Maritime Transport pays tribute to Armed Forces with truck poppies

Volunteers comprising Maritime drivers and staff gathered across the company’s 40+ UK sites on 29th and 30th October to simultaneously fit the iconic memorial symbol to the front grille of over 1,400 Maritime tractor units. Poppies will remain on each vehicle for the duration of November to commemorate the immeasurable sacrifices made by those who lost their lives in the First World War and in subsequent conflicts, and those who continue to serve in the Armed Forces.

John Williams, Group Executive Chairman, Maritime Transport:       

‘We are immensely proud to offer our support to the RBL again this year, a charity that has provided remarkable support to so many serving and ex-service personnel and their families for over 100 years. The Poppy Appeal is an incredible cause that means so much to our colleagues at Maritime, including all of the ex-service personnel operating across our depot network, from drivers, transport managers, and fleet controllers, to those working within our finance, marketing, IT, and administrative departments. The investment we make in them as a business is paid back many times over; they bring an invaluable skillset and vast amount of experience to the roles they fulfil which is a real credit to our industry, and we look forward to supporting many more service leavers in their career progression.’

As well as the RBL’s Poppy Appeal, Maritime has, for many years, provided significant support to the Armed Forces community through various recruitment initiatives.

In 2015, the company launched its Professional Driver Scheme (PDS), a structured, year-long programme that provides comprehensive on-the-job training and mentoring to newly-qualified C+E drivers, and those with six months or less experience driving C+E vehicles. A large number of ex-service personnel have graduated the scheme since.  

Lianne Lynch, Day Driver, Maritime Transport (Liverpool depot): 

‘The PDS has provided many newly-qualified drivers and service leavers like myself a clear career path with one of the largest logistics providers in the UK, something C+E drivers with little or no commercial experience can sometimes struggle to achieve despite the need for new talent within the industry where the chronic driver shortage is causing a number of issues across supply chains. The scheme has been a perfect fit for me having served as a Lance Corporal in the Royal Logistics Corps for ten years. Training is carried out from the ground upwards in every aspect of the job and Maritime’s operation has so many similarities to the Armed Forces, including working out of different sites alongside other service leavers. I graduated the PDS earlier this year and now drive a new Scania delegated to me as part of Maritime’s container division.’ 

Following the PDS’ popularity with service leavers, Maritime signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2016, pledging to promote itself as a Forces-friendly organisation, and recognising the value that military personnel bring to transport and logistics. The same year, Maritime received the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Silver Award from the Ministry of Defence, in recognition of its outstanding support to the Armed Forces community.

In 2021, the company was awarded the ERS Silver award for a further five years, and later launched its ProDriver scheme for drivers with at least six months’ but less than two years’ experience driving class C+E vehicles, or those who have driven class C1, C, or D vehicles for at least two years before upgrading to a C+E licence.

Maritime has also worked closely with the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) - the official provider of Armed Forces resettlement - attending various Forces recruitment fairs, and regularly advertising vacancies online and in the CTP’s newsletters.

Mandi Cox-Osborne, Suffolk Community Fundraiser, Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal:

‘We are so grateful for the incredible generosity and support shown by Maritime over the last eight years. The Royal British Legion is here to help members of the Armed Forces community; Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, veterans, and their families. Our support starts after one day of service and continues through life, long after service is over; from older veterans to those with social isolation, current serving personnel, the wounded, injured, and sick. Maritime’s donation this year will help us to continue our vital work, and we hope the vehicle poppies will encourage even more people to support our Appeal.’