclists. Nothing goes waste. Go into interiors of India - any state, for that matter - one can easily spot "oldies" in operation. The typical fleet owner logic is: so long as my vehicle has Fitness Certificate (FC), why this fuss? The trustworthiness of such government-FC is as good as the Driving Licences issued anywhere in India. Try showing Indian DL anywhere outside India and see the reaction. It's not even the worth the lamination work over the sarkari kagaz!

A few months ago, Selvan Dasaraj of TransportMitra, while travelling in western Madhya Pradesh was told that the real reason for transport fraternity not getting adequate attention from policy makers is two fold: one, they have not lobbied professionally like Ficci, CII, Assocham all these years to be taken seriously.

Second, whenever they meet the mandarins in the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRT&H), their laundry list is as long as "Draupadi's saree" - endless. The contention is that they lack focus and thus forced to compromise with whatever little "doled out". Interestingly, transport  is believed to have been clubbed under "Others" category during macro level discussions within the highest echelons of government. Thus, it gets step-motherly treatment.

It's never too late. Junk the past. Catapult into future with confidence and professional approach so that Dr Panagariya takes the  transport fraternity seriously when it meet him next time. With or without a shawl!

As far as Dr Panagariya is concerned here is an appeal: Sir, all said and done, transportation (particularly trucking) is the backbone of any economy. Policy wonks like your goodself drafting growth path for the Republic of India certainly understand the implications ignoring the pleas of this segment. There is a lot of talk of supply chain linkage to growth both inside and outside Niti Aayog. So, this vertical needs better attention. That's it. Nothing more. Nothing less.

It's time for a Massive Reboot at every level.

The writer is author of 10,000 KM on Indian Highways, Naked Banana! & An Affair With Indian Highways. He is Founder of KRK Foundation, a Registered Trust focused on improving the living and working conditions of long haul truck drivers and their families living in remote villages of India. Currently he edits DRIVERS DUNIYA, an English Quarterly magazine, India's FIRST periodical focused on Drivers only. 
He is reachable at ramesh@konsultramesh.com